Human Resources

Retention strategies that work

Retaining valued employees is a challenge for most companies. It becomes tougher when the workforce happens to be a predominantly young one. Sudipta Dev finds out which are the most effective long term retention strategies

Retaining the right talent has always been a challenge for most companies in both the travel and hospitality sectors. The investment that goes into recruiting, training and honing on-the-job skills can cause both tangible and intangible loss when a productive resource leaves the organisation. Carefully formulated long-term strategies need to be worked out to prevent this loss and retain the people assets who hold the key to business survival and growth in the services-focused industry.

The young and the restless

E Balaji

Joe Rajan

Arian D’Souza

Subhash Motwani

Geeta Sundrani

It is not an easy task to retain for a long period of time a young workforce, which is driven by ambition and easily lured by the next big pay hike. A larger part of the solution lies in engaging and motivating them constantly. Subhash Motwani, director-Compact Travels, concedes that focused effort to motivate the people resource is essential to prevent attrition. “It should not just be work and routine all the time. You cannot replace people, they are not machinery. If you treat them like machines, there will be a breakdown. As most of them have limited experience, they do not often understand the reason behind a particular action-it is therefore necessary to explain to them the logic behind the decisions,” says Motwani.

Compact Travels, like most other organisations in the travel business, hires mostly freshers, who are given ample opportunities to learn and grow. “When they see results in a couple of years and understand that they have achieved much more in comparison to their peers in other companies, they are less inclined to leave,” adds Motwani. He points out with apparent pride that employee attrition has never been a problem in his organisation as people seldom quit, unless they opt to change their line of work, get married, immigrate abroad or move to another city. Motwani attributes a large part of this successful retention rate to his policy of encouraging an open and transparent culture. This apart, it is ensured that it is not only the bosses who are sent on FAM trips, but all those employees who have spent a particular period of time in the company are encouraged to go with the expectation that they come back with more experience and sense of responsibility.

Joe Rajan, CEO of Harvey India Tours and Travels, is also proud of the fact that he has been able to retain most of the 65-membered staff during his company’s four years of existence. Rajan has worked hard on creating a positive work culture that has ensured that none of his people have ever resigned to go to a competitor. “Being a new company, retaining the staff is important,” asserts Rajan. The efforts range from picnics and parties to outings every Saturday to incentives for those who get good business and an excellent (almost free) cafeteria service.

Hiring right

It is a well acknowledged factor that the key to retention lies in right recruitment. Stringent hiring processes are necessary to not just test the on-the-job skills of the individual but also his ability to adjust in the work culture and be a part of the team. Unfortunately, in most cases, the cultural-fit is often not analysed well and might later lead to problems for both the individual and the organisation.

Most experts agree that there is a direct co-relation between hiring and retention. “It is important to evaluate the job requirement correctly, assess and source the right candidate. A good assessment will yield more than a good candidate. It will shorten the learning curve and integration of the candidate into the system will be very smooth,” says E Balaji, CEO and director, Ma Foi Management Consultants. He points out that candidates who have the ability to adapt to people from other backgrounds, have good listening skills, lots of patience and the ability to make quick decisions would be very successful in the travel and hospitality sector.

In fact, the job role and individual career paths need also to be worked out at the initial stage itself. “If the hiring is involved around the ambition of the individual, retention is for a longer time,” avers Motwani.

Geeta A Sundrani, director, Oasis Human Resources, believes that it is necessary to inquire from prospective candidates about their long-term plans and ask how this job fits into their growth. “Many employers tend to focus retention efforts on their long-term employees, but the most effective programs are those that emphasise the benefits of long-term employment from the employee’s first day on the job,” says Sundrani, emphasising on that need to scale the candidate fit into the organisation’s long-term goals. “Right candidate would mean better retention with transparent policies and procedures,” adds Sundrani.

Long-term vision

The attrition rate, across all sectors, is greater amongst the younger workforce. The under-25 workforce are known to be easily enticed by a salary hike and do not often seriously work out the career path progression. Their goals are short-term. It is therefore imperative for the management to invest in career counselling and guidance.

“It is also important to encourage overall development of the employees, by giving them opportunity to enhance their knowledge through professional programs and courses,” states. Balaji. The other imperative factor is to create an employee friendly culture with a long-term vision and take conscious steps to build in-house talent pipeline.

Adrian D’Souza, corporate director- HR, Zuri Group Global, concedes that the HR of any organisation need to be more strategic in order to enable its work force to realise that the organisation they are working for has an aim and purpose for them. Their contributions need to be duly recognised and rewarded. “Motivation and a great working environment are key factors for retaining employees in any industry,” reiterates D’Souza.

Interestingly, a bit of attrition is considered good by most organisations as there is an influx of fresh talent, newer ideas and skills. The travel and hospitality sector is no different. “Yes, a little bit of attrition, even as inevitable as it is, is still good as the organisation would get the chance of attracting employees with different skills set. But then again, change is a reality and until there is a felt need for change, it is only an event and not a pattern,” concludes D’Souza.

Source – Travel World

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Recruitment on the other hand has considerably come to a standstill. There has been a considerable drop in job offers; this outcome is actually natural as people are cautious about job change especially in times of changes.

“Keep calm and carry on!” doesn’t seem to suffice in these times

The crisis demands for swift action, how to act in this situation while recruiting decisions and communicating those decisions, is more vital than ever.

