Talent attraction and retention is a hot topic within the HR community. We spoke to Regan Takitsadaporn, Chief Human Resources Office Asia Pacific, Marriott International Inc., to get his take on these issues and what his firm’s strategies are.
While attracting and retaining staff is a challenge faced by all HR executives, it is particularly challenging in the hospitality industry where employers face high workforce turnover and one that is mobile and in high demand.
One of the strengths of Marriott has over other organisations, according to Takitsadaporn, is collaboration between disciplines—“we have to collaborate to succeed”. In this manner, he considers communication and engagement with staff to be one of the key strategies Marriott uses for talent retention—pointing to the example of Hong Kong where Marriott office employees had a say in the design and layout of their department’s workspace area. In addition to consultation, Marriott has strived to form a strong bond with its employees by launching initiatives such as “Associate Appreciation Week” which involved cooking classes, community service and a family day.
Human Capital Strategies
Marriott has grown from one hotel in Asia 25 years ago to 177 currently, a number expected to double by 2019. That level of growth will bring its own challenges and human capital strategies at Marriott revolve around preparing for that growth.
A key part of that strategy has involved placing greater emphasis on growing talent from within and allowing mobility within the organisation. Such is the importance of this that now parts of hotel management’s bonuses are measured according to the mobility of talent within the group. As of December 2014, 64% of management positions in the APAC region were filled internally.
But developing talent does not just involve moving around. Enriching human capital while staff members work is taken seriously with every staff member at Marriott joining an ongoing development programme from day one of joining the company. This includes a “Voyage” programme for graduates that fast tracks them on to supervisory management positions within 18 months of joining.
A key way in which Marriott may be seen to differentiate itself is through the use of technology to work smarter at both the front and back end of the business. While hotel check-ins can now be made from a mobile—even from your Apple Watch—behind the scenes online learning plays an important role for staff development. Online learning modules are available—such as on performance feedback and a wealth of other resources that staff can use free of charge to develop themselves.
A lot of this stems from the fact that, as Takitsadaporn noted, “People looking for career rather than just another job”. He explained that, at a recent hotel opening, he had a housekeeping member of staff ask how they could grow their career, which he felt was illustrative of the calibre of people they wish to recruit.
Mobilising Gen Y
Adapting to the needs of the younger generation is also seen as highly important. Hence, Marriott put a lot of effort into the human capital planning process with a yearly review starting at the hotel level to identify staff with exceptional potential. This knowledge is shared within the group to identify possible career moves within the organisation.
The process of developing the younger generation is not merely top-down. As Takitsadaporn added, “We are always thinking about what innovation we can use for our Voyagers (graduates). There is a platform where they can interact with other Voyagers around the world – a kind of internal social networking”. The relationship with technology does not end there. Social media platforms are used within the group to recognise accomplishments and share career and culture stories as well as for hiring purposes. It does not merely boost PR but it seen as way to boost morale and serve as a means to inspire younger workers in particular to be ambitious in their goals.
Retaining competitive talent
Marriott faces stiff competition in talent retention, not only from other hotels but also particularly the airline/pleasure cruise industries that are hiring people with similar competencies and backgrounds with competitive packages. As hotels never close, staff don’t always get Sunday off or to spend holidays with family.
These challenges are addressed partly by salary and benefits but.Takitsadaporn sees the Marriott culture of putting people first as one of the keys to successful talent retention. At every hotel, before every shift, there is a meeting, “the huddle”, as it is commonly known, in which an element of the firm’s culture is discussed. There are also “rap sessions” to enhance communication where the General Manager of the hotel meets with employees to discuss what they are doing well, what they are not doing well and what customer feedback they are getting.
This engagement and two-way communication of ideas or issues flowing upstream to management—such as “my uniform is old and tattered—and taking care of the little but important things day-to-day help build a satisfied workforce. After all, says Takitsadaporn, “Often a hotel is like an employee’s home – they spend most of their day there.”
Three key points Takitsadaporn felt any HR executive should bear in mind were firstly to fully understand the business and know where you need to focus to gain credibility with stakeholders. Second, for HR to remind themselves part of their role is to be there as an advocate for employees. Hence there is a need to be at the top table to remind management of the people side of the business. Finally, there is a need to constantly develop talent whom will become the next generation of leaders.
Ultimately, with Marriott International recently picking up nineteen workplace excellence awards within four months across the Asia-Pacific region, it seems these strategies are bearing fruit.
Paul Arkwright
Publisher
