The importance of “attitude” in a service-oriented environment:

As you look to hire and train your new employees, your overall goal is to prepare them to have a positive impact on the customer experience (however you define customer). Previous experience or skill helps to speed up their training period- but their attitude will make or break your customer’s experience.

Think of when you’ve been the recipient of that great attitude.  Do you remember the technique or skill provided?  Or do you remember the way in which the other individual treated you as a guest?  On the reverse side, do you remember when the attitude of someone turned you off to a service provider?

When we’re hiring in the service industry, it’s critical to ensure your top candidates have a strong positive attitude towards service.  The following are some steps to incorporate into your hiring process.

1.  Define “attitude” for your culture.  Break it down into the key behaviors you need to see in your employees.  A solid culture assessment can help you identify where you need to focus.
2. Incorporate behavior based interview techniques into your hiring process.  Make sure you’re focused on the key behaviors and competencies you need in your organization.
3. Incorporate behavioral assessments.  Use proven assessments to help identify strong service attitudes in your candidates.
4. Incorporate key behaviors into your job descriptions.  This allows you to set expectations up front and manage performance throughout employment.
5. Orient your new employees to the expected attitude they should be demonstrating.
6. Ensure you have a reward and recognition program in place to applaud the desired behavior.

We all dream of the employee whose philosophy is “I want to make every customer of mine know how important they are and they deserve the best I have to give- every encounter.”

Do your employees say the same thing about their motivators for providing excellent service? When you are hiring- do you look for the same motivators exhibited in this philosophy, or do you look for a warm body? One might get the work done- but the other will generate long term customer loyalty.

Written by Cathy Loudon, Executive Vice President of Horizon HR Solutions

As a business owner or manager, one of your key priorities should be to constantly have a pulse on the level of engagement in your employees. Engagement (high or low) can be seen in everyday behavior by your employees.

Signs of Highly Engaged Employees:

• Happy to provide service regardless of the situation.
• Highly motivated to go “above and beyond”.
• Strong initiative to resolve issues or find opportunity for improvements.
• Strong desire to support the reputation of the business.

Signs of Disengaged Employees:

• Poor attendance.
• Has to be prodded to do the basics of their jobs.
• Lacks initiative to resolve issues or make changes.
• Speaks poorly of the business and the customers.

Environments that have highly engaged employees can see incredible profit increases and sustained customer loyalty.  The key is to create an environment that allows highly engaged employees to be successful and manages those that are disengaged.

How do you increase engagement?

• Conduct and employee engagement survey.  Get a benchmark for current state of engagement.  This will also help you understand areas to focus on for increasing engagement.
• Ensure your HR policies and procedures (from hiring to separation) support key elements of engagement.  An external HR Audit is often helpful in identifying the strength of your HR policies.
• Support managers.  Provide training and tools to enhance the leadership abilities in your management staff.

Your employees can make or break your business as a result of their level of engagement. The strongest foundation you can put in place are HR practices that drive high engagement at all levels.  Your result will be low turn-over, high customer loyalty and a direct impact on your bottom line!

Written by Cathy Loudon, Executive Vice President of Horizon HR Solutions

First, it had to have an ocean view, preferably on the beach not “just a block away”.  Second, the bed had to be comfortable.  We didn’t need most of the amenities like a pool, fitness center, restaurant on site etc . I would prefer it to be a newer model, with the “standard” in the room amenities.  This helped eliminate some of the questionable offerings, but I still had too many options. 

In order to narrow down my options, I decided to focus on the pictures.  For each location, I still had that nagging thought of “What if they really didn’t look like they did in the pics?”  Then I remembered – ah yes, the great element of information obtained immediately in the “see how others have rated this hotel” link!  Imagine, actual customer feedback in just a click!  Well, I’m glad I looked- and I wondered, as a long tenured Human Resource professional,  if the hotel management looked as well!