Depending on how long the outbreak will last and its impact on businesses in the long term, companies have already or plan to switch to remote work with minimal effort will have a clear advantage.

Recruitment being naturally one of the activities where a face-to-face meeting has always been a norm – well, not anymore!

Some companies might have to slow down recruitment in some teams, but currently, recruitment is defiantly moving forward slowly and unaffected

The biggest change has been shifting the whole recruitment process fully online, with all interviews happening through video conferencing. This will be the way and will continue for the time being. Not only recruitment but also online on-boarding process is becoming a trend for new employees

More applications can be expected once the companies start to react and optimize their workforce according to the new demand and market conditions.’

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Revising projections looking at the current environment is an important part of making good operational and management decisions. If this is a worst-case scenario that suggests a need for your company to initiate a restructuring process, the sooner steps are taken to start the restructuring process, the more options your business will have. A proactive approach is critical, especially in these fluid situations. Management that hides its head in the sand likely will not survive. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure

Triage is important. Companies have little choice but to pivot meaningfully and strategic planning is the key to survival. This planning has to address the new reality reflected by revised and updated projections

Organizational restructuring for many businesses, has become inevitable. Teams are distributed, people are in lockdown, emotions are running high, and big decisions need to be made quickly. Review all the options to see if any combination of temporarily lowering salaries, cutting benefits, reducing work hours, government support programs, or unpaid leave could be financially viable as an alternative.

Ultimately, not very business will be able to avoid layoffs. If you find yourself in this situation, don’t panic, just get prepared. Whatever are your exact circumstances, one thing is certain: that letting go should be managed in a way that leaves people with their dignity, humanity, and as much support as you can give them. Letting go can be one of the most stressful actions a leader or business owner has to take.

Maintain empathy, compassion, and commitments to the success of the employees you’re laying off.  The best first step employers can take before starting to lay people off is to invest time in identifying all their top, average and non – performers.  Proactive communication and actions will help mitigate punitive damages, liabilities associated with disrupted obligations and damage to brand reputation.

Employees laid off during COVID-19 will be entering a drastically different job market. Offer any resources you have access to: employment counseling, job training, and introductions. They need your practical help more than anything to keep up their mood and hope in finding a new job. Make sure you send your employees off with great recommendation letters so they feel empowered about their skills and future opportunities.

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Employee motivation is important. Motivated employees can lead to increased productivity and allow an organization to achieve higher levels of output and meet their goals.

Motivating your employees needs to be a regular routine; they will generally put their best effort in the tasks that are assigned to them.

Keeping your employees motivated is equally important to trusting them. Being locked down during this pandemic has raised the depression levels high.

Trust is seen as an essential ingredient to ease stress and build productivity, as most of us are moved to work remotely within our homes. Trusting your employees will mean that you allow them to get on with their work and do what they do best, instead of requiring them to frequently check back with you.

Employees will never work to their full potential if they don’t feel trusted by their employer. A lack of trust will hurt employee morale, which in turn will affect their motivation.

Here are three actionable tips to increase employee motivation and trust.

Improve communication

The easiest way to increase employee motivation and trust is by having positive communication and not relying only on emails Try setting aside some time each day to talk with employees but do not complex it. Keep light. Very communication you start as an employer should not be related to only work. Try getting to know them personally

Employees also want to see the company that they are working for succeed.. Nothing is more worthwhile than feeling valued.

Value individual contributions

Employees will take pride and be engaged in their work if they are aware how their efforts create an impact to the organization; regardless of how big or small their contribution is.

Most of the time the employee does not need a reward or  gifts for the good job done or task complete within timelines. A simple “Thank You” or “Great job” will suffice.  These meaningful words acknowledge effort, build loyalty and encourage people to work even harder.

Positive workplace environment

It not easy to stay motivated every time with the current situation. These trail times when all are feeling the pinch; it’s easy to lack motivation.  Every employers needs to understand and give space to its employees to come out of it. Who would not enjoy working in the comfort of their home, however being continuously push around and being bombarded with what to do? How to do ? and why to do? Will only pull them down and not increase the productivity.

When it comes to the issue of employee performance and productivity creating a sense of trust is one of the key factors to be considered. Motivation and Trust forms the basis of all relationships and interactions.

So trust your employees to beep them Motivated.

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They are the silent personnel who constitute a large part of every hotel’s workforce – the vast majority of behind the scenes workers who are engaged in ensuring that those in front of the office are able to meet the customer’s expectations and uphold their property’s brand reputation. From housekeeping personnel to kitchen staff to those engaged in engineering functions, while these people are core to everyday functioning in a hotel, they are mostly unseen and unheard. It is essential to understand how important hotel companies consider this segment of their workforce. Are there enough opportunities for their training and development? Is their welfare included in the HR vision of the company? The answers are not surprisingly very diverse and represent in many ways the ethos of each organisation.

“The products and services delivered by these employees is the engine to reach out to our guests. Being in the hospitality and service industry, this workforce is irreplaceable,” says D Kavarana, area manager -west and general manager, ITC Maratha, Mumbai. At ITC blue collared employees are hired from different sources – newspaper advertisements, walk-ins, references, etc. The shortlisted candidates go through interviews and if found suitable, detailed background verification is conducted before they are recruited. For French hospitality major Accor, personnel working in back of the house functions such as housekeeping, laundry, kitchen, stewarding, engineering are considered to be an integral part of the human capital that is engaged in delivering exceptional service to the guest. “These back end support functions are critical not only in themselves bit also in ensuring the efficiency and effectiveness of their counterparts in the front of the house,” asserts Ashwin Shirali, regional director Human Resources, Accor India. He points out that a front office receptionist may wow and win over a guest with speed and warmth of check in but if the guest laundry is not delivered in time or as per the desired standard, the guest experience will be compromised and the efforts and endeavour of the front office receptionist would have gone waste.

