3 More Questions Every Hotel Manager Should Ask Themselves

3 More Questions Every Hotel Manager Should Ask Themselves

The AHLA’s Employer of Choice program has hoteliers thinking about HR practices in their hotels. Here are three more questions that can help you assess your HR practices:

Do we have a succession plan for supervisor and managerial roles?

Getting staff prepared to move into supervisory or management roles is an excellent way to retain your best staff. This shows you are committed to your staff’s growth, and they will be more likely to stay with you than move onto another employer. The best way to go about this process is to have annual performance reviews and document everything. The staff member can voice his or her interests, and you are informed as to what the staff member would like to work towards. Having a plan in place helps to keep targets and goals on track, for both the employer and the staff member working on moving into higher roles.

Do we have an orientation process at our property?

Having an orientation process can help you onboard effectively in a number of ways. We recommend that you include the following in your process:

• Ensure all new staff go through the employment terms and conditions, as well as property information. This can help reduce confusion as to what the property rules are, and what the employee responsibilities are in the workplace.
• Give the new employee a property tour. This way, the new employee knows where everything is and will not have to be too reliant on other staff to show them around.
• Give the new employee (or group of employees) the chance to meet other staff members, especially those they will not be working with on a regular basis. Having a luncheon or coffee as a group is a great way to make introductions and learn what everyone does in the organization.

How often do we check in with our employees?

Checking in with employees does not have to be a formal process every time. Having a simple conversation in the hallways, asking about their weekends, and holiday plans is a good way to get some insight into their personal life without having to dig too deep. This shows that if an employee is not performing well, or has started engaging in behavior that is typically not normal, it could be a work-related factor or a something happening in their personal lives that is affecting their work. Theses check ins are easy for smaller properties, however, in the larger ones try to ensure the managers, supervisors, and team leads get a chance to have a dialogue with employees every once in a while. Team lunches and celebrations are a good way to connect with staff on a deeper level other than work.

You can be an Employer of Choice. Apply today to get a full report of what you’re doing well and where you can improve in your HR.