At Hotel A, the rooms and grounds looked wonderful.  Feedback seemed to support the pleasing aesthetics and lush grounds.  The service however, apparently was lacking.  Several comments relating to “rude” or “invisible” staff were noted.  I was a little worried.  Several posters commented that the nice amenities didn’t make up for the lack of service their received- and they wouldn’t be staying there again.   Some said the nice amenities made up for the rude behavior of the staff.  They would return, possibly.

Hotel B was less on the “fancy” side so I was nervous to see those reviews.  What a very different twist!  While many of the reviewers noted the “cleanliness” of the room and the nice lobby area, the majority focused on the “friendliness” of the staff, the “excellent service” provided.  Every entry I read said they were surprised at the level of service provided and how welcomed they felt during their stay.  No one mentioned the lack of plush towels, or high end mattresses. 

So my decision now relied on information obtained from total strangers.  Am I more like the ones willing to give up service excellence for the plush amenities, or am I really like the ones willing to do with less amenities in trade for better service?

I like to be treated well when I am a customer paying for a service.  I like to be acknowledged when I check in to a hotel- like they’ve been eagerly waiting for me!  I like to know that if I have questions about the best local restaurant- someone will be willing to answer, possibly even show me on the map how to get there!  Better yet, call ahead and make sure I can get in!  I would love the plush mattress top, the fancy towels and marble bathrooms- but if I have to sacrifice service, no thanks.  But that’s my personal side.  I then had to put on my HR hat….

I wonder if those hotels read the reviews. 

• I wonder if they can accurately gauge the level of true service provided by their staff. 
• Do they hire individuals who have the core behaviors and values that support a service-oriented perspective? 
• Have they defined their culture to even be able to identify those behaviors and values?
• Do they onboard individuals with the expectation that service excellence is the only way to “be”? 
• Do they use performance management programs to reward those who excel at providing service?
• Do they remove those individuals who fail to recognize the need to put the customer first? 

I chose Hotel B.  I would have gladly paid more for Hotel A if I thought I would have received the same level of care.  After all, isn’t “service” really another way to say “caring about me”?

Written by Cathy Loudon, Executive Vice President of Horizon HR Solutions

While I’m usually opposed to watching “Reality TV”, I couldn’t stop my curiosity last night with the season premiere of “Undercover Boss”.  In this episode, Rick Tigner, President of Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates, goes undercover in the front line roles of his organization.  In watching, I realized he was identifying many issues organizations have with managing employees.

Without giving away the episode, let’s talk about what Rick found, and more importantly, the decisions he made as a result. 

First, the recognition that he had a very diverse workforce in the most important area – the vineyard.  They couldn’t communicate because they don’t even speak the same languages.  Did he decide to change hiring practices to make sure everyone spoke English?  No, he provided $50,000 for corporate language training to teach both English and Spanish.  He valued and recognized the importance of recognizing both languages and enabling his employees to grow and develop.  He also committed $50,000 for development of a leadership program- offering the chance for employees to develop a career with Kendall-Jackson.

The second experience for Rick was a considerably rude, foul-mouthed driver who was clearly anti-team Kendall-Jackson.  Rick was clearly upset about the lack of customer service and corporate loyalty.  My money was on Rick firing the employee at the end of the episode.  Imagine my surprise when instead, he did what we all want strong leaders to do- he recognized that the individuals driving trucks are typically isolated from the business side of the organization.  He pulled the driver and put him into an office.  To his surprise, the driver adapted well and even recognized an opportunity for process improvement that was adopted by the entire organization.  Rick saw an opportunity to expand the knowledge of an individual and provide more insight into the importance of his role.  He could have easily terminated employment based on standard policies/performance, which many of us HR professionals probably would have supported.  Score one for Rick!

