Here we meet Charlie Hill, Building Manager within Workman’s Welcome Offices team, who joined Workman in 2020. 

What three words describe Workman’s Welcome team?

Encouragement, trust, dedication.

What is your career background, and what extra skills and experience from previous roles do you bring to the firm and its clients?

My background consists of years of experience with the customer service and security industries. Working within Harrods gave me a fantastic grounding in how to present myself, treat customers and create a welcoming atmosphere. These practices improved how I delivered the security aspect of my role, at a time when the security industry has moved away from the strong silent stereotype to a welcoming, helpful, approachable individual. These ideas can now be carried forward into my managerial role to pass these ways of working on to my team.

What first led you into the property industry?

Working in security gave me the platform I required to learn about the property industry first hand. From the security role, I was able to develop knowledge into the M&E and compliance side of building management and my natural progression led me to apply for a role within Workman. The property industry was enticing to me as it allows for creativity, while gaining insight into different industries and developing my own personal managerial skills.

Tell us about your role at Workman, and why it’s important to the firm and its clients?

I take my role as a Building Manager very seriously as we at Workman have a responsibility to our clients and occupiers to deliver the best service possible. The asset must be compliant at all times to protect anyone entering the property from any potential dangers, as well as protecting our clients from any unwelcome liability issues.

It is also important to our clients that we are able to deliver a welcoming and smooth service to anyone entering the building, whether it be occupiers or guests.

Working as a Building Manager means I must manage every aspect of the building from front of house, security, M&E, project management, occupier engagement, service charge management and many other disciplines. At the end of the day, I am responsible for everything within the property so I must be diligent at all times.

How are you putting your skills to their best use within the Welcome team at Workman?

Welcome offers a premium service to everyone involved and a large part of this is delivering a level of customer service beyond that of any other sector. Working in customer service for almost 10 years before starting at Workman in assets such as Harrods, has given me the tools required to drive this standard across my properties.

Being security-focused also allows me to use my experience within the Welcome team by assisting with security tenders and bringing innovations to the property to elevate the security.

How do you hope to develop your role in the coming months and years?

I am always looking for more responsibilities and to enhance my knowledge within the industry. Over the next 6 months I plan to complete training with the National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health, a UK-based examination board offering qualifications in health, safety, environment and wellbeing management, as well as the Level 5 Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT).

Progression within Workman has been my main goal since I started with the company in 2020. Over the past three and a half years I have come a long way. However, over the next few months I’m looking to take additional steps to show I am ready for the next level.

What has been your standout moment at Workman so far?

When Workman enabled me to progress from security to the Building Manager of the property, a week later the UK entered its first lockdown. Learning on the job and managing the building through such an uncertain time from the start is something I am very proud of.

Also, being part of a Welcome portfolio tender is a great achievement and gives me the focus to carry on my progression.

What change would you make to the wider property sector? And why?

I believe a greater push in smart building technology would benefit our occupiers and clients. This technology will also have a great impact upon our sustainability goals.

What are your spare time pursuits and how do they feed into your role at Workman?

In my free time I study Japanese language with my first JLTP exam coming up this December. The property I manage is host to several different Japanese companies occupying the property. So, my studies help a great deal with occupier engagement.

I am also an avid cyclist and not only do I enjoy taking long cycle challenges on the weekend, but also enjoy building bikes. This has assisted me in creating a cycling community within the property and definitely helped the property to achieve a Platinum Active Score rating.

What is your favourite building worldwide, and why?

The Emirates Stadium…This is my happy place (for the most part).

What book or podcast do you recommend?

Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging by Sebastian Junger

This book is about society, belonging, and how human beings can find peace through hardship.

“Humans don’t mind hardship, in fact they thrive on it; what they mind is not feeling necessary. Modern society has perfected the art of making people not feel necessary.” — Sebastian Junger