Outsourcing works

Ashwin Shirali

Many hotel companies outsource a large segment of the blue collared workforce from third party organisations. The are primarily two reasons for this – first the challenges in sourcing suitable skilled staff for full time employment, and second, managing them for an efficient performance of duties without expensive supervisory staff. “Third party vendors who have special expertise in managing the same job at a lower cost or with greater efficiency can free up valuable managerial time to focus on enhancing guest satisfaction,” states Shirali.

Grimek Khizakhe

Housekeeping, engineering, kitchen stewarding department, pool operators, gardeners, public area cleaners are the common functions outsourced to a third part by most hotels. Explaining the recruitment process Grimek Khizakhe, manager, Human Resources and Talent Development, Holiday Inn Mumbai International Airport says, “The contractor screens the personnel, followed by an interview with the concerned department head and finally the HR department does a background check of the person before he finally gets selected. On the day of joining, the person is briefed about the fire safety and evacuation plans, he then goes through a brief orientation schedule and is later handed over to the department wherein he is assigned a buddy and undergoes a set of on-the job trainings.” The performance of the individual may even lead him to be absorbed in the payrolls of the hotel. He can also be moved from one section to another, for example from public area to room attendant to a supervisory role.

Geeta A Sundrani

Whether an individual is working as an employee with the hotel or on outsourced payroll, he is given more or less same privileges. “There are immense growth opportunities available for an individual who is pleasant, well spoken and committed. Undergraduate working on third party payroll may stagnate, while graduates working on third party may sooner or later be absorbed in,” points out Geeta A Sundrani, director, Oasis Human Resource. Alila Diwa Goa sources employees both through specialised agencies and direct recruitment. Andrea Gracias, assistant human resource manager, Alila Diwa Goa acknowledges that sometimes it is a challenge to find skilled people. Language is also often a barrier. “However we over come these challenges with our robust training modules and support from our third party contractors, who have a strong presence in India and are able to meet our requirements,” adds Gracias. The hotel has created special training modules based on the departments they will be joining such as chemical handling, job knowledge, dos and don’ts, as well as important training modules like communication and grooming, etc.

Training and development

Most hotel companies understand the need for a focused training strategy. Training and development, including a definite career path is also a great motivating tool. In all Accor properties this training includes behavioural/ technical or functional skills to ensure a seamless guest experience. “All associates in back of the house areas whether on hotel payroll or third party payroll are entitled to undergo training and development to enhance their employability whether in positions of superior responsibility or in lateral positions encompassing new skills and job profiles,” states Shirali.

D Kavarana

ITC has a unique initiative that involves the appointment of Departmental Learning Co-coordinators (DLCs). Each department has an employee who is the learning coordinator for his team. He provides guidance and assistance to his team on learning the processes and functions of the department. “We also give utmost importance to guest feedback and design and execute training programmes based on their comments and review. Some of the other training initiatives undertaken by us are induction training, buddy system, on-the-job training, periodical refresher courses,” adds Kavarana. This apart, ITC is also a part of Hunar se Rozgar programme. The ITC Hospitality Management Institute enables existing blue collared employees to enroll for specialised hotel management courses and help them grow professionally. “Employees are provided with many opportunities to grow on the job in both back and front of the house,” points out Kavarana.

Jeetesh Kaprani

For a pure play restaurant group that aims to bring world class dining experiences to India, KA Hospitality (Hakkasan, Yauatcha and Otto Infinito) is also very stringent about the recruitment and training of all category of employees. Each employee goes through an induction and orientation programme acclimatising him with the organisation’s culture and value system, brand standards and personal conduct. “The employee then goes through various technical and product training procedures at the unit through a buddy and mentor system under the guidance of the unit GM and constant progress monitoring through the training department. The focus is on right recruitment,” says Jeetesh Kaprani, vice president Operations, KA Hospitality. “Hotel industry’s excellence is attained only because of its quality and workforce, hence selection criteria for us is the key. Each team member goes through initial screening through HR, technical screening through the unit GM and finally through VP operations. At all three stages, the candidate may not get selected as at every stage we look at getting the right fit.” The company has set up a training cell which is constantly looking at improvising the function and enthusing the team with the right input and helping them to align their personal and organisational goals well.

It is always a challenge to source the right person at the right time for the right position. Kavarana points out that the attrition rate of this work force is also quite high as they are easily lured by the monetary attractions. “A unique initiative undertaken is the WelcomAchievers point. Here, employees are given special reward points for show-casing right conduct, discipline and cooperation at work. These points can be redeemed against cash purchases in the market,” he mentions.

CSR focus

Considering the fact that most personnel engaged in blue collared jobs belong to the economically deprived section, many hotel companies have specific CSR policy for their development and welfare. Accor has a dedicated staff welfare funds with generous use of funds for the well-being of these associates and their families especially in areas of health and education. ITC Maratha has been aiming at providing employment opportunities to the economically deprived locals who reside in the vicinity. “This is a small way of giving back to the society that we live in. Besides this, ITC Maratha also provides vocational training and advocacy for this workforce,” states Kavarana. The company has also employed a respectable number of differently-abled people in various key departments like housekeeping, F&B – Production, HR, front office. “We’ve made sure that they are at par with the other employees by sensitising other employees towards them. This initiative speaks volume about our culture of inclusiveness,” adds Kavarana.

