BON Hotels - Upping the ante on staff well-being in the hospitality sector
BON Hotels, has made a name for themselves in resuscitating ailing hotels, and are introducing HR policies that are aimed at getting staff more involved in decision-making as well as boosting morale.
“We hear your voice, this is our action,” is the tagline behind the way we approach staff development, training and recognition of service. We are creating an environment of putting our people first. After all, our people are our brand and happy staff make for a successful business and, ultimately, happy guests.
Over and above the traditional approach to staff training, induction, motivation, rewards and HR practices, my team and I are challenging the norms and introducing original slants to our approach. One of these recently-introduced tools is an online staff survey, created along with Divtech, that will form part of the group’s performance measurement strategy. Having always been insistent about guest satisfaction and guest surveys, the team has decided to take this online survey to staff and management at all of the hotels within the BON stable.
The survey is divided into seven categories, covering aspects such as staff well- being, remuneration and feedback on management. I anticipate that the platform will expose trends and quickly identify problem areas at each property. Although I must admit that initial training will be required on how to manage the process, the long-term view is that the staff surveys will be a reliable measurement tool for each property. Because our surveys are confidential, we will be able to find out the good, the bad and the ugly from the people on the ground. Staff well-being is very important to the BON group and we hope that this will act as a positive tool for them to air their views and experiences.
We are also launching the BON In-house Orientation Programme whereby matriculants will be able to experience each division of hotel management as interns for a one-year period. This gives school leavers the opportunity to experience the field that they are interested in, earn money and decide if it is in fact what they want to choose as a career. This will then give them the platform to enroll in the three-year BON Management Training Programme, to further their knowledge and experience of the industry. The course that trainees attend is a three-year Block Release Programme for which they will receive a certificate in either Hospitality Management or Professional Cookery from a hotel school based in the relevant region.
To top it all off, in recognition of good service, staff will receive a Best of BON Award, voted for by their peers, which is given out each month in recognition of hard work performance, positive attitude, helpfulness, being a true ambassador of the brand and one who embraces the company’s ethos and vision. An annual award is also up for grabs with great rewards to enjoy.
So, hard work does pay off and staff input is valued more than ever, creating a great recipe for success on a personal and professional level for staff and management alike.
