New Year Resolutions - How about getting "back to the floor"?

The bustle of September 2022 is a long and distant memory.

Hopefully in the time that has passed, you've had the opportunity to reflect on the highs and lows of intake and can now pass a smile knowing many in your buildings have settled in with ease.

Like many, my social media feeds in September were awash with colourful photos which captured the spirit and excitement of it all. I spotted the distinctive purple of LSE, flamboyance from Sodexo and even I shared multiple, proud images of the University of Leeds experience. In equal measure I read countless congratulatory posts from senior managers, who usually, stationed away in head offices around the country, donned bright welcome t-shirts and shared in the delight of meeting new residents, their supporters and assisted by pushing a trolley or two.

With 6 years of student accommodation building management under my belt, in the past I too have welcomed with open and weary arms the occurrences when head office teams arrived to support me on the ground. They provided muscle to carry luggage, acted as cleaners for any last minute tasks and allowed us all to grab a quick bite of a stale ham sandwich or a slurp of lukewarm tea in between handing out keys.

Until we meet again...

Sporadically over the months that followed, I would see some of those faces again. Perhaps when they joined a site meeting or because their role required them to occasionally visit residences. However, large numbers failed to return until the following years intake and on many occasions, there were countless head office team members who deemed it "not their job" to ever visit a residence. A missed opportunity I always thought.

Understanding the hustle and bustle of a student accommodation building is vital to getting to grips with the multifaceted elements the provision of excellent service requires. It is not confined to students moving in or out. Nor is it confined to sporadic visits, quick tours or setting up camp in an office and staying glued to your laptop for the day.

What is required is more of an immersive, well organised and regular back to the floor experience. One which seeks to better understand and empathise with the lives of students, the roles undertaken by each staff member and the challenges posed by living in and operating that building. Because if we're honest, all properties have quirks which can make them wonderfully unique but also challenging in their operation of them.

In this article, I share with you 6 reasons why implementing a "getting back to the floor" programme may aid with improving the service you provide and may assist your head office teams in gaining a more holistic view of operating student accommodation.

Improve the culture by making it part of the culture...

I fundamentally believe that if you operate student accommodation, a back to the floor programme should be compulsory. Assisting with intake should be a minimum requirement at best. In a previous role, a member of the finance team summed it up best when they joyfully proclaimed "It helped me realise why we do what we do!".

If you're reading this and have the authority to suggest, implement or perhaps take ownership of such an idea, make it happen. Site teams will appreciate it but only if it's well timed, structured and the individuals visiting have clear objectives for the day. Back to the floor programmes should be created with input from site teams and not imposed upon them.

Additionally, build in feedback loops. Create a system for site teams and participants to share their experience, the highs and lows, insight gained and ideas generated. We've all benefitted from the fresh pair of eyes a new staff member can bring to any team, the same can be achieved internally when back to the floor programmes are simply part of what you do.

Live, sleep and eat in the building...

By accident, I once came across a forum regarding a building I managed in Ireland. Ex residents reminiscing about their days in halls, affectionally described the shower pressure as akin to the "tears of a dying mouse". I'll admit, it made me laugh, but it also intrigued me.

The growth of PBSA has been vast over the last number of years. Operators and universities alike have been quick to shout loud and proud about their new properties. Sleek marketing images proudly display beautiful apartments, stunning communal spaces or quirky building attributes (slides anyone?). Rarely will an operator stake claim to having the most powerful water pressure, exquisite sound proof rooms or be able to guarantee you a uninterrupted nights sleep on a comfy mattress. If Premier Inn once had a Director of Sleep, why not student accommodation?

The forum find prompted me to stay in the building I managed that year. The discoveries? The water pressure was poor, the bed frames squeaked at every toss and turn, shower curtains are a no-no and we needed to rethink storage and counter space use in the kitchens. Needless to say when it came time for an interiors refurb, I could echo and voice the sentiments of the many students consulted on the proposed upgrades. Don't just visit your sites, treat them as you would a hotel stay because the experience will be very different from what you are marketing.

Try every role...

The obvious role to undertake is one akin to a receptionist or customer service advisor. You'll meet and greet students and visitors, hand out parcels and answer phones. It's a perfect insight into the daily flow of activity teams experience. But how about working with the maintenance team? Supporting cleaning operatives or even shadowing a visiting contractor for the day?

If you're role is office based and desk bound, it can be easy to forget how physically demanding these positions can be and the toll it takes on the body. When student mental health is discussed, senior representatives are quick to state that it's often maintenance and cleaning teams who students disclose to or spot the tell tale signs something isn't quite right. We regularly note the importance of their role, but have you spent a day in their shoes, attempted their duties or lugged cleaning equipment from one corridor to the next?

When you undertake these positions you begin to grasp the sheer number of daily student interactions these team members have and if you're lucky, will bear witness to the friendly relationships which often form.

Connect remote teams...

Operators are always quick to declare their newest acquisition. Often tied up in these acquisitions can be older, adhoc or seemingly random properties in far flung locations. It can be a condition of the deal, for want of a better phrase, to "take on" these properties and their retrospective teams. Initially a remote team will experience a flurry of activity. Estates teams will survey the building, health and safety will inspect, regional managers will swing by and shucks, even the CEO might grace the steps of the building.

However there comes a point when it dies down. The visits become less and a trip to said property is deemed difficult or out of the way. It can be assumed that harder to reach or smaller residences are doing just fine and a teams call every now and again will suffice. I argue differently. It can be alienating to be left to your own devices and the assumption from the team will always be that no one cares or wishes to make the effort.

Ensure your back to floor programme includes all residences, even those deemed harder to reach. You might combine it with an overnight stay in the residence and get a chance to test out the pesky water pressure!

Work with Security...

I challenge you to work a night shift.

Ironically, despite the fact the sector physically provides beds, student accommodation never sleeps. Our buildings are different places at night. If reading security reports each morning is part of your role, you'll understand this. However, nothing comes close to understanding what security and night teams can face unless you try working side by side with them into the wee hours of the night.

You may assume you'll be dealing with parties, intoxicated students, difficult welfare cases or challenging maintenance issues. You will. But, you'll also experience an alternative fun side as you meet and greet students as they arrive home, keen to share with you stories from their nights adventure. Some of my best (and funniest) memories are from the night shifts I worked and the parties I broke up.

However my biggest lesson was in gaining an appreciation for the often unseen hard work of those supporting the night time economy. Participating in this work aids in understanding the personalities, skills and important attributes required to fulfil security or night roles. It can be a mistake to assume a 'police like' presence will do the job. Empathetic, patient, understanding of student needs and challenges and a touch of humour you'll find are just some of the key components required to do this role well.

So much room for activities...

It will come as no surprise that I'm suggesting involvement in Residence Life style or community building activities. One, because they're fun and two, you see the hard graft required to successfully pull them off. Behind every BBQ, wellbeing event, cultural activity and quiz is a mountain of admin, online shopping orders, physical lifting and many a reminder email to a finance team member asking for the funds to support it all.

But importantly, you'll witness the difficult to measure. The smiles on student (and staff members) faces, the dissipation of nerves as they get to know one another, the thanks expressed and the tiredness from the team (or individual!) who will clean it all up. If you struggle to understand the impact of these programmes or have a reluctance to provide a budget or increase an existing one, include assistance and attendance as part of your back to the floor approach.

Just remember sales events are not Res Life events and never the two shall mix! That's a hill I'm prepared to die on.

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So friends, what are your thoughts on back to the floor programmes? Are they are staple part of your service? What works well and what does not? I'd love to hear your thoughts below.