Holiday Inn Mumbai International Airport is involved with IHM Mumbai Hunar Se Rozgar Yojana where people who have passed their SSC examination are given opportunity to undergo a six-eight weeks programme in different operations department on completion of which they get a certificate and a career path.

Future skill shortage

Chetan Mehta

Interestingly, while the Hunar se Rozgar Yojana was launched to tackle skill shortage in the industry and create employable talent, the hospitality industry was not involved in the framing of the programme. “It was something like a shock when it was presented to this industry for implementation,” says Chetan Mehta, executive committee member and spokesperson for HRAWI. He feels that the complete initiative of Hunar se Rozgar Yojana has not sunk in with a majority of the hotel companies as yet. But those that have understood this scheme have initiated the process. “Hotels are trying to recruit untrained workforce and are in the process of appointing trainers under the guidance of IHMs and other established hospitality institutes. The government has also built a stipend to attract the untrained workforce. The workforce has an advantage of getting hands on training in the premises of the hotel. This allows them to understand the practical problems faced by them and also arrive at a solution by themselves,” states Mehta, adding that the government should open a dialogue with the industry.

The Taj Group has been at the forefront in this with over 36 skill training centres in India in partnership with governments, foundations, national NGOs and has trained over 8500 youth since 2008.

H N Shrinivas

The hotel group has been in partnership with various stakeholders, training and certifying youth from under-privileged and remote areas and offering various three-six months courses aimed at immediate employability. “The Centre of Excellence (CoE) at the ITI campus in Lonavala will offer the Hunar Se Rozgar programme as well as short term intensive vocational courses aimed at providing the rural youth with high quality learning in spacious classrooms, hone their communication and IT skills, provide cross learning from IHM Aurangabad via the e-classroom as well as develop their practical skills with the use of high end equipment. Students will gain knowledge in areas of accommodation, operations, front office management, housekeeping and technical skills required in the maintenance of hotels,” says HN Shrinivas, senior vice president – Human Resources for Taj Group of Hotels. The new Skill Center at Lonavala will provide various skill training programmes for youth in cookery, bakery, steward skills, technical skills, retail assistant, beauty and salon, etc. “The academy will train over 1000 youth from the neighboring rural and marginalised areas for various vocational programmes in the first year of its operation and plans to train 5000 youth by 2015,” states Shrinivas.

Another step in this direction has been taken by International Tourism Partnership called Youth Career Initiative (YCI). The global programme was introduced in India last year in Mumbai with association of Kherwadi Social Welfare Association (KSWA). Seven hotels from the city provided training to 35 young adults. KSWA was responsible for the recruitment of the participants, the monitoring of the programme and for identifying job opportunities for the graduates. Majority of students on the programme come from the Dharavi Slums area. This year YCI will extend to Delhi as well.

The sustainable solution is to offer vocational training to young adults who have not had the privilege of completing their education so that they learn skills that will enhance their employability in the market. Shirali reminds that such vocational training would have a twin advantage – to the employee it would enhance their confidence and approach to work as they would already have adequate knowledge to perform the job on entering the organisation – to the employer by reducing the need to provide consistent high cost training in elementary aspects of behavioral and technical skills.

Establishing of skill training institutions in rural and semi-urban areas could go a long way in bridging the skill shortage in the sector. Proactive development opportunities in hotels along with monetary and non-monetary benefits are the other important factors.

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For long, the world gave much importance to Intelligence Quotient (IQ) instead of equal importance to IQ,EQ, SQ. This attitude is a legacy of the early 20th century when psychologists devised tests to measure intelligence. These tests primarily measured intellectual or rational intelligence (used to solve logical problems). The higher the figure, the belief went, the greater the intelligence.

IQ is associated with serial processing activity of brain (rational thought). It is associated with our neural tracts. Neural tracts learn (are wired) according to a fixed program, the rules of which are laid down in formal logic. The learning involved is step by step and rule bound. When we teach children their times table by rote, we are encouraging them to wire their brains for serial processing. It produces the kind of thinking that is useful for solving rational problems or achieving definite tasks.

Intelligence quotient measuring has existed for much longer than EQ measuring. Alfred Binet developed the first modern IQ test in the early 20th century. Since then, many modifications on intelligence quotient testing have been made. Currently an IQ test involves a set of standardised questions for which one receives a score.

While the IQ can measure concepts like logical reasoning, word knowledge and math skills, many feel it is not adequate in measuring creative abilities or emotional abilities. In fact, some with high IQs do not seem to be particularly adept at maintaining relationships or seem socially awkward at best.

For example IQ measurements on most children with autism are typically very high, yet it is well known that these children are burdened by their inability to communicate in other forums. Thus other tests may be administered to evaluate such a child’s ability according to other standardised testing methods.

Intelligence quotient testing is now not administered very frequently, since some feel it merely measures how well people do on IQ tests. Emotional quotient testing is becoming more popular in the workplace since some employers feel it will help predict how well potential employees might do in stressful circumstances.