His final two experiences brought Rick the realization of how important it is for leaders to understand the core functions of their organizations.  The importance of knowledge and recognition for all roles hit home for him with a 20-year employee.  Everyone needs to understand the value they bring to the organization and be thanked for all they do.  Companies spend a lot of time and money on gift cards, recognition programs, etc.  What leaders need to do is understand what motivates an employee.  Is it simply a “thank you”?  Is it a leader who is present, “visible” and pitches in?  Is it acknowledgement through company benefits that allow some work/life balance?  All of these are options leaders need to embrace.  He also reversed a key company decision made a few years before- ending the 401K program.  He saw the impact this had on the ability for his employees to feel rewarded and recognized.

The bottom line for Rick, and other leaders, was to make sure they start with hiring the right people and have a culture that promotes development and recognition.  Some tips:

• Hire individuals who have personal motivators and behaviors that match the culture of the organization.  Technical skills are much easier to teach than behaviors!  Assessments are great tools to help with identifying individual values, behaviors and motivators.
• Embrace a leadership philosophy that ensures you never get too far from understanding the value of the front line roles.  Be visible, be present and engage regularly with the workforce.
• Embrace development and growth for your employees. When employees see the opportunity for a long-term career where they are valued, their engagement, performance and loyalty will follow.  Use succession planning and results-oriented performance management programs to enhance employee development.
• Recognize the value each person and role brings.  Make sure they have opportunity to learn more about the value they have on the organization.
• Actively ensure your benefits/rewards program meets the needs of your organization, including the employees. 

One other item that took me by surprise- how easy it was for the Rick to simply color his hair and put on a fake beard and be unrecognizable to his workforce.  Even undercover, strong leaders should be identifiable!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:         Scott A. Samuels, President
Tel:                       (913) 897-3100
Email:                  scott@horizonhospitality.com
Web:                    www.horizonhospitality.com

Leading Executive Search Firm now provides Human Resource Solutions for Enhancing Business Performance!

January 24, 2012, Overland Park, KS.  Scott Samuels, President of Horizon Hospitality, announced today the expansion of Horizon Hospitality with the creation of Horizon HR Solutions, LLC.  “Since our company’s inception in 1998, we continue to recognize the increasing demand for pre-employment screening, pre-hire assessments and post-hire development/coaching tools. This demand has become so great that we have made a strategic decision to create a division of Horizon which will focus on  enhancing these services and resources for our clients across the country,” Samuels stated.

Horizon HR Solutions, LLC will be led by Catherine Loudon and based at Horizon’s Corporate Offices in Overland Park.  “I am extremely excited to have Cathy join our team.  She is a true out-of-the-box thinker and a seasoned HR professional who shares my vision of developing exceptional human resource solutions,” Samuels added.   Prior to joining Horizon Hospitality, Ms. Loudon served as Director, Business Partner of Human Resources for Truman Medical Center in Kansas City where she worked with key business leaders on all elements of HR services, including employee relations, performance management, organizational alignment and team building.  Prior to Truman, she served as Director Human and Organization Development for the City of Olathe; Manager of Organization Effectiveness at Black & Veatch Corporate Office; and Lead Project Manager for Emerging Leadership Programs at Sprint’s World Headquarters. 

“I am excited about the opportunity to help our clients with tools and resources which will enable them to maximize their success.  Every organization is different, so don’t expect a cookie-cutter approach.  We will take best practices and leading edge thought-Leadership to help clients create high performing environments,” said Loudon.

 Recognizing that many hospitality organizations lack dynamic and innovative Human Resource Solutions more commonly found in larger Fortune 500 companies, Ms. Loudon will work on creating practical and cost-effective human resource tools specifically for Horizon’s many hospitality clients across the country. 

