September 2009 Developments - 52

Increased productivity and worker engagement has been the upside to the economic downturn. Christenson, vice president, talent and organizational development, Group RCI. To keep employees positively motivated for the future and connected to the company’s vision for growth, Holiday Inn Club Vacations held Town Hall meetings at their member resorts through the month of June. In these meetings, President & CEO Don Harrill, RRP, communicated his guiding principles for keeping employees focused and connected through the remainder of the year. Employee feedback indicated that the meetings helped them feel in-the-know and “committed to making our resort the best,” as one individual shared. Asking employees for cost-cutting, green, and safety suggestions has done more than provide some great ideas for Daily Management, Inc., says Janice Feirstein, RRP, president. “Weekly department meetings have become energized to a new level, and people are clearly seeing their connection with the success of the property.” ResortCom International, LLC, has developed a pilot program called “Adopt the Idea,” which encourages and challenges employees at its Puerto Rico properties to continually ﬁnd ways to accomplish higher levels of service with a diminished labor pool. “When ideas are implemented, contributors are acknowledged during employee meetings by management, reinforcing that all suggestions are taken seriously and appreciated,” says Peter Gust, Vice President of Resort Operations. ResortCom’s Gust is also an advocate of cross training. “In our Park City region, we have created a labor pool environment that allows us to leverage our employee base over multiple locations, thereby maximizing the amount of hours available to them. The labor pool concept has also provided our nonmanagement employees the ability to work in different resort environments, which they seem to enjoy.” At Royal Aloha Vacation Club, each employee is responsible for seeking ways to simplify, save money, and improve our product, says Jack Corteway, president and CEO. “We are too small to need or afford formal programs; we have monthly meetings, and my door is always open. We are also constantly communicating to make sure every employee knows the direction the company is going and feels like part of our family.” a drawing. “It’s better than saying ‘know this,’” Morin says. “VRI Savings Incentive Plan” gives key resort employees a share of savings vs. budget on line items they inﬂuence. To ensure service and quality are not compromised, the incentive is linked to RCI CSI report scores. “It has proven very effective in improving service while ﬁnding efﬁciencies,” says Richard Muller, senior vice president, resort operations for Vacation Resorts International’s Northeast region. Scottsdale Camelback Resort offset a 25-percent reduction in non-assessment revenue with no layoffs by asking more of every employee, says Jerry Sikes, president of PRO Management. “We monitor and coach everything. For example, when room attendants follow our method, they often are able to make a bed in one-third less time. Quarterly goals are set for every job, and those who meet the goal receive a bonus.” “As managers and leaders, we can get so busy focusing on business issues and planning that we forget to focus on the people working with us,” notes Dan Carricato, senior vice president, human resources, Holiday Inn Club Vacations. “The basic essentials of communication, recognition, reward and trust are especially important in a down market. The companies that do the best job at these will survive with loyal, engaged, and committed employees.” Geri Bain is a freelance writer who has worked for many years around the industry. Her e-mail is geribain@aim.com. MAKING EACH EMPLOYEE COUNT One of the many ways companies are cutting costs is by sharing labor across resorts and cross-training employees so they can ﬁll in where needed. “Employees are our greatest resource, and at staff meetings, we seek out their suggestions,” says Bill Young, President and COO, SPM Resorts, Inc. “In addition to vendor suggestions, one of the most valuable ideas from our employees was to handle repairs and upgrades in house.” Tricom Management, Inc., also has found existing employees eager to take on repair work. “Training in-house people to do the work increases the value of employees and saves tremendous amounts of money,” says Jay Morin, RRP, national director of operations. “We bring experienced employees from one resort to another, both to do the work and to teach it. This not only saves money but also builds conﬁdence and team morale.” ResortCom’s Gust is also an advocate of cross training. “Employees have the opportunity to work more hours. In the Park City region, our labor pool environment allows us to leverage our employee base over multiple locations.” Jerry Sikes, president, Scottsdale Camelback Resort, uses two programs to promote excellence. “Step It Up” is a buzz word for doing everything just a bit better. “Essential Piece” emphasizes the importance of each employee through the analogy of a jigsaw puzzle. Each person gets one puzzle piece a month and has to give it to someone that they see “stepping it up.” At each monthly staff meeting, all puzzle pieces go into a big drum, and everyone who received one stands in front of the room. Five random pieces get pulled, and winners receive $50 rewards. BRING IN THE REINFORCEMENTS Recognition programs can be an effective way to get employees to pay attention to changing priorities or goals. For example, Tricom’s Morin has raised employee consciousness about safety with a game called “Safety Bingo.” He also uses weekly quizzes to focus attention on corporate policy and plans. Employees have a few days to research answers; all correct entries go into 52 Developments • September 2009

September 2009 Developments

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of September 2009 Developments