Emotional intelligence quotient (of IQ,EQ, SQ)

Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EQ) is increasingly relevant to organisational development and developing people, because EQ principles provide a new way to understand and assess people’s behaviours, management styles, attitudes, interpersonal skills, and potential. Emotional Intelligence Quotient is an important consideration in all aspects of an organisation: human resources planning, job profiling, recruitment interviewing and selection, management development, customer relations and customer service, etc. The good news is, unlike IQ, EQ skills can be developed and improved over time.

EQ – A measure of one’s emotional intelligence, as defined by the ability to use both emotional and cognitive thought. Emotional intelligence skills include but are not limited to empathy, intuition, creativity, flexibility, resilience, stress management, leadership, integrity, authenticity, intrapersonal skills and interpersonal skills. It involves the lower and central sections of the brain, called the limbic system. It also primarily involves the amygdala, which has the ability to scan everything that’s happening to us moment to moment to see if it is a threat. As defined by Dr Daniel Goleman, the components of emotional intelligence are “simple, yet powerful enough to effect change.” Hence, if Goleman and Charles Darwin are to be believed, it is emotionally intelligent individuals who are most able to adapt to dynamic environments and therefore most likely to survive.

Comparing EQ and IQ (of IQ,EQ, SQ)

• Appealing to emotions to convince someone rather than using facts alone
• Using your emotions in addition to your cognitive abilities to function rather than relying solely on logic
• Knowing how and why vs knowing what
• Knowing how to motivate separate individuals as opposed to treating everyone the same way
• Understanding and controlling your emotions to use them for something vs. Letting your emotions control you because you do not know how to deal with them.

The hallmarks of EQ are self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and social skills. Those with high EQ are motivated, self-disciplined, aspire to excellence, continually seek reskilling and learning and add value. These qualities sustain long term business development and build strong corporate cultures that promote high morale and prevent loss of talent.

Spiritual Quotient (of IQ,EQ, SQ)

But wait, there is more. Now we have Spiritual Quotient (SQ). While IQ allows us to think and EQ helps us to relate, SQ allows us to do both these things during times of rapid change. IQ and EQ were sufficient in a relatively static world. SQ provides the linkage in times of paradigm shift and chaos. Zohar and Marshall (1997): By their definition spiritual intelligence is the intelligence with which we access our deepest meanings, purposes, and highest motivations.

It is the intelligence that makes us whole, that gives us our integrity. It is the soul’s intelligence, the intelligence of the deep self. It is the intelligence with which we ask fundamental questions and with which we reframe our answers.

The word ‘spiritual’ in relation to the intelligence has no necessary connection with organised religion. A person may be high in SQ but have no religious faith or belief of any kind. Equally, a person may be very religious but low in SQ. The word spiritual in the Zohar/Marshal concept comes from the Latin word spiritus, which means, ‘that which gives life or vitality to a system.’

Zohar and Marshall introduced 12 qualities of SQ. They derive these principles from the qualities that define complex adaptive systems. In biology, complex adaptive systems are living systems that create order out of chaos, they create order and information.

Those principles are:

Self-awareness: Knowing what I believe in and value, and what deeply motivates me

Spontaneity: Living in and being responsive to the moment

Being vision- and value-led: Acting from principles and deep beliefs, and living accordingly

Holism: Seeing larger patterns, relationships, and connections; having a sense of belonging

Compassion: Having the quality of ‘feeling-with’ and deep empathy

Celebration of diversity: Valuing other people for their differences, not despite them

Field independence: Standing against the crowd and having one’s own convictions

Humility: Having the sense of being a player in a larger drama, of one’s true place in the world

Tendency to ask fundamental ‘why’ questions: Needing to understand things and get to the bottom of them

Ability to reframe: Standing back from a situation or problem and seeing the bigger picture; seeing problems in a wider context

Positive use of adversity: Learning and growing from mistakes, setbacks, and suffering

Sense of vocation: Feeling called upon to serve, to give something back.

Those with high SQ have the capacity to question, think creatively, change the rules, work effectively in changing situations by playing with the boundaries, break through obstacles and being innovative. Our SQ encourages us to see the bigger picture, to be co-creators of the world in which we live.

Outstanding performers have high IQ, high EQ and high SQ. This makes them alive, dynamic, sociable and innovative. You are unlikely therefore, to find many of them in traditional organisations.

While IQ allows us to analyse what ‘is’ – the traditional role of academia – and EQ helps us to adapt to the world as it changes, it is SQ that has us transform our world into a whole new order of being. The way to develop our IQ is quite different from that which develops our EQ, which is different again from that which develops our SQ. What is exciting is that there are holistic methodologies available that allow us to develop all three simultaneously in ways that enrich our lives and add value. The trick is to find and use such methodologies effectively.

The author of this article of IQ,EQ, SQ is director, Oasis Human Resources

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Geeta A Sundrani

The Indian hotel industry is witnessing a double whammy and will bounce back. Hotel occupancies have dipped by nearly 50 per cent in the past few months, triggering a fall in tariffs. Perhaps, the next year’s Commonwealth Games will revive the battered industry.

This is a worldwide phenomenon Britain has started offering free food and major discounts to attract customers. The offer of free food is premised on the belief that customers except students would be too embarrassed not to leave behind money after a meal.

As a promotional campaign, international budget hotel brand Ibis in Singapore is offering guests the chance to pay what they deem right. Guests can log onto www.paywhatyouwant.com.sg to put up a price they want to pay for a limited time each day.

