The Key to Creating a Culture-Driven Workplace
The employee is the greatest asset of any organization. However, it is not uncommon, especially in clubs, for more time and resources to be invested in other assets like the golf course. It is vital that employees clearly understand their role in the organization, and more importantly that they understand and embrace the culture of the club. Their knowledge of the club culture will lead to their satisfaction, ultimately leading to member satisfaction.
Investing in your employees can result in the biggest improvement to your bottom line. From the initial interview to the onboarding process, the greatest investment a club can make is in its employees. Employees’ efforts and contributions to cultivating the club’s culture enables a club to flawlessly execute member expectations, positively impacting member loyalty as well as club reputation and profitability. Time is the greatest investment you can make for your employees. Invest in your people, and they will invest in you.
The importance of properly trained hospitality staff has never been more important. Yet, as life starts to go back to normal, increased unemployment benefits along with other factors are making it difficult for food and beverage workers to return to work. Coupled with the mass exodus of employees at the onset of the pandemic due to forced closures, many clubs are left short-staffed with reduced resources.
The importance of retaining staff transcends the pandemic, as unsatisfactory employee retention and longevity has plagued the workforce. According to a 2020 Bureau of Labor Statistics summary regarding job tenure, 22% of the workforce has been at their job for less than a year. Younger workers were more likely to have shorter job tenure: 75% of 16- to 19-year-olds have been at their job for fewer than 12 months, as compared to 10% of workers aged 55 to 64. In 2018, both hourly and salaried workers were in their current jobs for a median of 4.2 years.
Without a reliable talent pool, managers are compelled to quickly hire candidates and the onboarding process has been reduced to a lackadaisical adage: “Here is your uniform. Serve from the left, clear from the right. Now, get out there.” It’s easy to chalk this notion up to not having time or being too busy. However, those clubs that are most successful in both recruiting and retaining staff (as hard as it may be) are those who do not settle or compromise on attracting, welcoming and investing in their new employees. This is done with an attitude of gratitude and a sense of responsibility to instill the culture of the club in all.
Onboarding and Orientation Best Practices
According to industry experts, Ann Van Dyke, human resources director, Carmel Country Club in Charlotte, N.C., and Betsy Gregory, director of team member engagement, Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md., orientation for new hires is a one-time event welcoming them to your club. Onboarding is a series of events (including orientation) that helps the new employee understand what it means to be successful at the club in their day-to-day job and how their work contributes to the success of the club. It is through these processes that your organization can instill a common culture, spreading it organization-wide.
One of the best practices for orientation is to break the process into a two-day event so as not to overwhelm your new hire. Rather, this extended process will provide a gentle welcome to their new family and home.
Too often, human resources is perceived by the employee as the “principal’s office,” and the employee handbook simply spells out how not to get fired. According to Gregory, on the first day of orientation, rules and policies should not even be discussed. It should be a half-day event that includes completing paperwork and meeting with senior leadership to begin to understand the culture of the club.
Day two should begin with mingling with other new hires, absent of leadership. This allows the new employees to start to develop foundation relationships, which are critical to their satisfaction and experience while on your payroll. To close out day two, the general manager can serve as the “closer” by discussing the mission, vision and values of the club to inspire these new hires and unite them in a common purpose.
One of the best illustrations of employees embracing and understanding the mission and vision of an organization is at NASA. After promising a man on the moon by the end of the decade, President Kennedy toured NASA. He ran into a custodian mopping the floor. President Kennedy asked the man what he was doing. The custodian replied: “Putting a man on the moon.” Regardless of position, every employee should feel as though they are an integral part of achieving the mission.
As the club moves through orientation and into the longer process of onboarding, employees will start to better understand the club’s culture or the social habits of the group. It is mission critical that employees embrace the golden rule: Treat others the way you would want to be treated. The club world also would add:
- We want every member to feel as comfortable at the club as they do in their own home.
- We want to anticipate the needs of our members and exceed their expectations.
As the onboarding process continues, every club’s goal should be to win over the hearts of their employees. Restauranteur Danny Meyer said that at birth we receive the four most precious gifts of life: eye contact, a smile, a hug and some food. These are basic human cravings. If clubs provide these gifts to members, and more importantly, to employees, everyone will feel special, welcomed and appreciated.
Culture cannot be taught through a 45-minute PowerPoint presentation. It must be lived by those who are expected to be the example. I have always maintained that the general manager and his/her senior leadership team are the keepers of the culture. The example they set every day, either living the culture or not, will be what defines how the rest of the staff carries on. That is why onboarding is a process not an event.
Talent Retention
According to Van Dyke and Gregory, the onboarding could take as long as three months, if not longer. Indeed, it should be well-developed, but also have an element of fun. For example, weekly check-ins and employee social gatherings throughout the season can be crucial to employee satisfaction. The club also should be asking:
- How are you doing?
- Is how the job was explained what you are experiencing?
- How could we have done a better job welcoming you to the club?
As a club manager, I was often asked, “How do you get your staff to learn the names of every member and, in many cases, their guests?” The answer is simple—it was part of our culture. It was part of our mission and vision. Treating people well, making them feel valued and a part of something bigger, is not rocket science; it is what attracts and retains great employees.
Providing an Authentic Experience
A final note on the importance of being honest with your employees can be summed up in this parable.
Joe has passed away and upon entry to the Pearly Gates, Saint Peter meets him and says, “Before you make your final decision on where you would like to spend eternity, please take a tour of Heaven and then take a tour of Hell.” Joe goes down to Hell where he is greeted by the Devil. It is hot, really hot, but there is a Jimmy Buffet band playing and multiple bars whipping up margaritas, pina coladas and daiquiris. Sure, there is lava, but it looks like a big party and a lot of fun. Joe returns from his trip to Hell to let Saint Peter know, “Heaven always sounded really nice, and seems relaxing and comfortable, but I’ve always liked a good party and while it is hot down there, I thank you for the offer, but I’m going to choose Hell.”
Joe heads back down to Hell and is once again greeted by the Devil. He walks through the gates of Hell and as they close behind him, Joe exclaims, “Wait, where is the band, the piña colada, the lounge chairs?” The Devil said, “Oh, that was the interview, welcome to your first day on the job.”
Be honest with employees and make sure everything you present can live up to the employees’ expectations.
If you strive for and help your employees, team members and work family to embrace the culture of the club, their knowledge and success will in turn boost your member satisfaction and bottom line.