Dive Brief:

• Hilton Hotels plans to upgrade staff spaces to make employees' work environment more inviting, Quartz reports. Focusing on the workspace of hourly service workers is a somewhat unusual move, but the upgrades are part of a larger plan to improve employees' overall work experience.
• The hotels' upgrades range from new lighting and fresh paint to more extensive renovations, including renovated cafeterias and locker rooms, says Quartz. At older hotels, the upgrades could cost as much as $100,000. About 500 Hilton-managed properties are under renovation, with 220 more slated for future upgrades. 
• The overhaul of employee spaces is an extension of Hilton's overall plan to improve employee engagement, which has included offering parental leave benefits of up to 10 weeks for birth mothers and two weeks for other parents. Hilton's chief HR officer Matt Schuyler described the incentive behind the changes to Skift: “Our mission is to be the most hospitable company in the world, and you can’t do that without great people, and you can’t get great people without being a great workplace." 

Dive Insight:

As employers realize that workspaces are important to hourly employees' engagement, more attention is being paid to these physical spaces. Employers are focusing on elevating the employee experience, which involves a combination of the cultural, physical and technological aspects of the work environment. In short, employee experience is the total connection with the workplace, rather than any one aspect of work life. The better an employer can make employee experience, the greater the possible return on investment in recruitment, productivity and retention.

It's only been recently, however, that more employers are reconsidering their approach for hourly and part-time workers, due to a serious talent shortage in many industries. Those who improve their employee experience are starting to reap the benefits. For this reason, many — especially big box retailers — are improving their benefits offerings and focusing on employee development to convince workers to stay on, even in a job seeker's market.