Inside Xero Melbourne’s Muso-Friendly Workspace

Xero is a cloud accounting software company that specialises in SaaS products for small and medium-sized businesses. Beginning life in New Zealand, the business has since branched into Australia, the United States and the UK. We recently visited its Aussie headquarters in Melbourne which houses everything from an open plan office for more than 200 employees to a drum kit and pool table. Here are the photos.

Image: Supplied

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From its humble beginning in a Wellington office in 2006, Xero has exploded to encompass over 700,000 subscribers and close to 1500 employees around the globe. Its Melbourne offices currently house around 260 workers spread across two side-by-side buildings.


Life-affirming greenery: Check. Avant-garde lighting: Check. Ergonomic seating: Check. Wide open spaces and large, inviting windows: Check. Yep, it’s a modern office alright.


These colour-coded doors contain private offices, meeting rooms and sound recording studios. Employees can book the rooms as needed via Google Calendar.

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The room to the left is used primarily for podcasting. Otherwise, the majority of private rooms are reserved for general small team meetings.


Employees are supplied with personal lockers inside the office to store their valuable, biking gears, towels and gym wear.


In what is rapidly becoming standard practice, Xero provides adjustable standing desks to nearly all of its employees. Like most of the workplaces we’ve visited, most staff were had elected to sit — but it’s nice to have the option if you want it.


In addition to its open offices, Xero provides more relaxed seating options for mobile workers who need a break from their desk.


You can usually judge a workplace by its kitchen. Xero’s boasts a cafe and fully stocked bar featuring a range of local beers and ciders. That’s your recruitment advert right there.


Especially brave employees can brave the Melbourne winter in Xero’s outdoor dining area. (During our visit, there weren’t any takers.)

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A workplace is only as good as its coffee. Xero doesn’t skimp out in this department with not one, but two high-end espresso machines: an Astoria SAE 2 GR Plus 4 and Aussie-made Expobar which run for over $10,000 apiece. The Xero logo-themed modifications on the Astoria are a nice touch too. Before employees are allowed to make coffee, they need to complete an in-house barista course. No really. This takes a couple of hours.


This ping pong table was built by a team of Xero devs during a Hackathon competition. No really. We’re not sure what this project has to do with computer programming but now the team can play table tennis in their lunch break, so everybody wins.


The Xero R&R area contains a branded drum kit. This isn’t just ornamental– Xero has an in-house band made up of staff, accountants and bookkeepers who perform a full set during the company’s annual awards night. Employees are also free to bash out impromptu drum solos on Fridays.


Xero seems pretty happy with its logo. Even the office pool table sports a sleek Xero finish.


For the less musically inclined, there’s also an Xbox One corner that’s usually dominated by Rocket League fans. The matches are streamed to multiple TVs for maximum bragging rights.


One of the dining areas is decked out with swish seating and a large-screen TV. When a Xero representative or new campaign appears on television, everybody gathers around to watch.


The area between buildings boasts a basketball court where employees can let off steam in their lunch breaks.


Evidently, yoga has a pretty big following at Xero!


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