We Want to keep ( employees ) connected to the company and keep them motivated so We have motivated , positive staff When We start up again .
Part of 25Hours ’ messaging : The company uses its intranet , social media , podcasts , team meetings and blogs to keep employees informed .
We Want to keep ( employees ) connected to the company and keep them motivated so We have motivated , positive staff When We start up again .
KaTHrin GollubiTs , Hr direcTor , 25Hours firm that creates employer brands . “ You have to communicate what you ’ re doing , why you ’ re doing it , and what it means for their future ,” she says . “ Even though they ’ re not furloughed , they will be scared that they are going to be .” And silence can fuel incorrect assumptions . “ Even if you have nothing to say , tell them you have nothing to report .”
Curating a winning employer brand is a delicate balancing act these days , LaMotte observes .
Pre-COVID-19 , the main audience was job seekers . Now , she says , “ you should be focused on engagement and retention of employees — both those you ’ re keeping on , and the hearts and minds of those you have to furlough — and communicating
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with candidates in the pipeline .”
Operators need to keep tabs on furloughed workers , she says , if they plan to reinstate them once the economy starts up . “ And it ’ s important to demonstrate you are concerned about them , doing what you can to be as supportive as possible .
“ We ’ re not talking about not getting your Amazon order on time — we are talking about putting food on the table ,” she adds .
One company offering practical support to laid-off employees who also may be under shelter at home orders is Californiabased Montage International , which operates seven hotels under the Montage and Pendry brands . Associates are eligible to receive a family meal and care package twice a month and financial relief through a special fund . The company has also been distributing weekly newsletters with tips from staff experts on subjects like how to feed families on a tight budget or how to work out and meditate at home . An internal portal provides programming like cooking demos for adults and a story time for children .
Encouraging employees to share their coping strategies is a good way to support them and build engagement and goodwill , LaMotte says . And giving them a way to source needed items within the team cements that even further .
“ Someone struggling might need a stroller , and maybe someone else just cleaned out their garage and has a stroller to give that person ,” she explains .
The forgotten audience in the wake of COVID-19 is prospective associates . In a survey of 90 brand leaders , LaMotte says only about a third of them posted a pandemic-related statement on their career pages . She thinks that ’ s a mistake .
Without an updated message , “ if you have positions to fill , people won ’ t know whether they are legitimate , and they won ’ t understand if you don ’ t reply .” Being able to explain the status of the company and applicants in the pipeline is essential .
These are obviously uncharted waters , but how hotel operators and companies navigate them is likely to have a long-term impact on their ability to attract and retain staff .
June 2020 hotelsmag . com 7