In respect of staff

Despite some logistical challenges for the venue caused by the firefighters' strike, the fifth Caterer & Hotelkeeper Recruitment Conference, sponsored by Kerry Robert Associates, went ahead as planned on 27 November at the Millennium Gloucester hotel, London.

Organised in association with Caterer.com and hosted by the BBC's royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell, more than 70 delegates heard speakers from various sectors of the hospitality industry discuss their operational approach to recruitment and staff retention.

The generally optimistic outlook for hospitality in 2003 was tempered by the realisation that, with UK employment at an all-time high, the task of recruitment and retention will be as challenging as ever.

Although many approaches to business were revealed, including the strongly held belief that greater pay on its own does not lead to improved performance, the uniting theme throughout the day was the importance of respect for staff.

Treat your staff as equals, said the speakers, and not only will you retain them for longer, but you will also reap the often-overlooked reward of job positivity and the superior levels of customer care it brings.

The speakers

Su Beacham-Cacioppo Director of personnel training, JD Wetherspoon

The UK's fastest-growing pub chain believes listening to its staff not only gets them involved but makes excellent business sense as well. To this end, each pub runs a suggestions scheme called "Tell Tim" - encouraging employees to contact chairman Tim Martin - with each worthwhile suggestion, used or not, earning the employee £5.

"JD believes floor staff's views are very important, not just office staff," said Beacham-Cacioppo.

The chain also has what it calls a "complete career route", meaning there are no obstacles to block a member of bar staff from working their way to the top. "We want to be the type of company staff want to work for and deserve to work for," said Beacham-Cacioppo.

Bryan Finn Market analyst, MMD

Bryan Finn, an analyst at market modelling agency MMD, believes the world economy is finally finding its feet again after a dark period in the middle of 2002 which saw the USA enter a brief recession.

Despite Japan's continuing woes, the prediction for the UK, Europe and the USA during 2003 is moderate growth and an economic performance above this year's.

"The question of war with Iraq is damaging the UK economy due to the uncertainty," said Finn. "The recovery of the early 1990s actually began once war [in the Gulf] was announced, because people finally knew what was happening. A decision - either way - may be just the catalyst the global economy needs to enter into a strong period of growth."

The strong consumer spending that has helped the pub and restaurant sector weather the economic slump of 2002 is set to continue. The hotel industry, which has been hit hard by a drop in international visitors due to the 11 September factor, is set to return to positive growth, albeit at a low level.

Jane Moger Resourcing and retention director, Compass Group UK

Compass Group believes its 120,000 employees are so grrreat that even Tony the Tiger would blush. Promotional videos aside, Jane Moger explained how retention beyond the initial 90-day probationary period remains a challenge, with a sizeable number of new recruits being lost to attrition.

She blames this on the failure by the company to promote itself at the interview stage. In fact, with so many units in the group - such as Travelodge, Pizza Hut and Upper Crust - she has met employees who do not realise that they work for Compass. This means that the prestige and perks of working for a large company are not communicated to employees, and they leave.

To counter this, Compass is introducing a "succession plan", that draws personal information from the payroll and allows 50 authorised human resource professionals to scour its many businesses and promote from within.

"We are pursuing an internal recruitment target of 70% for the future and believe the diversity and size of our business will be an advantage in achieving this," said Moger.

The system will also reduce paperwork and speed up the recruitment process among autonomous units.

Debbie Thomson
Head of reward and recognition, Pret A Manger

Take-away sandwich specialist Pret A Manger describes itself as a place "with great people, and a great place to work". Debbie Thomson argued that pay complaints often have as much to do with the work environment or a lack of career progression as they do with financial gain.

"Pay attention to what your people want and you'll keep their passion," said Thomson.

To this end, the company, which makes much of its product fresh each day on the premises, authorises loud music and a relaxed uniform policy to make the tedious four-hour task of sandwich making fun.

Marie-Beatrice Lallemand General manger, Hilton London Metropole

Marie-B‚atrice Lallemand, who once worked for Disney, is attempting to install a "fun work ethic" at the London Metropole in a bid to reduce staff turnover at the 1,058-bedroom hotel.

The approach means that traditional interviews where experience is assessed have been jettisoned in favour of techniques that attempt to disclose a candidate's "attitude". Customers, Lallemand pointed out, are more appreciative of service with a smile than they are about which side their dishes appear from.

"Line staff are hugely important, because it is they who build your reputation," said Lallemand.

The new message is being communicated by a video known as "Fish", which shows workers in a US fish market having fun despite their inhospitable environment. For employees with less-than-perfect English, role-play has also proved a useful tool, as have games based on TV shows such as The Weakest Link.

Although not everyone may be seeking promotion, at the Metropole staff now have the option to transfer into different areas of the business at the same level, set the hours they wish to work, and job-share.

"Flexible, friendly and efficient staff are a challenge to find and keep," said Lallemand, "so giving them this sort of freedom boosts loyalty."

Gordon Campbell Gray
Managing director, One Aldwych hotel

Caterer's Hotelier of the Year believes respect is paramount in retaining staff and said that his One Aldwych venture is a snob-free zone.

"We have to accept we're all human beings, just with different responsibilities," he said.

Thoughts from the floor

"We do have problems keeping hold of our 55 full-time staff as, unlike other industries, we can't offer perks such as a car"

Carolyn Chatfield, director overseeing conferencing business at the Institution of Civil Engineers

"There's a real them-and-us problem in UK hospitality. We need to come together and multiskill people"

Jane Sunley, managing director of staff-retention company Learnpurple

Sponsor's message

Kerry Robert Associates is a recruitment specialist in middle to senior management for the hospitality industry throughout the UK. It is delighted to sponsor a forum that provides the focus and inspiration to enhance your own recruitment strategy, making a real difference to the people who are your organisation.

Kerry van der Zyl and Bob Maloney, directors