Beyond Salary: Elevating The Employee Experience to Attract & Retain Talent

It’s true that salary remains a key factor in attracting and retaining talent. But when competing for the best people, organisations can’t always afford to outbid each other. Organisations need to understand that emerging new talent are looking for more than just a competitive salary when it comes to choosing their employer.

With the evolution of hybrid and in-office working, focusing on how you can improve the experience for your employees is an emerging differentiator that can add quick and impactful value.

Let’s explore the top factors that can help elevate the employee experience, looking at how companies can leverage this to stand out in a competitive talent market:

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1: Work-Life – Achieving the balance through policies and services.

Work-life balance has increasingly become a top factor for employees, with many valuing the improvements it can bring to their overall job satisfaction and happiness both in and out of work. In fact, a recent report by Amex Trendex found that 61% of UK workers would choose a better work-life balance, over higher pay in their current and future jobs.

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Work-life balance quick wins:

• Offer flexible arrival and departure times or set up hybrid days that focus on in-person collaboration.
• Encourage a results-oriented work culture rather than one defined by clocking hours.
• Implement wellness days or mental health breaks as part of the office culture.
• Lead by Example: Managers and senior leaders should model healthy work-life balance practices.

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Implementing the above may not have the impact you need and can’t always be achieved due to business needs and/or origination structure. Therefore ,looking externally, specialists in Employee Experience can help implement tailored services that provide measurable work-life balance value to everyone in your organisation.

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Employee Concierge Services: Making Life Easier

A highly valued benefit is employee concierge services, designed to alleviate the pressures of personal tasks and life admin, these services help employees reclaim their time, allowing them to focus more on work and personal lives, ultimately enhancing productivity and overall wellbeing.

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Impact of Concierge Services:

• Saves employees’ time and reduces day-to-day stress.
• Provides a "perk" that feels luxurious and genuinely valuable.
• Helps employees feel appreciated and cared for, creating a positive association with coming into the office.

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Find out more about Work-life Balance services.

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2: Building social connection and a sense of belonging

Put simply; a strong sense of connection and belonging in the workplace makes a company more appealing to current and potential employees. When organisations prioritise a supportive and inclusive culture, they will naturally attract candidates seeking positive environments.

Employees without meaningful workplace relationships are up to nine times more likely to be disengaged and three times more likely to seek new opportunities.

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Impact of connections in the workplace:

• This is an effective way to enhances employee engagement and morale,
• create valuable networking opportunities,
• Ensuring new hires feel welcomed from day one.

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The resource commitment and skills to achieve the above results might be in short supply. Dedicated time and personnel with the right skills is a good way to implement a strategy on delivering tangible results and value to your workplace culture.

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Community Managers; vital for a strong workplace culture

Community Managers facilitate connections among employees through social and professional events, creating an enjoyable office atmosphere. They combine specialist event coordination and culture curation to build a sense of community.

Key to onboarding new hires, they ensure a welcoming environment from day one. They also coordinate wellness programmes, support diversity initiatives, and host networking events, transforming the corporate space into one that feels like home.

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The Impact of Community Managers:

• Build Connections: They create meaningful relationships, particularly for remote and hybrid teams who may not meet regularly.
• Boost Engagement: By fostering bonding opportunities, they help employees feel a part of the community.
• Personalised Support: They ensure everyone feels valued, positively impacting morale.

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Find out more about Community Management services.

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3: Treating your employees like paying guests - Making your workplace a destination of choice

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Adopting a hospitality mindset allows organisations to view their employees more as valued guests, than just workers. Focusing their people and facility KPI’s to match that of a hotel in parts, such as occupancy, amenity utilisation, engagement and satisfaction. All contributors to a successful and productive organisation.

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The Essence of Workplace Hospitality

Elevated workplace hospitality focuses on a warm welcome, attentive service, and a commitment to meeting employees' needs. A dedicated front-of-house team can act as a professional ally, anticipating and fulfilling requirements to enhance the overall employee experience.

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Personalising the Employee Experience

Effective employee experience specialists can elevate personalisation beyond basic needs.

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Their strategies may include:

Greeting employees by name upon arrival.

• Preparing their favourite hot drink in advance.
• Ensuring preferred desks or meeting rooms are available and set up according to their specifications.
• Ordering pastries from their favourite bakery.
• Coordinating transportation details for their journeys.

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By implementing these personalised touches, companies can create an atmosphere where employees feel valued and appreciated, significantly enhancing workplace satisfaction and retention.

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View this guide for more examples of workplace hospitality.

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Embracing a New Era of Employee Retention and Recruitment

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With salaries often not being a sustainable way attract and retail talent, organisations need to look for innovative ways to differentiate themselves. A personalised in-office experience can become a key selling point for both current employees and prospective hires. The presence of onsite concierges and community managers adds value that transcends salary—it's a statement that employees' wellbeing and satisfaction truly matter.

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The modern workforce has evolving priorities, but the message is clear: a vibrant, supportive office community that respects employees' personal lives and professional aspirations will consistently stand out in a crowded job market. By enhancing the in-office experience with services and community-building initiatives, companies can not only retain their top talent but also attract new team members eager to join an organisation that truly cares about their quality of life.

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