Special RepoRt : Leadership
Passion for PeoPle clio knowles , vice president of people , virgin hotels
Clio Knowles is more affectionately known around Virgin Hotels as “ The People Goddess .” “ I actually own the Twitter account , but I haven ’ t done anything with it yet ,” kids Virgin ’ s first vice president of people , who joined after serving as vice president of human resources for Kerzner International . Yes , since everything is new at
Miami-based Virgin Hotels , and its founder Sir Richard Branson , prefers running people-centric companies a bit left of center , Knowles has taken the opportunity to run with her freedom and is trying to change the view of hospitality as more of a profession , especially in the United States .
To wit , Knowles created a “ you ’ ve stolen our hearts ” recruitment card for staff to pass along to potential hires , especially when they experience exceptional service or a person with a great spirit . She requires job candidates to complete a “ Make Love , Steal Hearts ” quiz to identify the bright , energetic and fearless . She held a recruitment fair at Chicago ’ s City Winery , where candidates waited for their turn on a “ speed date ” interview while listening to a DJ spinning tunes and sipping on hot cider from the bar . She created a Cultural Map that states what the hotel brand believes , its purpose , its promise to team members , core values , its culture and how to speak to guests and each other . It concludes with five tips to “ make love ” ( be generous with your time and attention ) and “ steal hearts ” ( discover the cues and clues guests leave for us and act upon them ). Even the employee lounge at the Chicago hotel is covered with heart decals courtesy of “ the Goddess .”
At press time , Knowles was testing an online employee platform to recognize associates and help them provide feedback . Staff will create their own profile and , for example , share photos , send “ valentines ” ( congratulatory notes , pats on the back , thank yous ) and post to the message board (“ meet me in The Commons Club for a team drink at 5 p . m .”).
Knowles is doing everything she can so her department is not seen as the barrier to getting work done . “ Of course , we have the policies , procedures and forms , but getting to build the culture and having it truly be
32 HOTELS April 2015 www . hotelsmag . com