Welcome Space Manager

Overview

Post Covid, the working world has changed with employee and visitor experience now at the heart of everything.  Hybrid working is more in scope than ever; the concept of the traditional office has evolved to meet the demands created by this shift in ‘ways of working’. To ensure top talent is attracted and retained whilst enabling growth within a challenging market, our workplaces have become an ‘experience destination’ in themselves.

Increasing office utilisation is now firmly at the forefront of our business objectives, and our Workplace Experience roles are uniquely positioned to support desirable outcomes. Our ambition at Avison Young is simple – deliver a dynamic, market leading client solution that captures modernised needs and drives enhanced engagement throughout the entire building community in new and exciting ways. We are building for the future, and you will play a huge part in creating brand advocacy not just for our own workforce, equally for all our visiting clients visiting.

This role is the lynchpin supporting our Ambassadors to deliver our overall REFIM service excellence capability. Working closely with the Regional WEx Manager, you will play a big role in delivery of a service strategy we are proud to showcase to our valued clients and our internal stakeholders. Your team leadership, industry knowledge, eye for detail, desire to build community and your passion for progressive change will drive your success in leading your teams on the ground in the creation of optimal Visitor and workplace experiences for all those we encounter. 

We see our teams as our all-round ‘experience architects’ and you will utilise your experience to engage, motivate, support and encourage your team to be creative and solution driven in any situation. You and your teams will provide a service that is continuously progressing in line with the requirements of the world around us and the evolving technological opportunity emerging within it to push the boundaries of the possible.

Avison Young aim to promote the best user experience by understanding and finding the hidden opportunity in the smallest of detail, to surprise and delight all. With your ability to build and lead a high performing team who embody our ‘make a difference’ service first ethos, you will ensure the compliance of service standards and opportunity conversion throughout. With a keen focus on our ground floor Welcome Space, you will also oversee the running of our Visitor services, meeting rooms, our flexible working spaces, our surprise and delight events programme and bring to life the connection opportunity for those working remotely.

Our values are inherent to the success of this role. They are more than just words; they are the DNA that drives our culture and define how our people and services exceed expectations. Along with our Behaviour Playbook, they are our ways of working together, delivering with others and our all-round ethos.

