HR & MANAGEMENT
INCENTIVISING STAFF
RETENTION AND MOTIVATION ARE TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN AND ONLY PARTLY SOLVABLE BY SALARY. WE REVEAL THE CULTURES AND STEPS SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSES ARE TAKING TO BUILD – AND KEEP – TEAMS.
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mong a wider-ranging number of concerns hoteliers regularly cite about their businesses, close to the top of the list is always staff retention. It’s part and parcel of the hospitality industry, where margins are tight and staff costs need close control. While it’s possible to slow the revolving door through improved wage packets alone, most in the industry – and outside of it – argue that only through a combination of staff training, flexible working, cultural practices and the right benefits packages can the revolving door be halted and managed. This is particularly true of the millennial generation, those under 35, who recent studies have repeatedly shown prioritise differently to previous generations, and who make up the vast proportion of hotel staff. Given these individuals increasingly value experiences over possessions, authenticity over deception, and crave a good work-life balance, it’s not surprising that motivating them through money alone is unlikely to yield the best results.
“YOU CAN GIVE THEM ALL AN EXTRA $5 PER HOUR BUT I DON’T BELIEVE THAT TRUE ENTHUSIASM WILL RESULT, IT COMES FROM ELSEWHERE,” SAYS AARON LEE, EXECUTIVE MANAGER – MARKETING AT INTRUST SUPER. Of course, if salary and training aren’t sufficient, what other drivers are at work? “Overwhelmingly we have found the key motivations for our staff across departments, age brackets, experience and full-time or part-time positions is feeling a sense of being involved in something larger than their role itself,” says Andy Mullins, director at hotel group Sand Hill Road. “So we spend a lot of time within the company, explaining to both small groups and large groups, exactly where we’re going, our road map for getting there and the role that they can play in holding the compass or doing the driving,” says Mullins. For many staff, visibility of career progression is absolutely crucial. “The most important thing is demonstrating career advancement opportunities,” says Aaron Lee, Executive Manager – Marketing at Intrust Super, echoing the approach taken at Sand Hill Road. “People will drive to achieve something if they can see the possibility
16 | SEPTEMBER 2018 AUSTRALIAN HOTELIER
