HOSPITALITY & INNOVATION AT THE HEART OF WORKPLACE EXPERIENCE

Innovation is a basic pillar of competitive development, especially in this climate of technological change that we live in, which transversally affects experiences in the workplace. One of the hallmarks of SPS is its specialists in different business areas. Today we are pleased to present some comments from one of the leading professionals in the global workplace solutions industry. 

Throughout this conversation, we will explore the future of business relationships based on changes in current trends and approaches. 

Good morning and welcome to Switzerland, Chess, how are you? Has Zürich’s weather welcomed you kindly? 

Most certainly, spring is here and I’m not finding it colder than New York so far, I hope it keeps this way. I’m very happy to visit Europe and find time for this chat, thanks for hosting me. 

Well, the pleasure is all the greater on our part, as we get to learn a bit more about your incredible knowledge within the field of workplace experience, while sharing it with our readers. So first, thank you very much for your time, tell us a little about yourself, as a starting point for this conversation, where are you from and what have your first few months been like as part of the SPS team? 

I come to SPS from the past five years at ISS Facility Services, a global Integrated Facilities Management (IFM) outsourcing provider. There I led the Workplace Management platform for the Americas Region. My Center of Excellence team on the corporate side included Workplace Experience, Office Support Services, Space & Occupancy Planning and Workplace Digital Solutions. 

Prior to that, I held responsibility for operational delivery on the customer side for 20 years, overseeing IFM, corporate services and workplace experience. Both through in-house self-delivery and outsourcing to service provider partners. I had many great experiences over the years hiring JLL, CBRE, ISS, Canon Business Solutions, Ricoh, etc. and being their client and partner. 

All this throughout my career makes up who I am and how I lead Workplace Experience, also certainly with the “Voice of the Customer” in first place as I was a customer for 20 years. 

Wow, what a journey, that’s impressive. And from that focus on the client, aligned with the professional perspective that comes from outsourced services, what would you say that has been the greatest and most challenging project you have worked on across your career? 

In 2016 I had a monumental greenfield opportunity on the customer side to help open the Global Corporate Headquarters Campus of Sealed Air Corporation (SEE) in Charlotte, North Carolina. SEE purchased 32 acres (129,499 m2) of land, built four buildings, achieved LEED Gold-certification. We consolidated three former divisional headquarters sites elsewhere in the U.S. plus the corporate functions from New Jersey all down to Charlotte. It was a HUGE design, change management, cultural assimilation project to say the least! The Global Corporate Headquarters Campus featured all new ways of working, clean desks, clean walls, open seating... and digital of everything. An extensive business transformation with bringing exceptional workplace experience to life. 

And now SPS, a leading global technology driven company present in more than 20 countries and with employees worldwide in full growth... tell us a little more in detail about your specific role within the organization, please. 

I have the great pleasure of serving in a role with two sides. The first side is Operational Excellence and helping accounts with continuous improvement and their front-of-house programs, and for that I report through Alex Burgess as our Chief Operating Officer in North America. On the other side I report through Dan Moscatiello as our CEO in North America. Dan is also our Global CEO of Enterprise Workplace Solutions (EWS). Within that structure I lead the strategy and innovation of our EWS business globally. This feeds my passion for elevated hospitality and workplace experience throughout my entire career. 

A new challenge within a new era, considering the constant changes facing the global business environment. What kind of, let’s say, new dimensions and opportunities have you discovered in SPS regarding global work experience in these first months? 

In my first five months here at SPS, I have been fortunate to actively engage in site visits. Of course that has included observing, experiencing services for myself (announced and unannounced), and appreciating so much good work in motion at our accounts and sites. The next step – and where I come in – is taking those front-of-house services to the next level. And that elevated, GREAT next level is a holistic workplace experience model. Transforming what we do today into being obsessed with hospitality and overall experience. 

Workplace experience is really the culmination of all the touchpoints that employees have with the workplace environment. This environment encompasses three components—the physical office, the digital workplace and the workforce—as well as the relationship between them. No matter an employee’s preferred working location or working hours, employers can help make their workplace experience special and memorable. A unique and rewarding workplace experience can help our clients retain the best talent and build brand ambassadors that attract the best talent.  

A positive workplace experience creates a place where people want to work, helping employees build relationships that break down the barriers between these environments—creating synergy among teams. I believe that workplace experience is central to successfully achieving a company’s desired business outcomes. 

Of course, and from this perspective, what is SPS doing to empower the skills and satisfaction of our employees? 