Stay tuned for Horizon’s launch of the finest Human Resource Solutions for the Hospitality Industry!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:  Scott A. Samuels, President
Tel:  (913) 897-3100
Email:  scott@horizonhospitality.com
Web:  www.horizonhospitality.com

HORIZON HOSPITALITY ANNOUNCES EXPANSION
Executive Recruitment Firm Opens Office in Orlando

November 21, 2011, Orlando, FL.  Scott Samuels, President and Founder of Horizon Hospitality announced today the opening of a new regional office for Horizon Hospitality in Orlando, Florida.  Mr. Samuels remarked, “Over the last 13 years Horizon has become the country’s leading source for top-tier talent for hotels, attractions and throughout the hospitality industry.  In July of 2011, we made a significant commitment to also serve the Convention and Visitors Bureau Industry.  For strategic reasons, our newest office in Orlando will allow Horizon to be in the heart of the hospitality industry and also serve the nation’s Destination Marketing Organizations.  Orlando is a natural fit for our clients and also for the vast candidate pool.”

Dave Nolan, an 18-year veteran of convention and visitor bureau market sector has relocated to Orlando and will direct Horizon’s talent attraction and placement practice.  Over the last few months Horizon has made a significant impact within the convention industry with executive placements for Monterey (CA), Madison (WI), Washington County Oregon and Myrtle Beach (SC).  In addition to cost-effective recruitment services, Horizon provides comprehensive pre-employment screening and selection tools.  Samuels added, “Dave Nolan not only has brought hands on industry experience to the recruiting process, he has also brought a great deal of personal skill in the selection process of uniquely qualified candidates for our CVB’s and Chambers of Commerce clients.  Because of his special skill-set, Dave has been able to make a positive contribution to Horizon in a very short period of time!”

Horizon Hospitality, the Leading Management Recruiting Firm for the Hospitality Industry, is headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas with regional offices in Philadelphia, St. Louis and Orlando.  For more information about Recruitment Services for your Destination Marketing Organization or if you are a candidate seeking an exceptional career opportunity, please send your inquiry to: 

Dave Nolan
Executive Vice President
HORIZON HOSPITALITY
2501 Trafaglar Blvd., Suite 240
Orlando, FL 34758
(407) 201-8949 office
(440) 281-3060 cell
dave@horizonhospitatlity.com
www.horizonhospitality.com

Employees who have gone through some sort of onboarding process — one that is more than the usual paper-processing bureaucracy — report feeling better connected to corporate strategy and to the company culture. This translates into engagement and a feeling of belonging.

There at least three things that orientation or assimilation programs can do for you.

First of all, they help new hires feel that they are part of a larger organization and that they are important. By introducing new employees to senior management and by spending time to build in them an appreciation of the organization’s past and future direction, these programs create a sense that management is in control and has a strategy for success.

Second, they help convey the culture of the organization so that decisions get made that are more in line with accepted practices and that help the organization function more smoothly.

Third, they help new employees get up to speed more quickly. Given downsizing and the changes that have taken place in many organizations, helping new employees know what’s what and who’s who will make a significant difference on their time to productivity. Some new hires take as long as a year to reach full productivity, especially if their jobs depend upon interacting with many other employees or upon linking work from different parts of the firm. Inexperienced employees, especially college hires, can have long learning curves that can be significantly shortened with good upfront education.

Buck Consultants asked 91 companies what they’re doing to retain top performers. In a nutshell:

• New career development opportunities – 41%
• Market pay adjustments – 31%
• Larger base pay increases – 24%
• Larger bonus opportunities – 21%
• More non-cash recognition – 18%
• Additional company stock – 13%
• Accelerated or off-cycle base pay increases – 5%
• Accelerated promotions – 4%
• Greater retention bonuses – 2%
• Other - 7%
• None of the above – 31%

Industry varied, as did company size. About 14% of respondents had less than 500 employees; 6% had 500-1,000 employees; 36% had 1,001 to 5,000; 14% 5,001 to 10,000; 31% more than 10,000. 

Even when times are really tough, most organizations are still recruiting. And, given the times, the people they are recruiting are critical to product design, service delivery, and ultimately profitability.

