The challenges of managing staff in today’s job market

Charlie:
Charlie Mellish, i’m part of the Rees Mellish Hotel Management Group.
So we look after four hotels.I look after HR, but it's a family owned, family operated group of businesses.

Shaked:
What are the biggest challenges that
you face today in managing your staff?

Charlie:
People expect a lot these days, including employees.
Because there's jobs available, the market is open.
And that's why I think you see a lot of job hopping at the moment.
So I think staff retention and engagement is probably the most important thing in our business at the moment.

Shaked:
Do you use any type of system technology to engage them better, to make sure to retain them better?

Charlie:
There's a few methods that we use. Internal software, smartphone, HR systems, so people clock in and clock out using their smartphone, which is obviously good for us as employers to manage times, but also that they know that they are clocking in and clocking out correctly.

There's no discrepancies, things like that. They also have access to booking holidays and HR visits and things like that, all via app.

As much as technology is important, the technology itself needs to be simple and efficient. There’s more time talking to the guests and going from there.

We do put a lot of emphasis on our heads of departments, so we give them a lot of training in terms of all the HR practices or anything from the staff inductions, one to ones on a on a weekly or monthly basis.

People are a lot more sensitive these days, so I think they need that reassurance.
They need that little bit of mollycoddling to show that you care.

Reward and Recognition is another masterpiece.
The star point system, almost like you win at school.
But we make it a bit jokey where you get some star points for going over and above and beyond for the guests.

The prizes are anywhere between a bottle of wine to a stay in a villa in Portugal.
Even the people that are not interested, suddenly, when there's a competition involved and they see other people being rewarded for their hard work, they go, Well, I don't want to miss out.
And so there's a few systems that we use.

Shaked:
One key tip for new managers, new business owners, in regards to managing their staff.

Charlie:
Staff retention is the key.
Getting the right people in and keeping them on a retention basis, means that there's less training involved for the next person.

Someone might then leave again after a month, you've wasted the recruitment
fees, the agency fees, the training fees, your time, uniform, everything like that.

My key advice is always get in, speak to your managers, make that open channel.
Hire HODs that are acutally going to listen to the staff, so that if they go, ‘I'm not very happy
about pay’, it can be an open conversation.

Sometimes that conversation is not about throwing money at this person.
It's a conversation about understanding their role, understanding the market and understanding the benefits they have working with your business.