How Technology and Concierge Services Are Elevating the Workspace

In Central London, where many of the world’s most powerful companies have office space, having the right amenities and services can be a necessary luxury to occupiers whose employees spend all day working inside.

Companies, especially tech firms, are beginning to hire individuals with hospitality and client services backgrounds.

Imagine having your dry cleaning dropped off, your next flight booked, and even your child care lined up, without leaving your desk. Enter the workplace concierge, which takes office perks to the next level.

In an emerging workplace trend, landlords and companies are offering hotel-like concierge services to help employees balance their work and personal lives.

For instance, per a 2013 Financial Times article, a senior executive working at an energy trading company in a London office building was able to book tickets for the Belgian Grand Prix by way of the building’s concierge. With workers in the office at all hours of the day (and sometimes at night), a concierge can be a game-changer, often arranging help for important life tasks such as car repairs and errands.

Indeed, companies, especially tech firms, are beginning to hire individuals with hospitality and client services backgrounds who can ultimately provide a high-level experience inside the workplace.

Typical concierge services can vary from dry cleaning, travel booking and child care to planning dinner parties and taking a car in for an oil change. While some of these offerings can seem luxurious on the surface, the goal of these services is to help landlords and companies make the workday lives of their employees, tenants and visitors easier and more efficient.

Providing concierge services can have a marked improvement on overall employee satisfaction. According to the 2014 Society for Human Resource Management Benefits Survey, 3 percent of employers offered concierge services, which can typically range in cost from $3 to $8 per employee per month. In addition to improving the work-life balance of employees, these services can reduce employee turnover. Bronson Healthcare Group, a health care services company based in Michigan, reported a 54 percent drop in overall employee turnover three years after making concierge services available to its staff.