Great employees are important for any successful property. Employees that care about your business, your philosophy, your guests.
If you are the operator of a hotel, resort, inn, or bed & breakfast there is a good chance you have an understanding of the day-to-day operation of your property.
In a perfect world, you would clone yourself so you know that everything is done to your satisfaction.
Unfortunately, we do not live in a perfect world and you will need help.
Depending on the size of your operation, this can be a very time-consuming job.
- So how do you find great employees?
- Employees that share your philosophy.
- Follow your operations manual.
- Will care about your guests?
- Are willing to bend over backward when offering service?
- And have great attention to detail.
To begin with, when advertising a job don’t waste your time interviewing everyone who sends in an application. There is a way to weed out many applicants by using a simple technique when writing the ad. In the job description, instruct, to anyone replying, to include a specific word or phrase in their cover letter. A word or phrase you have placed in the ad.
For example football.
When you receive the applications, just plan on reviewing those who have included the specific word or phrase. This shows attention to detail and it is a start in the right direction.
During the first interview, start with your business’s history, experience, and philosophy, and then give the candidates your properties and responsibility guidelines, to review.
Meet with each applicant individually to discuss their reactions to and feelings about the guidelines, as well as their background and experience. At this meeting, each applicant should also be asked why they feel they were right for the position.
The next phase is very important; role play with situations they will probably encounter at any property. Make it clear that you do not want them to answer the way they think you want them to answer, but to react the way they feel would be right.
This should be done for every position at your property. You have to remember your priority is customer service and all your employees should embrace this, as studies have shown that the better the customer service the higher the profits.
Hire those who show empathy, kindness, and humility.
You might be thinking “Wait a minute! Isn’t experience more important?”
Emotional skill can’t be taught, you can’t give staff the wish to bend over backward for customers.
Hire for the emotional skill trains for the others.
It does not end there …
- The first day of training for a new employee should start with a meeting with you.
- A review of the “Properties Policies” and any “Employee Benefits”.
- Let them know they are now a part of your facilities family and that you are there to support them.
- Take the new employee on a tour of the facilities, highlighting people and systems at work.
- Answering clearly and fully all the employee’s questions
- Issuing the employee their uniform and a copy of the operations manual
- Review the operations manual
- Review contract of the employee’s position and any “Employee Benefit Plans”
- Complete the employment papers
You might be thinking “This is a lot of time to be taking on one new employee.”
Think of it this way. Isn’t better to spend the time up front and to get your employee off on the right foot or take the time down the road to replace them?
How do you keep great employees? This next point I cannot stress enough … support them!
A customer is not always right but they should feel like they are. For this to work customer has to feel the staff is on their side and the staff have the flexibility to handle situations the way they see fit.
Give them the ability to look for customer service opportunities and WOW your guests.
Customers should not just leave your property satisfied but happy and this is much easier to carry out if you have great employees.
Are you interested in other proven techniques to find new guests?
If so, I have a great (and free) 5 part video series that I can send you a link to. They are the result of years of travel & experience.
If you’d like to see them, just it the button below to get access.
And if you’re not interested, no worries at all.
Either way, I wish you success in getting more heads in your beds.