New headquarters transforms the employee experience with a 48% boost in occupancy

The background:

In 2021, an American telecommunications company opened its new headquarters in Dallas, TX, with the goal of establishing a modern, post-pandemic workplace culture. This new 400-occupant office used “hotelification” in its design, placing an intentional focus on a welcoming atmosphere, flexible individual workstations and dynamic meeting spaces. Their key objectives were clear: to attract employees back to the office, create a seamless and engaging experience, deliver a high-touch employee experience, and enhance workplace interaction, adaptability and efficiency. However, their existing infrastructure was not equipped to deliver the seamless, high-touch service experience needed to support their evolving workplace model, creating potential challenges as employees returned to the office in greater numbers.

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The Circles solution:

Working in collaboration with the clients’ workplace experience and procurement teams, Circles developed a comprehensive solution including:

• Aligning key operational touchpoints to enhance employee experience and optimize workplace efficiency
• Streamlining site operating procedures to ensure seamless office operations, enhancing both employee convenience and workplace functionality
• Developing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for reception, visitor management, event protocols, meeting room setups, emergency responses, signage, pantry services, site operations, mail management, and catering standards
• Appointing an experienced Conference Center Manager to lead the team, fostering a hospitality-driven service culture
• Conducting extensive staff training to integrate their culture and values with our high hospitality standards, ensuring exceptional service levels are consistently maintained
• Managing on-site amenities and communications to promote work-life balance and employee well-being

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The outcome:

In 2024, we successfully managed 117 in-office events, ensuring seamless execution and high engagement, with 86% of event survey respondents rating their experience as ‘Exceptional.’ By partnering with a Circles vendor, we optimized food service operations, achieving a 35% reduction in daily food subsidy costs. Our efforts to elevate new hire onboarding and building tour experiences created a welcoming and engaging environment, with new hire candidates rating their in-office interview experience an impressive 4.75 out of 5. Additionally, we strengthened site communications and amenity services, which significantly improved workplace convenience and employee satisfaction, leading to a 48% increase in in-office occupancy from 2023 to 2024.