In short, financial, retail, IT, airlines, travel and tourism including hotels have been badly hit. There have been layoffs. Hotels are cutting down on outsourced staff. The employees directly employed by the hotel on contracts remain untouched. Further, most of the five-star hotels are hiring (if they are hiring) operation staff on direct contract, which may also reduce the union issue to an extent.

Most hotels have frozen recruitments and increments, and are trying to curb overhead expenses. To attract business, they are lowering room rates and throwing in attractive offers to boost F&B sales. Yet, hospitality professionals may be relieved to know the expansion plans of some hotels:

• The Hilton family of hotels will have 50 hotels in India by 2015. Of these, 20 are in various stages of development, with three (in Delhi, Chennai and Bengaluru) slated to open in 2009. These will be business and mid-market hotels and will flash brand names like Hilton, Hilton Garden Inn and Homewood Suites by Hilton.
• US-based US$ 30 billion Carlson Group, which has four different hotel brands – Country Inns & Suites, Park Inn and Park Plaza, Radisson and Regent – is looking at the Indian market aggressively. The group plans to open 52 new hotels across the country with more than 6,000 rooms.
• US major, Marriott International plans to triple its portfolio in India by 2012 to cash in on the growing business and leisure travel in the country. The company will open seven hotels across the country in 2009.
• Starwood website lists its new openings:

The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace (Opening July 1, 2009)
The Westin Mumbai Garden City (Opening October 1, 2009)
The Westin Pune Koregaon Park (Opening July 1, 2009)
Sheraton Visakhapatnam Seaview Resort (Opening October 1, 2010)
Sheraton Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway (Opening April 1, 2010)
aloft Ahmedabad, SG Road (Opening April 1, 2010)
aloft Chennai, OMR-Sholinganallur (Opening January 1, 2010)
aloft Bangalore, Whitefield (Opening April 1, 2010)
The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat (Opening January 1, 2011)
The Westin Jaipur Infotech City (Opening April 1, 2011).

• Hotel Leela Venture is to set up three new hotels in India, Udaipur, Chennai and New Delhi.

Cruise line executives present a surprisingly rosy outlook. They cite the product’s tremendous value at a low price as the main reason for optimism. People will be looking for more value for their money – on an average cruises are about 20 to 50 per cent cheaper than comparable land-based vacations.

With cruise ships now positioned around the globe, cruise lines have further insulated themselves from the US economic woes. Executives also hinted at Asia as the next big destination. Singapore, Taiwan and Korea have announced new cruise terminals anticipating the growth. Wherever there is population and water, there is a chance to set sail.

Opportunities galore

For any job opportunity assessing your skills, education and previous job experience will help you narrow down what positions you as an individual are uniquely qualified for. Tailormake a resume that highlights your unique personal and professional qualities. Also it is important that you highlight how you personally would enhance the guest/passenger experience.

You can consult a recruitment agent to work on your behalf or apply directly to the organisation of your choice. Consulting a recruitment agency is typically a better method. The recruitment agency will pre-screen you, decide what position you are most qualified for, prepare you for your interview and then present you as a qualified candidate to an interested hotel or cruise line that is hiring. Applying for positions on your own can be complex. If you don’t know who is responsible for hiring, your resume may get lost and never even be reviewed by the correct individual.

Hotel management institutes usually approach hotels for campus recruitment or one may directly apply. For middle and senior management positions in hotels, reference plays an important role. Usually management gets in touch with people whom they have earlier interacted and for niche profiles recruitment consultants are the ones that are trusted.

Landing a job within the cruise industry can be difficult, but it is by no standards impossible. The industry has expanded rapidly and new ships are setting sail every year. Though getting hired with a cruise line entails more leg work and the process can be more lengthy than that of an average job. Going abroad this time may not be ideal as employees are getting lesser amount per hour. Midlevel managers who are looking for jobs abroad have to come with an immigration visa for suitable opportunity.

The industry being cyclical in nature will surely bounce back. This will also augur well for the wine industry which depends heavily on room occupancies and footfalls in restaurants. Hotel expansion plans would therefore be welcome to wine producers and importers alike.

The writer is director, Oasis Human Resources

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Sudipta Dev analyses how business growth and stability of an organisation depends on future workforce planning.

Strategic workforce planning is not limited to hiring and retaining talent, but anticipating future manpower needs of an organisation. In a dynamic business scenario, manpower planning is critical to organisational growth and stability. It is integral to recruiting, retaining, retraining and redeployment of talent. Linked to business needs of the organisation, the process is much more complicated than it seems, primarily because it also involves developing skills and competencies of existing employees to meet market demands which can change with time. Having a contingent plan in place in case of any eventuality (talent shortage) is also critical to the process.

