REPORT FROM THE U.S.—All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. We’ve all heard this famous quote from The Shining. And some hotel companies truly stand by it.
Three of the hotel companies, ranked in Fortune Magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For,” shared with HotelNewsNow.com what they do to keep their employees among the happiest and hardest working in the United States.
A common theme among each of the three companies is a high level of engagement between executives and their employees.
InterContinental Hotels Group
InterContinental Hotels Group, No. 100 on the list, is reported to have one of the most generous 401k plans in the hotel industry. The company matches up to 6% for office employees and up to 4% for office staff, said Lori Gaytan, senior VP of the Americas human resources and global reward for IHG. Gaytan added the current 401k plan has been in place since 2003.
“IHG believes in the overall health of our employees and that includes financial health,” she said.
Company executives also make significant investments in employee development. “IHG’s total direct expenditures on learning and performance (company-wide) was $10 million in 2010,” Gaytan said.
A strong focus on employee engagement is crucial for executives to know what is on their employees’ minds, she said.
For the past nine years, IHG has issued a survey twice each year to its employees. Gaytan said the company recently recorded its highest scores ever. “Employee engagement is up 17% since implementing this program, and 94% of employees say they are proud to work for the company as compared to the industry average of 73%.”
Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts
Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts came in at No. 85 on the list, and Melissa Sims, assistant director of human resources for the company, said she knows why.
One of the most appealing incentives to work for the company is the accessible opportunity to shift to new positions and locations, she said. After six months, employees can transfer internally—from one position to another.
Four Seasons is individualistic, Sims said. While some other companies tend to follow checklists to measure employee development, at Four Seasons, “it’s about who you are as a person,” she said.
After a year with the company, employees can put in to transfer to any Four Seasons hotel around the world. “People typically try to pick places where they really want to go and they really want to be a part of,” Sims said.
The only stipulation to the transfer program is that employees cannot move more than twice in one year.
Sims said the company has a high retention rate, and the strong sense of community is another reason why. “Key players come around quite a bit. They go to every hotel and connect with every employee as often as they can.”
Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants
Celebrating its employees comes easy to Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, No. 16 on Fortune’s list.
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Niki Leondakis, president and COO of Kimpton Hotels & Resorts |
President and COO Niki Leondakis said the company is committed to empowering employees and guests to staying true to themselves. “This celebration of independence is what makes it a great place to work,” she said.
“When Bill Kimpton opened his first hotel, the Hotel Bedford in San Francisco, he carried guests’ bags, worked the hosted evening wine hour and kept his office in the lobby of the hotel. He referred to these actions as ‘moments of truth’ that demonstrated to guests they were part of something new and different,” Leondakis said.
Employees are recognized through what the company calls “Kimpton Moments,” which describe the authentic, unscripted care provided to guests since the company’s inception. At the end of the year, the employee who carried out the Ultimate Kimpton Moment is awarded $10,000 to spend on helping his or her dream come true, Leondakis said.
The Housekeeping Olympics is another way Kimpton commends its employees. The afternoon-long event happens annually across the country, either regionally or in every city depending on the number of hotels in the given area, Leondakis said.
“It’s our way of recognizing the really important role our housekeepers play in our business while staying true to the Kimpton spirit of fun with a ‘Toilet Paper Your General Manager’ contest,” she said.
“There is a sense of connectedness at Kimpton,” Leondakis said. The company adheres to an open door policy throughout every level of the company, which allows concerns to be resolved quickly before they become problematic.
“Not only do we invite our employees to address any issues or concerns directly with our leadership team, we also give them an opportunity to talk face to face with us in a variety of forums,” Leondakis said.
The company’s president also uses Twitter as a method of interacting with employees. “It’s done on a public platform so that there is an opportunity for them to see what others might be thinking or inquiring about but also to communicate that their voice is welcomed and appreciated,” she said.
In addition, the company facilitates communication among employees through employee affinity groups. They include the Kimpton Women’s Group and Kimpton’s K-PRIDE group, which was formed to meet the needs of Kimpton’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees and guests, Leondakis said.