by name when she walked in . “ It was so cool to connect at that level ,” she says . “ It ’ s breaking down the hierarchical barrier .”
Concord has seen improvements in its surveys of associate engagement , Punke says . Associate turnover hovers from 55 % to 60 % but beats the industry average .
At the 333-room Omaha Marriott managed by Marcus Hotels & Resorts , Hilton focuses on orientation of new workers , many of whom are new to the business as well .
“ The biggest challenge is retaining the newbies past 90 or 120 days ,” Hilton says . To ease the transition , each new employee is assigned an experienced peer “ buddy ” who acts as a mentor .
Line workers are equipped with a phone or tablet that can be used to flag a problem , Hilton says . Since the hotel ’ s August 2017 opening , turnover is less than 35 % and the property has promoted or transferred a quarter of its 200 associates .
SHARING IDEAS Turnover is less than 10 % at Bon Hotels in South Africa because unemployment is 29 %, says Pieter Van Eck , group operations director . It ’ s nominal in rural locations where there are few other jobs , and it ’ s higher in cities . Still , management strives to keep line workers engaged , and a flat structure helps .
“ THERE ARE LOTS OF REASONS PEOPLE LEAVE . THEY DON ’ T FEEL VALUED … THAT ’ S THE NATURE OF THE BUSINESS , BUT I DON ’ T THINK IT NEEDS TO BE .”
HARSHA CHANRAI , SAIRA HOSPITALITY
“ Managers share the staff canteen and other facilities ,” Van Eck says . “ Line workers feel free to give suggestions . They know they ’ re not going to get into trouble for sharing ideas .” Bon has more than 40 hotels operating or in development in South Africa , Namibia , Nigeria and Ethiopia .
At Hotel San Cristóbal in Mexico ’ s Baja Peninsula , operator Bunkhouse hires staff from the local community of Todos Santos rather than recruit experienced hotel workers from the nearby resort haven of Cabo San Lucas . That requires supervisors and managers to work side by side with hires new to hospitality to teach them the details of the business .
But it pays off in loyalty and trust , says Gail DiBerardinis , general manager of the 32-room luxury hotel . ( The Bunkhouse resort used Saira Hospitality to recruit and train staff for the opening ).
Employees work the front desk at the Hotel San Cristóbal , where local recruitment results in higher autonomy and trust , says GM Gail DiBerardinis .
Early on , DiBerardinis says she and other managers would be contacted at “ all hours of the day ” asking how to handle problems . “ I trust you ,” she told staff members . “ If the kitchen makes a mistake it ’ s ok to send a dessert courtesy of the house — that improves the guest experience ,” she says . “ Ninety percent of the time , they make the decision I would have made .”
Turnover is relatively low — only 25 % in the 2-plus years the resort has been open . “ We invest in the community , and they are invested in the hotel ,” she says .
SEEKING THE HOSPITALITY GENE
One way to minimize turnover is to hire the right line workers in the first place . Harsha Chanrai ’ s nonprofit Saira Hospitality is trying to do that by working with hotels before they open to identify and train potential employees that might otherwise be overlooked .
Hotels typically set up a hiring fair a month or two before opening but they don ’ t get to know the candidates , Chanrai says . An applicant might attend the fair but not be able to answer questions or be familiar with the industry .
Months before a hotel is scheduled to open , Chanrai recruits candidates for her “ pop-up ” hotel schools . Using social media , flyers and by collaborating with local nonprofits , she enrolls candidates for the free program , which typically lasts seven to nine weeks .
“ We find the diamonds in the rough , bring people out of their shell and get them in the door that they might not have been able to open ,” she says . “ And the hotel now has people to hire that it might not have hired before .”
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