BY KRISTINE HUFFMAN

Throughout 2024 , Pulse will feature interviews and insights about front desk and frontline roles , highlighting opportunities for career development within the spa industry .

ACCORDING TO THE SOCIETY FOR HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ( SHRM ), the average estimated cost to hire an employee in 2023 was $ 2,700 , and this doesn ’ t include all the additional expenses ( and complaints ) that come with being understaffed . With hospitality ’ s estimated turnover rate of 73.8 percent last year , this represents a lot of wasted time and money . Of course , your hiring process can make a dramatic difference in beating the odds , but , after finding the right team member , a good onboarding process is essential as well . LinkedIn reported that companies conducting an official onboarding program kept 58 percent of their employees for at least three years , yet nearly a quarter of companies have no program in place to welcome and train new staff members . This month , we explore best practices for onboarding your team .

Onboarding Hospitality

Kristine Huffman for Pulse : You ’ ve got years of Human Resources experience in our industry , from your days at Rosewood , Miraval and Fairmont , to your corporate role as VP of talent acquisition with Aimbridge and now as an executive recruiter with Hutchinson . What have you seen that works to engage new employees right out of the gate ? Brenda Helps : The best ways I ’ ve seen to onboard new employees include experiential activities . Have the new hire spend a day on the property to get to know the product and ethos of the brand . Perhaps even have them take a service , spend the night or eat a meal in the dining room . So many front-line workers , and even new managers , may have no experience with a spa or fine hotel . I know it is expensive , but I ’ ve seen how effective it is in helping people become

more integrated in the community . And we need to keep in mind how expensive turnover is . This could end up saving you money in the end .

Another effective idea is to assign a mentor to each new employee on day one . This gives the person someone to

approach when they have simple questions or when they need to review a procedure that their manager has already covered . The mentor provides a non-threatening person who can help guide and connect with them , so they don ’ t feel isolated or fearful to admit ignorance .

Pulse : How about all the official stuff that they need to know ? BH : Of course , you have to have a handbook and to keep it up to date with payroll procedures , policies and all required notifications . It should be a living document with someone in the company who owns it and reviews it monthly to keep

it in compliance with federal , state and even local laws . You need to keep in mind that employment laws are ever-evolving .

BRENDA HELPS is an executive recruiter for Hutchinson Consulting , where she focuses on filling senior leadership and corporate office positions for luxury hotels , resorts and spas .

But I ’ ve seen so many properties where onboarding seems exclusively focused on this paperwork . They have their employees sit online or with the HR representative and read and sign each policy . Or the focus is simply on the technical aspects of the job with software training . Nowadays with technology , it is easy to automate all of this , but I don ’ t think this is very effective because it is really important to build a relationship with each employee .

So , you also need a second document — a kind of guidebook . It should speak to the unique qualities of the workplace and help new staffers understand and connect to the property ’ s culture . It should set performance expectations . This is especially critical with younger workers who may need clarity and specific objectives to be successful . Even someone who has a relevant degree may not understand how to approach the job they ’ re expected to do . They may have a tough time filling in the blanks and taking initiative . This may lead to frustration , and eventually to them quitting .

The guide should also present development opportunities so they feel like they have a future at the property . It should spell out how performance reviews are handled , describe training opportunities and other support for growth . If they feel like they have growth pospects , they will stay .

46 PULSE n MARCH 2024