FMJ.CO.UK PORTICO CASE STUDY
Front of house” can
cover an array of positions,
not only those on the reception
desk 6eFXrity oƝ Fers also aFt
as FoH and their role has been
technological skills have been seen
as antithetical to people skills. Old
stereotypes need to be discarded when
training the workforce. Facilities personnel
of all description will need to be prepared
to broaden their remit. In doing so, we will
develop a more resilient and agile workforce.
However, personal resilience must not be
forgotten. FoH teams have a huge role in
quelling the fears of building users but their
own mental wellness must not be forgotten.
This sector has been on the frontline of the
pandemic and the strains they have been
through must be recognised. When preparing
FoH teams for the post-COVID era, employers
must include mental wellness and resilience
training.
While the pandemic is truly a global “APRIL 2021 25
have worked on the frontline throughout
the pandemic and have quickly adapted to
each new precaution as it was introduced.
The teams have already had many months
to build new habits such as creating new
customer journeys, using new technologies
and enforcing social distancing. For those
in the workforce who have largely avoided
leaving our homes in recent months,
workplace habits such as taking a familiar
route to their desk or touching their face
a‡ er touching a communal surface will
be infinitely more diŠ icult to break. FoH
professionals are there to remind building
users of how to stay protected and update
them on all changes as precautions evolve.
A balance will need to be struck
between enforcing measures and
providing reassurance. The past
months have been inordinately
stressful for everyone and this can
make it more diŠ icult to remember
elements such as changing
precautions in the workplace.
Ensuring the workforce follows
these guidelines is vital to keep
everyone safe. However, reminders to
do so should be given in a sensitive and
empathetic manner. FoH team members
will need to be compassionate as well as
communicative. This will be a fine line for
FoH teams to tread but it has long fallen
within their remit as first points of contact to
demonstrate excellent people skills.
“Front of house” can cover an array of
positions, not only those on the reception
desk. Security oŠ icers also act as FoH and
their role has been broadening for some
years. As a first point of contact, they
have long discarded the trope of being
intimidating and unfriendly. A security
oŠ icer’s job is as much to welcome and
reassure building users as it is to manage
security risks. As such, they will be core in
smoothing the return to the workplace.
However, as a figure of authority, they can
also be a target for some to vent frustrations.
Stress can bring out the worst in people and
it is hard to predict how one might react if
turned away from a building for having a
high temperature or not wearing a mask. In
addition to aiding building users, oŠ icers will
need to manage incidences with the same
balance of firmness and sensitivity as other
FoH team members.
NEW TECH
Another change in the workplace has been
the introduction of novel technology. Handheld
temperature measures are becoming
commonplace at the entrance to buildings.
Sensors are also being used to aid in cleaning
and occupancy level management. The
coming months will certainly see the number
of voice-activated and touchless devices in
the workplace continue to skyrocket.
This will be yet another change that
FoH teams will need to adapt to.
Some of this technology, such
as the temperature measures,
will be used primarily by FoH
professionals, who will need
to quickly become proficient
in its use. Other pieces will
be used by a broader range
of building users but, in
many cases, FoH teams will
broadening for some
years.”
be responsible for introducing users to the
new technology.
Technological skills have not necessarily
been a core part of the FoH skillset in the
past. Now, though, they will be vital to
smooth the transition to the post-COVID
era. Like the organisations they work for,
FoH teams need to show greater flexibility
and resilience in the new era. Traditionally,