A pub design refurbishment: a positive impact on the employee experience

Pub refurbishment is good for business, with customer satisfaction at the heart of every design choice. What we’ve found is pub refurbishment and thoughtful design can can have a positive impact on the employee experience and improve how they feel about their working environment. At a time when employee and staff turnover is at an all-time high, it’s worth your time to understand how pub design can impact on the happiness, welfare, and job satisfaction of your team.

Considering the employee experience

There’s no better approach to owning and operating a flourishing hospitality business than by making it work perfectly for those who keep it moving forward on a daily basis. After all, the employee experience you develop has an immediate influence on staff happiness and productivity.

What is employee experience and why is it important?

The employee experience is about giving staff the space, comfort, and tools they need to do their jobs well. It’s an approach that can have a positive impact on employee engagement levels, performance, and employee retention rates.

How do you improve the employee experience?

What are those employee experiences and how do you make them better? We asked our lead designer, Mark Green, about his approach to improving the employee experience when he’s undertaking a refurbishment:

Design and layout matters

It’s all to do with layout of equipment really, you design a space so that everything’s within easy reach, that your team members don’t have to go too far to find what they need, and there’s enough space to work. If you have a long bar, there might be four or five people working at any time, so you set out the service in sections. Splitting up the bar into sections helps with service time, improving your customer experience as well as your employee experience.

A warm pub environment, designed for comfort

Another big consideration is creating an environment that feels good to work in. There’s no need for a sterile, clinical space – you want something that feels warm and inviting, somewhere your team can feel happy spending their working hours.

A well-designed pub means happy employees

This is where great pub design can help on a practical level. Raising employee happiness levels comes down to factors like making sure employees have the right equipment and tools to do their job well, providing them with comfortable working conditions, giving staff greater ownership over their workdays and empowering them to feel like they’re part of a team.

I’ve worked in hotels, kitchens and in dining rooms – not every designer has worked with a pot wash and a stillroom with all the hot coffee pots and a steam jet. Experience of these practical elements helps a designer visualise how the equipment is going to be sited and used.

Mark Green, Owner, Fruition Design

How does pub refurbishment help with employee retention rates?

When employee engagement is high, employee retention rates rise in turn. The impact of employee experience on productivity and creativity means these benefits will filter through to your entire business performance model.

Employee retention rates have a direct impact on the bottom line of any hospitality business. It costs time and money to recruit and train new employees, so anything that can be done to improve employee retention is a valuable investment. When employee retention rates rise, employee morale also rises. When employee morale is high, staff are more likely to stay with your business long-term, saving you time and money in the long run.

The business impact of employee experience

Employee satisfaction is good for business. The right people can really be the greatest investment you will ever make. Workplace churn is a draining waste of your resources. Developing a highly engaged workforce that wants to stick around is critical to reduce employee turnover.

A high-quality employee experience benefits not only the employee but also the pub owner and customer.

Mark Green, Owner, Fruition Design

Creating a restaurant your team will love

As hospitality business and restaurant refurbishment experts, we know that the success of your restaurant depends heavily on your employees’ satisfaction. High employee turnover can cost you a considerable sum of money, so it’s crucial to ensure that your staff feels proud and happy working for you. One essential factor that can impact this is the design of your restaurant. A well-designed space with appropriate lighting, layout, and aesthetics can boost your employees’ mood and improve their overall mental well-being. At the same time, it also creates a more positive guest experience. We recommend investing in a refurbishment that reflects your brand and vision and provides a comfortable and attractive workplace for your staff.

Your pub refurbishment will impact employee engagement

Now that you understand how important employee experience is, it’s worth putting effort into creating a space that will make your team happy and productive, with a positive employee experience at the heart. It’s also about creating an environment that feels good to work in, with plenty of space and comfortable surroundings. At a time when employee retention rates are so important, it makes good business sense to focus on giving your team the best possible experience while they’re with you.