TRENDING
ASIAN HOTELS
REDEPLOY , INNOVATE
Contributed by RON GLUCKMAN
F & B employees of the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi in Vietnam repair furniture for the engineering department . ( They are making the Accor “ Heartist ” symbol for the camera .)
STAYING CONNECTED
Contributed by RON GLUCKMAN
As the coronavirus swept the globe , technology has offered avenues to keep businesses connected . “ We ’ ve wanted to keep everyone up to date and more than that , in touch ,” says Stephen Howard , group marketing director of Ovolo Hotels , which is using messaging and video-conferencing platforms that integrate across email , messaging , video and calendars . It ’ s also using social apps to embrace staff scattered from its Hong Kong headquarters to Australia .
At Wharf Hotel Group , President Jennifer Cronin says the company relies on videoconferencing to support staff from Hong Kong and China to the Philippines . “ It ’ s ... also providing regular two-way communication to give everyone the confidence and reassurance that their decision-making is sound ,” she says .
Onyx Hospitality Group , which includes Amari properties in its base of Thailand and Shama in Hong Kong and China , has developed virtual education training with subjects including role-playing on how to enhance guest satisfaction , as well as refreshers on operating procedures , says Charles Yap , vice president of marketing and communications . There are also Mandarin lessons and lighthearted quizzes . “ This is our way of taking learning and engaging to our team members in a safe and fun way ,” Yap says .
Instead of serving spring rolls or arranging tours , staff at Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi are cleaning carpets and repairing rooms . Workers at Marco Polo Hongkong Hotel have been shifted to projects like cleaning up local trails . At Ovolo Hotels ’ Australian properties , management is training employees for other roles or helping them find jobs in other industries .
“ We ’ re doing everything in our power to look after our staff ,” says Stephen Howard , Ovolo ’ s group director of marketing . Staff has been redeployed to new roles , he says , and Ovolo has helped place workers in industries such as supermarkets and call centers that are hiring .
At the Metropole in Hanoi , the decision was made to prioritize workers from the bottom up , says Anthony Slewka , sales and marketing director . Senior and mid-level staff took some reductions , working half-month schedules in some cases , as the majority of 640 workers were shifted to other tasks .
“ These include sanding and re-doing floors , deep cleaning rooms and public areas , painting , repairing furniture , improving back of house areas ,” he says .
In Hong Kong , Jennifer Cronin , president of Wharf Hotels , says the priority is not only protecting jobs but productivity and morale . “ We are focusing on employee retention activities , including redeployment , internal projects , learning and development , as well as CSR initiatives to support the community ,” she says .
Staff have been trained to take up new tasks , in work as varied as engineering . And the company has stepped up community activity , including producing 1,200 reusable masks . “ Life after COVID will be very different , and we must recalibrate our business model and talent ,” Cronin says . “ We already expect changes to our organizational structures and job descriptions . We are convinced that this will be the best time to renew and refresh our approaches to business and guest experiences .”
20 hotelsmag . com May 2020