• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

‘Take time in quiet’: Melinda French Gates says to spend at least 10 minutes a day on self-care

2

Harry and Meghan's homecoming comes with a multimillion-dollar tax catch—waiting four years could have shielded their $60 million fortune

3

Current price of oil as of August 21, 2026

1

‘Take time in quiet’: Melinda French Gates says to spend at least 10 minutes a day on self-care

2

Harry and Meghan's homecoming comes with a multimillion-dollar tax catch—waiting four years could have shielded their $60 million fortune

3

Current price of oil as of August 21, 2026
TechFuture of Work

Software Firm Qualtrics Embraces ‘Radical Transparency’ with New HQ

By
Heather Clancy
Heather Clancy
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Heather Clancy
Heather Clancy
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 21, 2016, 2:13 PM ET
Courtesy of Qualtrics
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

These days, it’s unusual to find a tech startup that doesn’t use an open office design to organize its workspace.

While some companies move away from the concept as they mature and expand, survey software firm Qualtrics is taking the notion of transparency to “radical” levels at its new 151,000-square-foot headquarters in Provo, Utah, which officially opened last week.

“Not many designers or architects understand what we’re trying to do,” said Qualtrics co-founder and CEO Ryan Smith, who was closely involved throughout the design process.

This is the fourth Utah site Qualtrics has used in its 14-year existence. Backed with more than $220 million in venture funding, the company’s valuation was pegged at more than $1 billion in 2015. Its survey software, which also includes features for gathering employee feedback, is used by more than 8,000 companies, including the likes of Boeing (BA), JetBlue (JBLU), and Pfizer (PFE).

Some of the things that Qualtrics is doing will seem familiar, such as creating temporary lounge areas scattered throughout the building, where employees can relocate for impromptu meetings or even just a change of scenery. But those spaces also spill outdoors into 17 acres of gardens that are blanketed with wireless connectivity, so employees can enjoy the spectacular Utah mountains.

Plus how many companies boast a basketball court in their lobby? A playroom that combines children’s play structures with workstations so that parents (or, for that matter, honorary aunts and uncles) can share part of their day with family?

“If you’re really going to get the very best out of people and get them to trust each other, you can’t make them leave their humanity at home,” said Kim Scott, a former Google executive and Qualtrics board member who writes frequently about how to coax the best out of teams. “It’s about work-life integration.”

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily technology newsletter.

One of the more unusual features of the new Qualtrics campus is the massive, 10,000-square-foot meeting room the company where its holds its weekly all-hands meeting—it can accommodate the roughly 500 employees at the site, along with connections to Qualtrics’s nine regional offices.

“If you don’t give everyone the information to do their jobs and you’re not transparent, the issue is that people become very inward-focused,” Smith said. By the way, if you’re a new hire, you can expect to introduce yourself to all 1,200 people during one of those gatherings.

Perhaps the most radical concept Qualtrics is trying at its new site, however, are the “international watercoolers” that connect the new headquarters with remote locations via live video monitors.

Smith and Scott contend that some of the best ideas come from informal gatherings or casual chats away from a desk. Why not encourage that? He got the idea from world-renowned restauranteur Thomas Keller, who uses video to connect his kitchens and allow chefs to share ideas and techniques—even if they aren’t working on the same cuisine. In a similar vein, Qualtrics employees can head over to the watercooler if they want to converse “face to face.”

“It’s an ice breaker,” Smith said. “If someone wants to just chat about something, they can just do that.”

 

About the Author
By Heather Clancy
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech


Most Popular

Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

    Latest in Tech


    Most Popular

    © 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
    FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.