HR Corner Caring culture creates guest satisfaction by Charles Mak Success in the hospitality industry requires respect for employees at all levels In today's fast-paced business world, attention to customer care marks out the very best companies. Particularly in the hospitality industry, the philosophy sometimes goes one step further by regarding employees as internal customers entitled to the same degree of respect and attention as hotel guests. Recognised as one of the world's leading employers, which won a 2005 Best Employers Award, Marriott International Inc refers to members of staff as associates and readily attributes the company's success to them. "Happy associates will mean happy customers," says Anke Ho, area director of human resources for China, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. She believes in the importance of creating a caring culture by upholding the company's core values, culture and heritage. "Ever since Mr Marriott established the company, the culture has been employee-focused; we still apply this philosophy in all parts of the business," she adds. This approach has been reinforced by a policy which ensures that staff have the right cultural fit. "Over 95 per cent of our general managers are promoted from within," explains Regan Taikitsadaporn, Marriott's area director of human resources for Asia, Australia and New Zealand. "If we want to maintain our standards, it has to be a Marriott-grown person who takes on leadership positions because a company's culture is mainly leader-driven." However, as the business continues to expand, new blood is still brought in when necessary. Recruits take tailor-made training programmes to help them learn the "Marriott way" and become familiar with the common language. "We are proud to be a learning company," says Ms Ho. "Continuous training is offered for associates and a minimum of 40 hours is required for all of us each year." The experience for guests hugely depends on our associates' level of happiness Chain reaction All training is a two-way process and focuses on teaching the right principles and practices. "Together with coaching and reinforcing, it forms a chain which allows associates to make a good start and go on to successful careers," she says. Every new recruit begins with a three-stage orientation programme which lasts 90 days. It starts with a hotel tour and introductory sessions about the company's policies and benefits. After that, the focus is on service philosophies, culture, brands, work practices and safety issues. The third stage includes gaining more on-the-job experience and allows associates the chance to give feedback about their roles so that any problems can be addressed. Checklists are used for each job to ensure staff meet the required standards in all areas. For more senior executives, there is an online orientation and "on-boarding" programme with case studies to review. Mentors are assigned to monitor progress, help with introductions to regional colleagues and provide general guidance. In Mr Taikitsadaporn's view, all these measures make it easier for executives to succeed in their jobs. "They quickly become familiar with our policies and culture, while executives who are transferred from other regions only need to learn what is unique about Asia Pacific," he says. Focus on feedback Different channels have been set up to ensure that key information is communicated quickly throughout the company. For example, management teams are required to hold regular sessions to allow staff to speak openly about any current issues. Bulletins, suggestion boxes and an annual survey of employee views also act as essential lines of communication and a source of ideas. Besides that, an annual newsletter, Strategic Initiatives, provides information about development plans and what is happening in regional offices and the company's US headquarters. At the local level, Marriott's very own Daily Package is distributed to bring everyone up to date with the latest news on performance and planned changes. This is supplemented by a 15-minute daily briefing to remind associates about service standards and special items. "For each of our brands, the basic thing is to focus on customers and associates," Mr Taikitsadaporn says. "Providing service has become a habit for all of us." This outlook is encouraged in several ways – presenting annual awards for outstanding performance, constantly improving the work environment, and offering opportunities for personal development. "We actively listen to any requests or concerns, but most important of all, aim to provide a safe and pleasant workplace for all our associates," Ms Ho says. Progress and performance standards are tracked by the company's method of assessments. This uses the balanced scorecard system and concentrates on five factors: finance, market share, guest and associate satisfaction, and individual performance, which are equally weighted. "The experience for guests hugely depends on our associates' level of happiness," says Ms Ho. "We realise that no business success would be possible without their dedication and hard work." Salient points Three-stage orientation programme to familiarise new recruits with the company's culture and practices Training is seen as a two-way process which should be continuous Emphasis on improving internal communication with regular meetings and staff newsletters Daily briefings to remind staff about service standards and culture Focus on improving the work environment and encouraging personal development Taken from Career Times 9 September 2005, p. A15 Your comments are welcome at [email protected]