EMBRACING OUR DIFFERENCES

In an exclusive interview with Uta Scheurer, Group Vice President People and Culture at the Ruby Group, we learn about her specialist role, the group’s popular 35-hour working week and the success of their innovative ‘tattoo campaign’ recruitment scheme.

Tell us about your role as Group Vice President People and Culture.

In my position I currently lead a team of fourteen employees and am also part of the executive board at Ruby. I am responsible for the strategic direction of the ‘People and Culture’ division. This includes, among other things, personal branding with the assurance of the defined corporate values and, in particular, the development and implementation of personnel-relevant measures and instruments that fit the Ruby brand.

Please tell us about the Ruby Hotel’s ‘employment program’ and the benefits this has presented to your staff.

We have implemented a new working model for the operational departments, with a 35-hour workweek at the full salary of a 40-hour week. In doing so, we have followed our employees’ desire to offer more flexibility and work-lifebalance. In discussion with the leads, employees can divide the 35 hours into a five-day week if they wish. Overtime is only worked when absolutely necessary. In addition, we have started an attention-grabbing recruiting campaign and are thus breaking new ground beyond conventional recruiting measures. Every applicant who applies to us and has been with Ruby for at least six months will get a tattoo, piercing or makeover from us, worth up to £500.

What’s your vision for the future of hospitality and how do you feel employment initiatives such as Ruby’s will play a part in this?

I think the hospitality sector is already on a positive path and is becoming more and more attractive for applicants with increasing innovative hotel companies. Unfortunately, the industry is still considered to be one where the working conditions are not so good. This applies to both working hours and salaries. We offer general conditions that make it possible for everyone to get a good start and training in order to enjoy their job in the long term. Ruby is a modern company that will always question itself and thus break new ground. This does not mean throwing the tried and tested overboard, but rather acting in a contemporary manner and listening to what wishes and needs are in demand at any given time. The world is colourful, versatile, and diverse, and so are our employees and potential applicants.

What has been the feedback from current employees to the initiatives in place, and have you seen an improvement in recruitment?

The feedback from our employees is consistently positive. They are taking advantage of their new flexibility and the associated work-life balance. We can also see this from the fact that even more of our employees are using our fitness allowance. Our tattoo campaign in particular has made big waves internally and has been met with a very positive response. We have also rolled it out internally for our employees who are recruiting new staff, supplemented by an instant bonus of £1,000.

What has been the biggest impact for Ruby with introducing these initiatives?

The most positive effect for us is probably that we notice that our employees really do have a work-life balance, which they enjoy and appreciate. This, in turn, has a great impact on their work ethic. Since the introduction of the new working model, we have noticed that employees work even more efficiently which pleases us greatly. In addition, breaking new ground in recruiting with our attention-grabbing tattoo campaign has shown us that we have our finger on the pulse of the times, recording a 25% increase in applications since.

Can you tell us about Ruby’s Lean Luxury philosophy?

Ruby is one of the fastest growing non-standard hotel brands and is breaking new ground in the hotel industry with its Lean Luxury philosophy: a location in the heart of the city, top design, and high-quality furnishings with the essentials. Through a lean organisation and concentration on the essentials, Ruby creates a contemporary, affordable form of luxury for modern, cost and style-conscious travellers. We distinguish ourselves not only through a novel product concept, but also through significantly above-average space efficiency and lean cost structures thanks to structural, technical and process-related innovations. www.ruby-hotels.com