TIPS for designing an onboarding experience that will engage new employees and get them productive faster:

Tip #1: Address potential concerns upfront
Develop a program that has substance and that addresses the serious issues effectively. Some of the new employees may be wondering if they have made the right decision, or whether management has a clear vision for emerging from this downturn. The content might include briefings on the vision and strategy of the organization as well as on its values and fiscal goals. An overview of the finances by the CFO and a greeting from some senior-level executive should be encouraged.

Tip #2: Stretch your program out
After an intensive one to two day session up-front to start things off, subsequent activities may extend over several months at periodic intervals. Some programs include rotational assignments; others may include special projects that are designed to expose the new employee to parts of the company he would not normally have any contact with. For example, an executive could be given an assignment to find out something about the manufacturing operations that would require her to actually go to the factory and gather data. This way she sees how other employees work and begins to get a feel for the culture in action. Scheduling events out several months gives you the opportunity to get into topics in an in-depth way that short programs cannot. They also signals that your organization is here to stay and cares about the future.

Tip #3: Take advantage of the intranet
Every employee needs to get used to using the corporate intranet and become familiar with how to get things done using these tools. A portion of many onboarding programs are now developed as e-learning modules and can be offered to the employee and their family before they even start. New employees can get their spouse involved in choosing benefits and in learning about the firm and its history. The more spouses are part of the work life, the less chance that someone will leave on a whim. Usually when a spouse feels connected to the workplace as well, decisions will not be made hastily but only after some conversation and discussion. Topics that can be covered best in e-learning modules include the history of the firm, organization structure, and of course, the benefits offered. Some onboarding programs have as much as 40% of the total content delivered over the Internet.

Tip #4: Educate managers deeply about the need to provide meaningful discussion and reflective work experiences.
Many recent surveys show that the relationship with the manager is one of the most significant in an employee’s work life. Most employee turnover is ultimately caused by that relationship (or lack of it), which makes the ability to assimilate new employees a core competence of managers. An employee’s immediate manager controls all career progression, educational opportunities, and the assignment of projects. So a manager who takes time to discuss issues with a new employee, who shows concern over that person’s assimilation, and who knows what the employee can do and wants to do, will make wiser decisions and build loyalty over time.

The manager should be included as part of the onboarding process. Some firms have the managers attend a session designed to provide the employee with an initial set of goals — perhaps for the first 30 to 60 days. Others include the manager in teambuilding exercises or have a luncheon where the manager sits with the new employee. At the executive level, the CEO can invite new hires to dinner at his or her home or set up a special quarterly new executive dinner and reception. The key is to make sure the manager has a real role in both the formal process of onboarding as well as in the informal one that happens every day.

Tip #5: Assign mentors or coaches to each new employee for the first 90 days of employment.
Research shows very clearly that providing a mentor who can offer insights into the corporate culture — who can explain the organizational structure and help the new employee understand economic and strategic decisions — is a major contributor to increased productivity and lower turnover. These mentors should be individuals who are exemplars of the kind of behavior and results orientation your firm would like all its employees to exhibit. The role of these mentors can be very simple — as simple as going to lunch once a week with the new hire to show them the ropes and transmit some of the tacit culture that is never articulated or often even acknowledged in formal sessions. These mentors are the vehicles to educate the new hire, and they should be trained to serve as listeners who can intervene quietly with a manager if an issue arises. They need to be respected and well networked in the organization.

Some of these programs might also be used to encourage current employees to stay and making them open to everyone might be a good option to consider.  In tough times people need support, reassurance, and honest answers.  The more you can provide this right at the start of the employment experience, the stronger your organization’s culture will be and the better its retention of key people.

Hospitality employers are starting to realize that one of the key components in reducing turnover is through the use of pre-employment screening tools. Supplementing the selection process with behavioral and cognitive assessments, background checks, reference checks, and employment and educational verification may prove to be your best solution to avoid costly hiring mistakes.

