How the Experience Gap is Undermining Asset Performance
Across commercial real estate, one of the most under-discussed risks to asset performance is hiding in plain sight. It is not compliance. It is not capital works. It is not fit-out fatigue. It is the frontline.
The people who shape the tenant experience concierge professionals, workplace hosts, guest services staff are too often recruited with outdated criteria that prioritise administration over emotional intelligence. As tenant expectations rise, this misalignment is proving costly.
Recruitment in CRE remains anchored to operational fit rather than experience delivery. Job descriptions have not kept pace with the evolving demands of modern occupiers, who now measure the value of a space by how it feels and functions, not just how it is managed.
This gap between expectation and delivery is not a soft issue. It is a strategic one. When the frontline fails to engage, brand value erodes. When turnover is high, consistency suffers. And when tenant experience is suboptimal, retention falters.
Forward-looking owners and occupiers are beginning to act. They are shifting their hiring approach from reactive placement to experience-first recruitment. In doing so, they are uncovering a new lever of asset performance one built not on bricks and mortar, but on people and perception.
Rethinking What Talent Means in a Service-Led Workplace
The workplace has changed. The modern office is no longer simply a place to do work. It is a platform for identity, collaboration, and culture. This reality demands a new type of talent.
Leaders in the sector are no longer asking who can staff the desk. They are asking who can elevate the experience. This shift in thinking is subtle but profound. It requires organisations to look beyond real estate and into industries where service excellence is not optional.
At First Contact, we have seen the results first-hand. Our recruitment practice draws from high-performance service environments such as hospitality, luxury retail, aviation, and guest experience. These candidates are equipped with the emotional intelligence, responsiveness, and attention to detail that modern workplaces demand. They bring with them a service posture that transforms standard interactions into brand-defining moments.
This is not a numbers game. It is not about hiring more people. It is about hiring the right people and aligning talent to purpose.
Understanding the Workplace as a Human Experience
Every journey within a building begins with a person. Long before a visitor engages with a facility, they form expectations through digital and human interactions. At arrival, the tone is set by how they are welcomed, supported, or guided. Throughout the day, the quality of engagement influences everything from mood to productivity. And upon departure, their final impression often determines whether they return or recommend.
What happens in these moments is not determined by architecture or software. It is shaped by people. Frontline talent is the living embodiment of your asset’s identity. It reinforces your values, reflects your brand, and plays a critical role in determining how tenants and visitors feel about the space.
And it is that feeling that directly correlates with satisfaction, loyalty, and tenancy decisions.
Data That Tells a Commercial Story
We recently published the 2025 edition of First Contact’s Salary Survey, with data drawn from hundreds of roles across the commercial workplace sector. The findings confirm what clients have experienced anecdotally for years.
Salaries for workplace experience specialists have increased by 4.8 percent year-on-year. This rise reflects heightened demand for candidates with refined interpersonal and service skills.
Assets that hired from hospitality and guest service backgrounds reported a 15 percent uplift in tenant satisfaction. In commercial terms, this translates to improved retention and longer tenancy terms.
Clients who implemented experience-first hiring strategies also achieved an 11 percent reduction in turnover for customer-facing roles. That reduction is more than a workforce win. It is a strategic advantage, providing consistency, preserving cultural knowledge, and lowering replacement costs.
These are not soft metrics. They are performance outcomes.
Recruitment as Brand Infrastructure
When recruitment is treated as a back-office function, the organisation misses an opportunity. The frontline is not just operational. It is strategic. It delivers value far beyond salary cost. Every tenant or visitor forms impressions based on the service quality they receive. These impressions either build or break trust. They either support retention or encourage departure.
Too often, recruitment is measured by speed to hire, hourly rates, or wage compliance. These inputs matter. But they should not be the only metrics. The real question is whether the people hired are capable of delivering on the brand’s promise.
Your workplace is a brand asset. And every member of the team that engages with your tenants represents that brand. To treat those roles as administrative or secondary is to leave value on the table.
What First Contact Does Differently
At First Contact, we take a different approach to recruitment. We do not just fill roles. We build capability.
Our recruitment practice is embedded within our Experience Service Model. This model integrates recruitment, training, operational alignment, and performance measurement. It ensures that every placement is not just a resource but a value contributor.
We actively recruit from industries where service standards are non-negotiable. Our evaluation process prioritises emotional intelligence, adaptability, and behavioural fit, not just technical experience.
We deliver through frameworks that ensure governance, accountability, and scalability. And we do so with a clear focus on commercial outcomes, not just headcount fulfilment.
A Call to Rethink Your Talent Strategy
In commercial real estate, success is no longer measured solely by location, amenity, or capital upgrades. It is measured by experience. And experience is delivered by people.
If your recruitment model is still driven by speed, cost, or convenience, it may be time to ask a different question.
- What would happen if you treated talent as strategic infrastructure?
- What would change if you hired for loyalty, satisfaction, and performance?
At First Contact, we believe these questions are no longer optional. They are central to building workplaces that perform.
Let’s talk about how experience-first hiring can help you close the gap between expectation and delivery.
Visit firstcontact.co or contact me directly to explore recruitment strategies that align with your asset performance goals.
Let us know what you think about this insights article