kplace means more part-timers and job sharers , and creation of utility positions for people who can fill in as needed in various roles across the hotel . Some Aimbridge hotels are rethinking assignments like housekeeping , staggering workers or bringing in more people at night to accommodate their schedules .
Pay and perks are up for negotiation as well . “ We ’ re not able to stick with a straight-line opening wage ,” Hunt says . “ I ask the applicant what range they ’ re looking for and balance that with the budget .” If it ’ s a strong candidate , she makes a quick decision .
Hunt has also removed other pain points for employees , such as parking fees or meal costs , to position her hotel ahead of the pack —“ Whatever I can do to make this a great place to work ,” she says .
That kind of responsiveness is more important than in the past . “ One best practice we have found is speed ,” says Tim Ryan , COO of Chicago-based Aparium Hotel Group . Managers respond to candidates and schedule interviews quickly , and they take a sales-first approach to the interactions , selling the job seeker on the company culture . for fewer hours and end up hiring multiple staff members to fill a fulltime spot .
Flexibility is essential in this environment , says Kevin Rockey , managing director of the U . K . and Europe for Ennismore ’ s The Hoxton lifestyle brand . “ In the past , hotels really wanted people full time , because it was just easy .” With volatile demand , especially since business travel has yet to rebound , flexible hours make more sense for the hotel ; it also satisfies potential team members . “ People realize they can manage on less , and they don ’ t need to work five days a week .”
Management company giant Aimbridge Hotels is scheduling around employees ’ needs . “ Our approach today is : When can you work ? And we build our schedule around that ,” says Elie Khoury , executive VP of operations . That
EVOLVING ROLES , PLANNING Forecasting labor needs has evolved as well . “ Before , if someone would call in sick , the old way of doing things was to power through ,” Ryan says . “ Now we ’ re being more thoughtful about the staffing we have and the services they can handle so we ’ re not overwhelming them .” In some cases , that means turning down potential reservations , a conundrum every hotelier and restaurateur faces these days , Ryan
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