“You need educated, skilled manpower for sales, product management, R&D and production. There will be a shortage of such people in the future” – Kris Lakshmikanth Founder and CEO The Headhunters India

It is necessary for pharma organisations, particularly large and medium sized companies, to have a workforce plan in place. Kris Lakshmikanth, Founder and CEO, The Headhunters India, believes that while the industry will not face manpower crunch like the BPO sector, there will be a shortage of quality people. The obvious reasons are:

• Entry of new MNCs which require people for production, development, sales and product management. People working in existing medium and large pharma companies will be their targets
• On the retail front, all big retail groups—Future Group, Reliance, RPG, etc, are setting up pharmacies across India. Subhiksha and Apollo already exist in the South and are set for expansion. These stores will require trained people and the best are obviously available in pharma companies
• Clinical research, which requires specialists, is increasingly shifting to India. The salaries of such people have gone up significantly in the last two to three years. Most BSc graduates who were the prime source of supply will shift to clinical research/trials as it offers them better salaries and greater chances of career development. Quality young people will be lost to such companies
• Finally, many of the pharma companies are expanding fast, both in India as well as abroad, further aggravating the war for talent

Alignment with business needs

“Manpower needs, if planned properly, in terms of profile required, numbers, time and place, will give the company mileage over competitors in terms of consistency in output” – Ashwin Thacker Managing Director Flamingo Pharma

Future manpower plan-ning is directly linked to the strategic business plans of an organisation. The estimation on manpower and budgets are governed by customers’ demands. Ashwin Thacker, Managing Director, Flamingo Pharma, states, “Business needs are achieved from effective management of materials, machines, money and manpower. Manpower needs, if planned properly, in terms of profile required, numbers, time and place, will give the company mileage over competitors in terms of consistency in output. Effective human resources planning gives optimal productivity in terms of timelines and quality of deliverables.” It will not only improve people competency, but will also ensure that people grow with the company. This helps arrest the attrition rate.

An organisation set on the growth path needs competent people to achieve its objectives. And finding the right human resources is not an easy task. “You need educated, skilled manpower for sales, product management, research and development, production, etc. There will be a shortage of such people in the future,” asserts Lakshmikanth.

The timespan

The timespan of workforce planning differs from organisation to organisation, and can range from the immediate quarter to ten years. Both short-term and long-term planning is essential, varying as per the market demands. This also differs as per the level of the recruit, that is planning for junior staff is generally short-term and than for senior positions. “Workforce planning is driven by the need at different management levels as the business evolves. At junior level/entry level it make sense to have a yearly plan broken into four quarters whereas at senior level the forecasting for professionals is over a period of two-three years,” says Sampath Shetty, VP, Permanent Staffing Business Unit, TeamLease Services.

Manpower planning in pharma companies requires to be designed on short-term (one-five years) and long-term (more than five years) basis, concedes Thacker. “Career progression and succession planning is drawn in such a manner that company needs and employee profile are synchronised. This way we ensure that employee enriches learning and grows with company. Workforce planning is reviewed every month to check requirements, status on positions, separations, additional manpower requirements and surplus staff,” adds Thacker.

Plan for contingencies

“The need for contingency plan would come during market fluctuations, stringent deadline, natural calamity, change in technology and an unexpected opportunity” – Geeta A Sundrani Director Oasis executive search

Organisations which have fairly evolved HR systems in place know the significance of a contingent plan for any unexpected situations. Planning for future workforce needs is not just a matter of ascertaining the right number, but how well an organisation can deal with any eventuality. The planning should be effective to avoid talent surpluses or shortages.

A contingency plan is put to action when something outside the control of an organisation happens. These situations should ideally be over and above those mentioned in the main workforce plan. “The need for contingency plan would come during market fluctuations, stringent deadline, natural calamity, change in technology and may be an unexpected opportunity,” states Geeta A Sundrani, Director, Oasis executive search and management consultancy. Sundrani points out that while approved/standard workforce strength as decided for the organisation is sufficient even during difficult times, existing employees should be given authority with responsibility to meet the business needs for the hour. Stretch, during crises, could lead to realising of hidden potential and loyalty of an employee towards the organisation.

A buffer/pipeline of suitable candidates is necessary to prevent any last minute surprises. “The recruitment team today works along with business line managers to plan ahead of their manpower needs. Organisations which have gone on rampant panic hiring spree to manage their short-term business needs without considering the flip side of layoffs has led to negativity of the market credibility. If a company is more efficient, it can avoid such unpleasantries and image tarnishing for themselves,” states Shetty.

The best strategy to formulate a backup plan includes grooming fresh talent and creating a second line at all functions. “Building second line personnel in the organisation, coupled with robust systems, will ensure that company gets a competitive edge over other market players,” insists Thacker, adding that in the vibrant pharma market, contingency manpower planning is required to cater to the customers’ expectations within the framework of required time, quality and costs.

“Working closely with the business groups and keeping an active talent inventory and effective churning the internal employee database (from skills availability and referencing programme perspective.) is the key. Identifying the skill matrix of the internal talent pool and putting to good use during business exigency optimises the manpower utilisation at any given point,” states Shetty. Better resource and manpower redeployment management would be one of the key to the success of future workforce planning. In the end, it is all about having the right people possessing the right skills in place at the right time.

sudipta.dev@expressindia.com

SOURCE – expressbpd.com

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In a highly competitive hospitality business, housekeeping can set you apart from your competitors. While it establishes the brand value and reputation of a hotel, the challenges lie in attracting good talent to the housekeeping department which has one of the largest number of employees, and constantly motivating them. By Express Hospitality

In the hotel industry, the function of housekeeping is not just about squeaky clean rooms – it is also a competitive advantage. Housekeeping can be a differentiator for a hotel and establish its brand value and reputation in the market. It is imperative for any hotel company to set high benchmarks in housekeeping if it wants to attract new guests and repeat clientele. For a guest, the first impression that he forms of a hotel as soon as he enters is how well the housekeeping job has been executed. The fact that housekeeping is also the department that has one of the largest number of personnel, makes it very important for the management to constantly focus on the HR aspects, attract and retain good talent, which is of course one of the biggest challenges.