We’ve already started a transformation into workplace experience through several new concepts, tools, techniques and services. For example, in North America we launched an elevated hospitality training program. It is executed through our Workplace Experience Center of Excellence team and of course all made possible working through the many logistics with our wonderful site teams!  

The initial training is completed in a few rotational, one-hour, in-person sessions to the entire front-of-house team at a site. It is a great team development opportunity that raises the bar, is inspirational and stretching for teams. We’re continuing that initial course in the program through routine discussion, scheduled training reinforcement and scenario practice… it is not one of those one-time trainings that gets put on the shelf and not revisited for a year. It is our obligation to upskill, cross train and upgrade our people into this new Workplace Experience model.   

Additionally, our overall SPS Elevate service culture and leadership development program is designed to inspire and engage both team members and leaders in a transformative journey, empowering them to deliver extraordinary service. Through Elevate, we aim to instill a purpose-led, people-centric mindset, aligning our approach with the core values of SPS and, most importantly, the unique culture and values of our clients. 

Everything starts with an empowered and engaged team. The Elevate Training Program for SPS Employees and Leaders is a comprehensive suite of learning and development initiatives meticulously crafted to “elevate” workplace experiences for our clients. This program is more than just training; it's a journey that fosters a deep understanding of the significant role each of us plays in our client’s journey. 

The Elevate program creates awareness about the pivotal role of service excellence in contributing to better business performance and enhancing the overall workplace environment. It empowers employees to make a meaningful difference by proactively creating memorable moments, aligning their actions with our client’s workplace culture. 

This holistic training approach involves a blend of self-study learning, engaging in live virtual and in-person workshops and regular one-on-one coaching sessions. Elevate is not just a program; it's a commitment to continuous improvement and a culture that prioritizes delivering excellence. Through Elevate, we are shaping a workplace experience that goes beyond the ordinary, making a positive impact on our clients, our team and our organization. 

A very interesting approach that optimizes internal processes and simplifies business relationships. Could you tell us why workplace experience should be important to our customers? 

Employees bring their knowledge and focus to the workplace to solve business problems, while employers support those efforts with compensation. However, compensation is not restricted to monetary incentives. In today’s modern workplace, expectations and definitions of “compensation” vary widely across generations. To retain and engage top talent, it is essential to bridge these generational gaps. By investing in workplace experience, our clients can provide incentives that aren’t just reflected in a paycheck. 

Employees are constantly processing information, managing tasks and making decisions. Whether at work or at home, there is always information to process, tasks to be completed and decisions to make—how to send a package to a client, coordinating printed communications, where to find lunch or whose birthday is being celebrated that afternoon. These choices appear to be insignificant in the big picture, but each day, this minutia consumes an employee’s attention. 

Employers have a significant opportunity to unlock any employee’s potential by reducing the cognitive load that they use to make these day-to-day decisions. By making decisions easier, and tasks simpler to manage, employers can free the attention of employees to focus on what matters—remaining agile, optimistic and reliable. By simplifying their workday, clients can support your employee's ability to grow their individual skillsets—keeping them engaged and working to improve outcomes for their customers.  

Every moment of an employee’s experience contributes to how they feel about their employer’s brand, culture and purpose. A positive workplace experience not only uplifts the way they see their company, but it can also influence whether they recommend their employer to friends, family, and other colleagues as a great place to work. 

Strong company culture is built on a foundation of great workplace experiences—which attracts top talent. Ongoing engagements can turn employees into brand ambassadors of their company throughout their careers. More importantly, a world-class workplace experience creates a culture and work environment where employees choose to spend their careers. 

Without a doubt, an exciting path awaits us in the future. Well, it's been a pleasure talking to you, I'm sure we'll discover great development of everything we've mentioned in the coming months, thank you very much for your time. As a final touch to this fantastic conversation, could you tell us why you believe a company should choose SPS? 

It has been a pleasure, thank you as well! SPS has 20+ years of operational experience. With our innovative Enterprise Workplace Solutions, we empower organizations to adopt modern workplace concepts that enhance productivity and flexibility. By creating a best-in-class, sustainable workplace with SPS, companies can increase the well-being, engagement and performance of their employees, creating sustained loyalty that drives business efficiency. And, you don’t have to take my word on this. SPS has an 80 Net Promoter Score, a 95% client retention rate and has been recognized for 12 consecutive years as a Top 100 Global Outsourcing Provider by the International Association of Outsourcing Providers.