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HR AND SUPER: THE BUSINESS OF PEOPLE
The business of people
Implementing strategies to increase employee satisfaction can have wide-ranging benefits for both pub operators and their staff.
By Caoimhe Hanrahan-Lawrence.
ENGAGED, FULFILLED, and skilled staff are key to a pub’s success, and by providing opportunities for learning and career advancement and supporting employee wellness, pub operators can foster a positive company culture and increase business outcomes.
As well as benefits, advancement opportunities, and competitive wages, current and potential employees are also concerned with a company’s culture.
Hannah Tschaban-Healy, human resources manager at Palmer Hospitality Group, said that company culture is of high importance amid the current labour shortages affecting the hospitality industry.
“Culture has become the forefront of our minds lately because hanging onto staff is so tough, and there’s a labour shortage in the industry. How we support our staff and give them opportunities is a point of difference for our hotel group,” she said.
For Alana Primmer, group people and culture manager at Feros Group, being a family business has a major influence on Feros Group’s company culture.
“Our staff-first culture is driven by Nick and Chris Feros, who from the very beginning have made it their priority to ensure our Feros family values remain true in everything we do. As we grow, our focus is to ensure the systems and processes we put in place are ones that will support our desire to continue these values through all areas of the business, no matter our size.”
Being an employer of choice
Drawing in new talent and retaining those employees is one of the main concerns for pub operators when it comes to staffing.
According to Tamara Quader, Allara Global’s head of learning design, having clear pathways for career advancement is important both for talent acquisition and for ongoing retention, as it encourages prospective and current employees to stay with the same business for longer.
“Many talented workers view job hopping as the only way to climb the career ladder or test out different careers or responsibilities. Therefore, an organisation with a prominent message about fostering employee growth and development through training and learning is more likely to attract top talent to its open positions. This not only helps build a high-performing and engaged team but also positions your business as an industry leader,” she said.
At Feros Group, fostering homegrown talent is of high importance, and 95 per cent of the management team started at lower-level positions within the group. This includes the current CEO, Simon Johnston, who first joined Feros Group as a part-time bottle shop attendant before moving on to other roles from bartender to group operations manager, and eventually CEO.
“This is important to us for a variety of reasons. Staff who have worked with us in multiple areas of our venues understand our business in detail before taking on a management role, they understand our Feros family values, they have experienced it themselves and know it aligns with their personal values and it shows all staff the career paths are available and achievable within our group,” Primmer said.
Highlighting the diversity of roles within a group can also be appealing to employees, as Tschaban-Healy explained.
“We have the ability for growth within our venues, because Palmer Hospitality Group ranges from small bars and cafés to restaurants and the larger suburban hotels. There is definitely room for people to grow and expand their skill set, which is a drawcard for our group.”
Providing pathways
Offering regular and diverse training to employees increases both performance and employee satisfaction, as well as empowering employees to advance in their careers.
“Investing in relevant and engaging training is a great approach to reducing high turnover rates and meeting employees’ evolving expectations. By providing opportunities for growth and development, companies can foster a sense of investment in their staff. When employees feel valued and empowered to advance their careers, they are more likely to demonstrate loyalty and commitment to the organisation,” Quader said.
A solid training and on-boarding structure allows pub operators to hire based on potential and personality, rather than prioritising a certain set of skills.
“As a company, our priority when recruiting is to ensure we are focused on the cultural fit of a person rather than focusing on their job specific skills. We are confident in our training and development programs that if we are recruiting people who align with our Feros family values, we can provide them with the time and resources to develop their job-specific skills,” Primmer said.
At Palmer Hospitality Group, investing in employee skill-building has led to an increase in performance.
“We hold different training sessions, such as wine immersion trips, brewery days, distillery tours. We usually send our staf f out to those sessions every couple of months just to learn about their products. It gives them some knowledge and upskilling so that when they’re working, they have a solid understanding of the drinks and the beverages that they’re selling,” Tschaban-Healy said.
Quader encouraged employers to use diverse learning methods when delivering training, to increase employee engagement.
“To engage your team, use various learning methods, such as gamification, role-playing, and short quizzes, to keep the training fun. Online courses can be nice, short modules that are not onerous and accessible anytime. When designed well, they will be fun and keep the learner engaged. Some of our customers reward their employees with discounts for completing certain courses, and keeping their learning up to date.”
Supporting staff wellbeing
As well as investing in skills and experiences that are immediately relevant to the day-to-day work of pub employees, many operators aim to support their employees in other areas, particularly when it comes to mental health.
Prioritising employee wellbeing has wide ranging impacts, both in the workplace and beyond.
“Mental health has become really important. It’s about making sure that staff are in their best place personally, which is great for the business and great for them as well. We want people to be happy when they’re at work. Being able to give the staff some of those other skills and information sessions in those different areas can only benefit our staff and us,” Tschaban-Healy said.
For Primmer, supporting the physical wellbeing of staff is also an important part of fostering a healthy and positive work environment.
“Staff wellbeing is important to us as we try to ensure a balance between our staff’s physical and mental wellbeing.
We offer regular fitness challenges that focus on setting goals to change habits for both physical and mental wellbeing. Each challenge has a different focus, with the most recent being a Battle of the Venues to focus on teamwork while working on their own personal goals,” she said.
Empowering staff to grow professionally and personally has a positive impact on a business, and can aid the growth of a pub group or venue. Prioritising staff wellbeing is beneficial to employers, employees, and customers.
