Leia Hayes: From Criminology Graduate to Award-Winning Guest Experiences Leader

Leia Hayes has been Highly Commended in the Reception Leader of the Year category at the Corporate Guest Service Awards, finishing among the top three professionals in the UK, less than two years after she joined OCS. As one of the first people visitors meet at The Lincoln, Manchester a multi-tenanted office building in the heart of the city, she now helps colleagues across the North develop their skills too. The placing continues a run for OCS’s Guest Experiences team, which has finished in the top three at the awards for three years running.

Leia sees the award as bigger than her own achievement: what happens when a team invests in the people at its frontline. “I never thought I would go down this route,” she says. “I studied criminology at university, so I had no idea this was where my career was going. But I’m enjoying where it’s going.”

First Point of Contact

Leia joined OCS in November 2024 as a Front of House Receptionist. Her role reaches well beyond welcoming visitors. Working alongside security and cleaning colleagues, she helps ensure every guest entering the building receives a professional, efficient and friendly experience. Whether someone is arriving for work, attending a meeting or visiting one of the businesses based there, she is the first point of contact.

She feels the weight of that.

A Regional Role

Alongside her reception role, Leia has taken on additional responsibilities as the Regional Front-of-House Ambassador for the North. Working with Guest Experience Director Mike Galea, she supports guest experience standards across northern locations, helps onboard and train new colleagues, and provides day-to-day guidance for reception teams as the business continues to grow.

One thing sets her apart. She still works on the front of house herself. That is the heart of why colleagues trust her guidance. “It’s nice to have somebody who knows your day-to-day role because I’m doing it as well,” she says. “If someone has a question or needs help, I know exactly what they’re dealing with.” As new reception teams have joined sites across Manchester and Liverpool, Leia has become their first point of contact, supporting colleagues to build confidence while upholding consistent standards across the region.

Industry Recognition

Earlier this year, Mike encouraged Leia to enter the Corporate Guest Service Awards. She hesitated. “I remember thinking, ‘Are you sure? I don’t know if I’m ready for that.

The process is demanding. Applicants completed a detailed written submission before progressing to a semi-final assessment with six judges, each conducting rapid five-minute interviews. Finalists were then invited to a full assessment day that included a presentation, a formal interview, and a group exercise. “It was really out of my comfort zone, but it was a great experience,” Leia says. “Meeting so many people from across the industry made it valuable, whatever the outcome.”

The result surprised her. “To be recognised and finish in the top three, especially when you’re competing against such large front of house teams, was amazing.”

A Connected Team

Leia believes the recognition reflects more than individual performance. She credits the collaborative culture developed across OCS Guest Experiences, where colleagues share ideas, support one another, and stay connected despite being based across the UK. “We’re all spread around the country, so we’re always looking at ways to build that community,” she says. “It’s a different approach because our team is relatively small. Everyone gets stuck in, sharing ideas and backing each other.”

A People First Approach

Ask Leia what makes an excellent front-of-house professional, and she doesn’t mention systems or processes. Those can be taught. Instead, she believes success stems from understanding people and that being the face of the building is most important. Every guest arrives with different expectations and priorities. Some are in a hurry. Others need reassurance or guidance. Reading those situations and responding appropriately creates a positive guest experience they remember. That thinking now shapes the way she supports new colleagues joining OCS.

Learning to lead

As her responsibilities have grown, Leia has also begun a Level 3 Leadership and Management apprenticeship through OCS. Recommended for the programme by her Operations Manager, Iain Henderson, she is already applying what she learns to her everyday work.

The first module focused on different learning styles, and it changed how she trains colleagues.

What Comes Next

The growth of OCS Guest Experiences is creating new opportunities for Leia. She is supporting new mobilisations, helping onboard colleagues at additional locations and will shortly be supporting with the mobilisation of a new contract in Glasgow. She wants others to follow. “Hopefully it inspires some of our front-of-house team to apply next year,” she says. “It’s a great opportunity, and it pushes you outside your comfort zone.”

In under two years, Leia has gone from one reception desk to shaping guest experience across the North, and she is only getting started.