Responsibilities

• Lead and provide a user focused service experience that is built on the foundations of exceeding expectations in line with the Avison Young solution
• Always demonstrate the behaviours set out in the ‘Behaviours Playbook’ and inspire these and our values in your team’s work ethic and mindset
• Ensure communication throughout the team and colleague network is positive at all times, championing all required changes or new ideas for successful team buy in and implementation
• Lead and support your teams in the delivery of their Ambassador job scope - ensure full understanding and completion of all areas to a high standard
• Ensure immaculate presentation and team demeanour throughout at all times in all operational spaces
• Ensure our welcome experience, visitor processing and onwards journey is a priority focus for all, at all times
• Ensure a member of your team is always present and visible to greet, engage or bid farewell
• Engage with hosts to increase pre-booked visitors each month to ensure the best possible arrival experience for all
• Where available, utilise technology for all workstreams, including visitor management, resource booking, concierge support and lifestyle provisions
• Manage the Visitor Management system to maximum effect, including settings, onboarding and permissions, leading to a WOW check in experience for visitors
• Ensure hosts are notified immediately of arrival and followed up in suitable time frame
• Manage the meeting room system requirements in full, including allocation, pricing amendments and invoicing
• To manage conference and meeting room enquiries and facilitation of meetings, ensuring proactive team approach to room turnarounds and standards
• Act as an Avison Young Ambassador for all those in your space and that their onwards journey past check in is personalised in line with their preferences
• Oversee your team’s management of any VIP visits
• Attend the quarterly Occupiers Forum and present on behalf of Workplace Experience
• Manage all holiday calendars within your team, ensuring adequate, trained resources are in place for every shift
• Complete appraisals and development plans for all direct reports, regularly reviewing
• Implement improvement plans if performance / conduct is below expectations, keeping your line manager aware
• Drive relationships and connectivity with all
• Be visible every day to support with service delivery and oversee the performance of the team
• In conjunction with the Estate FM Team, support with resolving any maintenance / cleanliness issues encountered
• Ensure all team members are aware of and complying with all Avison Young Health & Safety policies and procedures, safe systems of work and that all Risk Assessments are reviewed annually
• Appointed first aid and fire marshal representative, equally ensuring all team members are trained / certified
• Proactive IT support and set up, both in person and remotely
• Ensure that daily Opening and Closing Audits are carried out by the team
• Be an advocate for change, motivating and supporting others with the introduction of new initiatives
• Support your line manager with the JD upkeep and recruitment activity within your remit
• Drive communication and connectivity with colleagues, offering instant updates and alerts to support a smooth day
• Support your line manager to facilitate user and stakeholder’s engagement meetings where appropriate
• Drive the monthly surprise and delight employee experience events programme and annual agenda - recognise birthday celebrations, work anniversaries and international awareness days etc, both in person and remotely
• Build and maintain a current, working knowledge of all FOH policies, procedures, systems and tools in order to provide building users with maximised service information – challenge your processes constantly for modernisation
• Offer input and perspective at team meetings, demonstrating reason and emotional intelligence - always being in control of your own positive personal brand output if challenges occur
• Manage all probationary periods for direct reports, ensuring the induction booklet and Experience training is completed with a positive onboarding experience delivered
• View all challenges and complaints as an opportunity; complete autonomy to seek resolution in a way that excels expectations, ensuring to escalate to your line manager where required
• Analyse subsequent challenges / complaints and implement long term solutions to eradicate, communicating to our stakeholders when lessons have been learnt because of their collaboration
• Ensure any absence management requirement is completed in line with Avison Young procedures
• Ensure compliance (zero tolerance policy) with all Avison Young policies, including but not limited to; GDPR, Bribery, Bullying and Harassment, unconscious bias
• Escalate any concerns about your role or environment utilising the correct channels, ensuring priority of resolution with minimal disruption and wider business awareness
• Participate and assist with client visits and prospective occupier show rounds ensuring good communications with Letting Agents to prepare potential office space for viewings.
• To portray yourself as an Ambassador for Avison Young at all times

This job description is not intended to be a complete list of all tasks. Your day-to-day workstreams will include tasks not listed above and it is expected that you will demonstrate a positive, ‘can do’ approach to any other reasonable duties requested of you. It is a live document and will be reviewed and reissued as appropriate in line with any changes to our service requirements

Qualifications

• Kind, caring and effective leader with the ability to motivate performance from team members
• Confidence and appropriate manner to deliver difficult conversation when required, not shying away from challenging personnel management
• Exudes passion for service delivery in their character
• Has a proactive, motivated, good-natured personality
• Always communicates in a positive tone, in control of your output
• Possesses a very customer focused manner, confident in leading delivery of exceptional services in all circumstances and environments
• Has a passion for technology and opportunity to utilise within service delivery environment
• Thrives in an environment where providing solutions is key to success, demonstrating creativity to problem solving
• Is a change advocate, and has confidence to introduce change within the team
• Forward thinking, and wants to continuously develop the service and themselves
• Excellent attention to detail – always seeking to find the hidden opportunity to wow
• Team player, supports all colleagues to achieve with a ‘One Team’ focus
• Maintains pride in personal appearance, following any guidelines set by the company
• Ability to react quickly, and prioritise needs in a fast-paced environment
• Previous experience leading within a service delivery environment
• Previous experience, and comfort working with technology in service delivery, and possessing the ability to adapt to new technology as it is launched
• Ability to demonstrate understanding of, and previous experience of delivering, exceptional service
• Confident communicator
• Competent user of Microsoft Office package
• Fluent written and spoken English
• This is not a hybrid role; you will be expected to be present in the office five days a week
• This is not a desk-based role; you will be expected to be present in the welcome space, within the client space and mobile within the office floors building relationships where required

Equal Opportunities

At Avison Young, we are committed to building an inclusive culture that empowers all of our employees to thrive, be successful and feel a sense of belonging.  Avison Young is an equal opportunities employer, and is committed to treating all its employees and job applicants equally.  If you are person with a disability, if you are neurodivergent, or if you have a condition that you believe may affect your performance during our selection process, Avison Young will be happy to make reasonable adjustments to our processes for you.