Workplace hospitality: a people strategy for every workplace model
Aug 12, 2024
Hospitality is a familiar concept for most of us. Generally associated with hotel stays or hosting family and friends in your own home, it’s a term that also describes an entire industry — the hospitality industry. Members of the hospitality industry — like Hilton Hotels, one of the world’s largest hospitality companies — are laser-focused on delivering services and amenities that will make their accommodations attractive to guests, to keep them coming back again and again.
It's a focus that hasn’t been lost on other industries. In fact, employers in industries of all kinds have come to understand the importance of applying hospitality to the workplace, to drive employee engagement and improve the employee workplace experience. Employers want to ensure that when employees and guests visit any of their sites that they have a consistent five-star, frictionless experience — every time.
But is workplace hospitality the right strategy for every organization? And how might different organizations approach hospitality differently depending on the unique challenges they face? In this three-part blog series, we’ll look at the key factors that determine if your organization is a good candidate for a workplace hospitality strategy. And, if it is, how to create a workplace hospitality strategy that fosters a positive workplace experience to drive employee engagement and get tangible value from your investment — in people and real estate — at the same time.
Workplace hospitality is quickly capturing the attention of companies looking for ways to attract and retain top talent, boost employee engagement, and connect with a hybrid workforce. If you’re like most businesses, you’re faced with at least one — if not all — of these challenges, each of which can represent opportunity for organizations. But the strategic and effective use of workplace hospitality solutions can address all those challenges. Here’s how.
When employees are disengaged or not actively engaged, employee satisfaction scores will be low, the workplace culture can become negative or toxic and overall morale will suffer. The result: low productivity and the potential for absenteeism and turnover.
The implementation of workplace hospitality initiatives can demonstrate to employees that they are appreciated. By treating employees as valued guests in the workplace, they feel valued and appreciated. Demonstrating that you care about your employees’ well-being by offering hospitality options like welcoming workplace experiences, special “thank yous” designed to delight and surprise them, concierge services like package delivery or holding luggage, and other unique amenities, can help minimize stress and burnout while also boosting belonging and engagement.
Today’s employers recognize the importance of supporting employees holistically — including their mental, physical, emotional, and financial needs.
Those needs will widely vary among employees, depending on their demographics and lifestyle stages. Providing amenities that appeal to multiple generations allow employees to select the options that offer the greatest benefit to them — from offers and discounts, to the coordination of events to help them save time and money, to time-saving task like food delivery or package drop off — all designed to promote their well-being.
These efforts help to build community and engagement, connecting employees to their employer, and to each other.
Since the pandemic, many employers have been managing a hybrid workforce with some employees on-site and others dispersed to a variety of locations. That represents challenges for employee engagement.
Remote employees are often fearful of losing their work-life balance. They don’t want to give up the creature comforts they discovered during the pandemic and often don’t see the office setting as a welcoming or comfortable place to work, so they are reluctant to return.
Workplace hospitality offerings can help.
Remote and hybrid workers want to mirror the comforts and familiarity of their home office. They increasingly demand personalized services to help them achieve work-life balance while addressing both personal and professional challenges in their lives.
Understanding workers’ preferences and expectations can create a better employee experience by improving communication and collaboration within teams. By recognizing individual differences and tailoring interactions accordingly, managers can build strong relationships with employees while creating a cohesive workplace community.
Lack of connections can be a real concern for employees in remote and hybrid settings. In fact, the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) reports that 70% of employees feel they’re not able to socialize enough when they’re working remotely. They often cite socialization and collaboration as the top reasons they visit their physical workplaces.
Gallup indicates that 80% of employees don’t feel strongly connected to their workplace culture — that can be especially true in remote and hybrid work settings. A workplace hospitality program can provide an environment with many of the same comforts employees’ experience in their remote offices — all within one physical location and in a collaborative, social environment that connects them to their organization and its supportive culture. Workplace hospitality efforts can draw employees back into the workplace through improved in-office experiences and better work-life balance.
We live and work in a volatile environment, where new technologies and emerging competition challenge companies to remain viable and boost their brands. High turnover and low retention rates, especially in hard-to-recruit roles, can drain employers’ resources and eat into productivity and profits.
It’s important for employers to focus on what matters most to today’s employees and to be prepared to provide them with the work culture and employee experience that addresses those needs. Workplace hospitality can play a critical role here, demonstrating to employees that the company values them and is committed to providing a supportive employee experience.
Employees want to feel special — not like they’re simply a number. Employers, HR professionals, and managers can demonstrate that they are committed to creating stronger employee relationships by tailoring interactions to meet the unique and individual needs of every employee.
Workplace hospitality creates memorable impressions that foster loyalty, helping employers attract — and retain — top talent. These impressions can impact your reputation within the company and in your industry as a whole. It’s a strategy that is especially powerful in industries with high turnover rates like healthcare and law firms.
In short, when it comes to addressing the challenges that today’s employers face, hospitality matters — the same kind of hospitality that hotels use to create loyal guests. For instance:
There are a number of ways companies can adopt workplace hospitality strategies to address employees’ individual needs and preferences, all contributing to an environment that supports work-life balance and ensures engagement and loyalty. Our free eBook, The Complete Guide to Workplace Hospitality offers additional ideas and how-tos for leveraging the power of workplace hospitality.
Up next in this three-part series, part two: Building workplace hospitality into your brand strategy.