If your company continues to struggle with which pre-employment screening tools are the most effective, feel free to give me a call.  Having tested hundreds of these in the past, we can provide some very beneficial feedback and recommendations.  >> Read More

As the President of Horizon Hospitality, I’m pleased to announce that we’re expanding into the Convention & Visitors Bureau/Chamber of Commerce talent acquisition market segment.

The timing is right to make an impact in a market segment that is a natural extension to our current business.  In recent years, America’s service industry has fueled tremendous growth in the tourism, meetings and trade show industries.  Likewise, cities nationwide have rallied around local Chambers to improve commerce and job creation.  Our goal is to assist local leaders in securing America’s finest talent to staff prominent positions in both of these niches.

I founded Horizon Hospitality in 1998.  Since then, we’ve rapidly built our company to become the leading nationwide provider of top-tier talent for hotels, resorts, country clubs and restaurants.  We plan to become a major contributor in the success and prosperity of Convention and Visitors Bureaus, as well as Chambers of Commerce, nationwide.

To spearhead our expansion plans, I’ve appointed Dave Nolan as Executive Vice President of our new division.  Dave brings over 30 years of hotel, convention and visitor bureau, and chamber of commerce experience to the firm.  He brings a wealth of passion, first-hand knowledge and industry experience to this new role and will help make Horizon Hospitality the most hospitable and effective organization in the talent acquisition business.  I hope you will join me in welcoming Dave to our team.

We’ll officially kick off the opening of our new division at this year’s Destination Marketing Association International Convention on July 20-22 in New Orleans.  We hope to see you there!

Performance management has long been a preferred means of improving both individual and organizational effectiveness, by:

• monitoring and rating performance;
• planning work and setting expectations;
• identifying and developing critical capabilities;
• recognizing and rewarding exceptional performance.

But while the concept of performance management looks great on paper, hospitality organizations face a host of challenges when trying to implement a system on their own, such as:

• Financial limitations – lack of sufficient financial support and/or justification, often because it’s difficult to create a “dollars and cents” rationale for measuring performance.
• Organizational fears – fear of how the results of a performance evaluation will be interpreted, what they may indicate about an individual’s (or department’s) performance, and/or how they will ultimately affect the individual (or department).
• Lack of time and/or resources – because it is inherently complex in nature, the process can seem like an overwhelming endeavor to undertake – especially when it shifts focus away from core business activities.
• Lack of regular review and use – even if a system exists, unless the data is continually updated and reviewed, it loses its value to the organization.

Performance Management Simplified with Horizon Hospitality

While some of the challenges listed above may be legitimate, they should not preclude your organization from reaping the benefits of an effective performance management program.  If your hospitality organization is looking to implement or enhance a performance management system, Horizon Hospitality can help.  Simply put, we make performance management easy and effective for your organization.

Our full complement of Performance Management Tools are designed to help you identify, develop and maintain top talent within your organization:

Team Building Surveys: We can help you increase productivity and overall team cohesiveness by recognizing, understanding and appreciating the factors that build and motivate successful teams.

Employee Satisfaction Surveys: Happy employees are productive employees.  We provide a cost-effective, web-based solution to help you periodically measure employee satisfaction levels – and keep overall company performance high.

Behavioral Assessments: We offer a family of three comprehensive, web-based DISC assessment options.  The results of these assessments reveal an individual’s unique natural and adapted behavioral styles.

Job Benchmarking: Using TTI’s patented process, we can benchmark a virtually any hospitality position to help you understand the specific talents needed for superior performance.

Developmental Surveys: We offer an efficient, customized alternative to the labor-intensive survey process, delivering results that quickly identify the types of interventions required for growth.

As experts in hospitality performance management, we have the skilled staff, range of tools, commitment and follow-through to help you create a more successful, synergistic team.

Ready to take the next step?

Get the most from every employee.  Start maximizing performance in your hospitality organization by calling Horizon Hospitality today.