Raghu Sapra

Ather Raza

Geeta Sundrani

Pallavi Wete

Business impact

Housekeeping staff are the silent workforce who uphold the brand and ensure the success of the hotel through excellence in service. Responsible for keeping the rooms and facility clean, comfortable and safe, the housekeeping department comprises personnel across various levels – from executive housekeepers to executives to assistants and supervisors. “As one of the most integral departments within the hotel, the housekeeping department is responsible for the immaculate care and upkeep of all guest rooms and public spaces. A consistent product always plays a vital role in the success of any organisation. In a competitive hotel market, it is service standard and cleanliness that really makes an impact on our guests and determine whether they will return,” says Ruchika Kapoor, director Housekeeping, The Park, New Delhi.

Reiterating that housekeeping is the backbone of hotel operations, Raghu Sapra, director of rooms –Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel, states, “Housekeeping makes or breaks your image and helps in building brand value. It’s an intangible barometer that defines the success and stance of any hotel.” Ather Raza, executive housekeeper, Goa Marriott Resort affirms that over the years housekeeping has become one of the major and most important aspect of hospitality. It is one of the ways to set a hotel apart from its competitors. In addition, housekeeping establishes a hotel’s reputation for cleanliness and quality. It is vital for a hotel to have a strong housekeeping department.

In the highly competitive hospitality sector, two -thirds of the jobs available are service jobs. “All of the services offered by the hotel industry can be duplicated from one location to another, from one country to another. Housekeeping can differentiate a hotel from its competitors,” states Pallavi Wete, executive housekeeper, Fortune Select Exotica, Navi Mumbai. While the housekeeping staff continue to oversee everything from guest rooms, public areas, laundry, linen, horticulture, flower arrangement etc, interestingly, the perception regarding housekeeping has witnessed a change in recent times. “Earlier, considered a back of the house operations, the perception has undergone a sea change. Now, not just managers and supervisors, but staff at all levels including housekeepers are being encouraged to interact with guests,” says Geeta A Sundrani, director, Oasis Human Resources.

Outsourcing of housekeeping services has been a trend that has been growing in popularity over the years. Kalpataru’s Hospitality & Facility Management Services is focused on providing housekeeping services to the hospitality sector and with a a 5000 strong workforce is one of the largest facility management services across India. The company lays a lot of emphasis on training its personnel. Before a staff member is deputed on the job, he has to undergo training at the inhouse training centre. Senior personnel provide both onsite and off site training.

Safety and security

It is critical for a housekeeping associate to be vigilant and report out any suspicious activity or guest on guest floors. “Housekeeping is the eyes and ears of a hotel. Though the corridors have surveillance cameras, a vigilant housekeeper always gives an upper hand. At the Marriott we have a surveillance detection programme called ‘See something, Say something.’ It is mandatory for a housekeeper to undergo this programme. Regular trainings by our Loss Prevention Department and various awareness programmes keeps them sensitised towards this aspect,” states Raza. Sapra adds that there are regular briefings and updates shared with associates to keep them aware of likely dubious situations and placements.

“Sensitising team members to the aspect of security/safety is an on going process by way of training and daily briefings. The staff is briefed on the various aspects of security and safety by way of the standard operating procedures formulated for the hotel in general and also department specific,” says Kapoor.

Hiring right

Finding the right personnel for housekeeping can often be a complex process – the truth remains that despite being a a function that is vital for the hotel business and performance, the brightest of hotel management graduates do not always opt to work in this department. Their choice is focused on customer facing roles, not as a part of a department that works in the background. “Most clients are elite and upscale people of the society thus inducting a lot of glamour to the job. F&B service and front office get an opportunity to interact with these clients. A chefs job too involves a lot of recognition by showcasing their culinary skills. Those who work in housekeeping are silent workers, who tend to be ignored. It is therefore the last option for most hotel management student,” explains Sundrani. Hence the right fit and motivation is important for a housekeeping associate.

It is not an easy task for any hotel company to constantly motivate this vast section of their workforce who mostly work in the background. Retention is a business imperative which cannot be achieved without engaged and motivated employees. The future of housekeeping will be redefined by innovation and setting new trends in understanding and meeting customer expectations.

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Accepting reality helps to manage our thoughts and regulate our emotions–which is a key to productive behavior. Acceptance doesn’t mean agreement. Instead, it’s about acknowledging what is happening from a realistic standpoint. So while we may not agree with the way things are shaping up around us, however we can accept that it happens.

There is always a way out. We need to find that way and bounce back. Out of sight, is out of mind, is a very old proverb, however stand true to today’s situation. So what to do? Well its quite easy.  Make your presence felt. It’s time to go digital. This time to will also pass by. You need to be ready for the new beginning.

Companies that are working extensively during lockdown:

1} Theobroma: They are still operating with high hygiene standards and under strict government guidelines with minimum staff and are yet producing some great stuff which can be ordered online. How can they not be on our minds for some soul full cakes, pastries and other savory items?

2} Fine Dine Restaurants, Gustoso and Ru-de-liban , although not operational, but are still hiring and building up on the their data base and are very optimistic to hire most of the candidates there are interviewing via telephonic or whatsapp video call.

It will for sure make their life’s easy post lockdown as they won’t need to invest time screening entry well candidates.

Do not follow the crowd, stand out and be in the limelight, For there will always be a silver lining behind the dark cloud when the sun shines.

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