For HR leaders navigating hybrid or full-time office models, culture now determines whether employees want to be in the workplace. When the office experience is positive, 71 per cent say they would come in more often.
But two-thirds of employees report experiencing stress at work, and 20 per cent say that workplace culture is to blame. When your office experience isn’t positive, you risk disengaging employees and damaging their wellbeing.
Many organisations are trying to reimagine the purpose of the office with streamlined and efficient services, and the temptation to automate guest services with AI-led solutions is understandable. However, research shows that visitors consistently respond better to human support than digital alternatives. As workplaces evolve, so do guest services. The picture of a friendly receptionist – organising calendars and booking rooms – remains, but today, front-of-house (FOH) teams are wellbeing and community ambassadors who can spot and directly support disengaged employees.
The way people feel in a workplace matters just as much as how it functions, and guest service teams deliver experiences that reflect a brand’s culture and values. Every interaction, no matter how small, has the potential to shape someone’s day, but also contributes to the supportive environment that modern workplaces need.
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Empowering employee voice
Individuality and true collaboration with employees define human guest services. FOH teams are the eyes and ears of a workplace, building relationships with colleagues and noticing the everyday challenges that can easily go unseen. Because they are present and approachable, they are told when something isn’t working, whether it’s a personal issue affecting one individual or a wider process that is making the office harder to use for all visitors.
FOH teams are in a position to spot patterns, connect feedback from different people, and turn small frustrations into meaningful operational improvements. For example, hot-desking is on the rise and lockers are often in high demand and can be difficult to find during busy periods. For many employees, accessing a locker is one of the first things they do when they arrive at the office, so when none are available it can quickly cause frustration and set the tone for the rest of the day. In a busy building, problems like flat locker batteries, broken locks or forgotten property can also build up if no one is actively managing them.
It is often guest services teams that recognise these issues first, putting processes in place such as regular locker audits and battery checks. They can also collaborate with colleagues at client sites to review lost property procedures and address any backlogs caused by items left in lockers. Sites vary significantly in size and usage, so strategies are tailored to meet the specific requirements of each location. Empowering employee voice takes active listening, but it also takes people on the ground who can act on what they hear.
Additionally, when our teams find issues like this, the solutions are formalised as “Bright Ideas” and create a roadmap, with clear objectives, for enacting the same change across multiple sites. By noticing problems early, understanding their impact, and working with others to fix them, FOH teams help create workplaces that feel responsive, organised, and genuinely people-focused.
Connecting the workplace
75 per cent of office workers across Europe missed socialising at work during the pandemic. In multi-tenant buildings especially, creating a community can be a significant challenge. Employees from different organisations may share a lift or a lobby, but beyond that, they might not even interact.
Guest service teams can often be the only presence engaging daily with everyone in the building, giving them a vantage point to identify opportunities for connection and create shared experiences that matter. These don’t need to be extravagant affairs. For example, on Blue Monday, our teams hosted “Brew Monday” instead, offering coffee, biscuits and positive prompts to spark conversation. Rather than dwelling on a day that is supposed to be negative, guest service teams created a shared moment.
These events address the core HR challenge of creating connections in workplaces. There is a consistent link between a lack of inclusivity at work and failure to manage stress. FOH teams can tailor how they interact with staff based on individual personalities and notice when withdrawn colleagues might need a different approach. They create an atmosphere where people feel welcome and part of something larger than their immediate team.
AI and technology come in here to track event engagement and feedback. Our DayMakers also use it to formalise their Bright Ideas. But ultimately, an online system alone cannot host an event or make a Bright Idea happen, let alone strike up a conversation with someone who looks like they’re having a difficult day.
Delivering social impact locally
Over 60 per cent of workers say opportunities to use their skills for community benefit would increase job satisfaction and engagement. However, connecting workplaces to local needs requires coordination, community knowledge and sustained effort.
Recruiting local workplace services personnel is one way to let their lived experience guide how they connect an office to local communities. They understand the community’s needs, which charities are making a difference, and can connect employees to the causes that matter in their area.
Over the last few years, charity initiatives led by our DayMakers have raised nearly £40,000 in Manchester alone. For HR teams needing to demonstrate meaningful social outreach and meet ESG targets, FOH teams provide a tangible way to deliver both. Importantly, though, these initiatives connect employees through collective fundraising and create purpose in their roles that extends beyond the office walls.
The human touch is essential to workplace culture
Workplace culture has a direct impact on employee wellbeing. You can’t understand culture in the abstract. It lives in the daily interactions colleagues have, the support they receive when they need it, and the sense of connection they feel to their workplace.
For HR leaders, the question is not whether AI has a role to play in workplace services. We use technology to develop tangible insights into our impact. However, when it comes to shaping culture, reducing stress and creating genuine support, the human touch is irreplaceable.
Few teams have the daily visibility and cross-organisational perspective that guest services teams hold. They interact with workers from all levels and departments every single day, meaning they can respond to needs that could otherwise be missed, and develop tailored events and initiatives that create community at the workplace.
Technology helps us do our jobs better, but when even small gestures make a difference, FOH teams can reshape how the workplace feels.
Cheryl-Anne leads On Verve's mission to create exceptional workplace and guest experiences through a human-first approach. She joined the business after serving as national operations director at Churchill Group, bringing nearly two decades of experience in facilities management, operations, and team leadership.
Known for building high-performing teams and delivering outstanding service, Cheryl is passionate about balancing creativity with genuine human connection and helping organisations create workplaces that people actively choose to be part of.
