John F. Kennedy is quoted as saying: “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past and present are certain to miss the future.”
Our lives have changed dramatically during the past four years, particularly in relation to our jobs. Many went from being present 40 or more hours per week at a workplace to rearranging furniture around the house to create a remote workspace. Zoom became a household word and business travel disappeared.
We found ourselves on the honor system. There was no need to set an alarm clock, wear work clothes from the waist down or delay preparation of the family meal until the end of the day. For those laid off from their jobs, there was no timeline for when, or if, the job would return.
We adapted, improvised and eventually embraced this new work environment. What transpired, however, was not only a change in our work environment, but an adjustment to our attitudes about work itself. In short order, the landscape to attract top-quality talent was turned upside down.
For private clubs, this law of life meant the tactics employed to attract staff were no longer relevant. The hiring landscape had evolved and if the clubs did not recognize and change their workplace practices, they would be left without the employees needed to survive.
Today’s Workforce
Just as membership demographics changed with the addition of many more young families joining private clubs, so has the make-up of employees who serve these members.
Not long ago, the majority of the workforce was comprised of baby boomer and Generation X employees. It wasn’t difficult to attract or retain employees from these generations as their traits were similar and familiar.
Baby boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, were brought up with traditional values emphasizing the importance of working diligently. They think nothing of working more than 40 hours a week and tend to be very loyal to their employers. In clubs across North America, it is not unusual to meet employees who have worked for the same club for 35, 40 or even 50 years.
GenXers, born between 1965 and 1980, are more independent and self-reliant. They possess an entrepreneurial spirit and are not afraid to work hard to achieve their goals. They are tech savvy and tend to follow the work ethic of boomers in their approach to professional commitments.
As millennials joined the workforce, they brought a different mindset to their jobs. Born between 1981 and 1996, this was the first group of workers more likely to change jobs to achieve a better work-like balance. They choose to work for employers who provide an environment of innovation, creativity, teamwork and collaboration. They seek employment at organizations that offer professional growth and provide opportunities for career development and advancement.
Who’s Next?
As you plan for your club’s future employment needs, it is important to understand what the next generation of employees will find appealing.
According to Indeed as well as the experiences of human resource directors to whom we spoke, millennials were the first generation to seek more balance in their work and life. Gen Z, the next generation of private club employees, builds on that requirement of expecting more from their employers:
- As digital natives, Gen Z workers expect to communicate, collaborate and solve problems using technology.
- They seek flexibility and the ability to take personal time when needed. They also prefer the option to work remotely.
- They expect the organization for whom they work to prioritize environmental sustainability, social responsibility and ethical business practices.
- As the first generation of post-9/11 workers, they seek stability and financial security.
- Priority is given to employers who foster a sense of belonging for people of all backgrounds and identities.
- Gen Z workers gravitate to organizations that provide opportunities to learn, grow and advance in their careers.
- This generation values authenticity and transparency in the workplace. They trust an employer who demonstrates genuine sincerity and honesty in their communications and actions.
Becoming familiar with what the next generation of workers seeks in an organization also provides the ancillary benefit of a heightened awareness of what is important to the next generation of club members. Clubs with a reputation known to be welcoming, diverse, sustainable and authentic will be most appealing to these future members.
FOCUS ON COMMON TRAITS
Meeting the different wants and needs of each generation of workers may seem an impossible task, requiring more time and treasure than your budget allows. The key to success is understanding and focusing on the common actions, benefits and environment that appeals to all workers, no matter their age, background or ethnicity.
Competitive wages are important to any employee, but they are not always the most important consideration. According to Eric Hutchison, PhD, a director who leads the people services unit at GGA Partners, employee belonging is one of the most important aspects of employee satisfaction.
“In today’s workplace, employees value an environment where they have the same feeling at work as they do in a personal setting,” he said. “They want to feel like they fit in and can share their opinions, be accepted and be able to be themselves.”
In addition to that sense of belonging and being part of something bigger than themselves, the Research has found there are common benefits employees across all generations find appealing:
- Diverse Coworkers. Employees want the opportunity to work with people who bring a variety of backgrounds, education and experience that provides an environment of creativity and innovation.
- Recognition. Employees don’t want to be a number; they want to be someone who is recognized for a job well done or for going the extra mile to enhance the member experience. They also appreciate celebrating their heritage during designated months or holidays such as Kwanza, Dia de Los Muertos or something as simple as Australia or Italian day.
- Growth and advancement opportunities. Some employees are perfectly content to stay in one position for their entire careers, while others desire to learn and grow. Mentorships, continuing education and advancement opportunities within the organization are important.
- Flexibility. Whether flexible hours, some remote work or personal time off, employees value employers who recognize things happen that may require work to be completed during off hours.
- Open communications. Employees should have the opportunity to share solutions to enhance the work environment by directly communicating with club leaders or through surveys. But they will not do so unless you ask them.
Cast a Wide Net
To attract a broader and more diverse pool of talent, think about fishing where the fish are. The first thing you might do is ask your current employees about their media habits and the organizations to which they belong. Chances are you’ll find prospects with the same traits as these employees.
Next might be ads in a local Hispanic newspaper or on a Spanish radio station. It could be attending the African American Golf Expo or hosting a diverse group of students and mentors for dinner, as Charlotte Country Club has done. Maybe it is posting jobs or participating in recruiting days at high schools, colleges or universities with a large population of Asian or African American students.
When you find these new ponds in which to fish, your recruiting materials need to be tailored to the audience you are trying to reach. The language used needs to be familiar and appealing to the target audience. The photographs in your fliers or posts need to reflect a diverse workforce. And you must be careful to avoid unintentional barriers to entry for the candidates.
Unemployment stands at historic lows and is predicted to remain so for the near term. Relying on the same methods and places you have used to recruit employees in the past means your team will be comprised of a sea of sameness, lacking the diversity and creativity needed to succeed.
Keep an Open Mind
We are all a product of our own individual upbringing and may carry engrained views and a way of doing things based upon how we were raised. For instance, men of the baby boom generation may believe opening a door for a female to be polite behavior. Females of the millennial generation might consider this sexist. Neither view is wrong, it is simply different.
As our nation becomes more of a melting pot with an ever-increasing population comprised of different races, ethnicities and backgrounds, the awareness of unconscious bias and its impact on the workplace has grown exponentially.
While a segment of the population will hear unconscious bias and immediately think “woke jargon,” there is merit to appreciating that some may exist and may hamper our ability to keep an open mind when interviewing job candidates. For instance, will you dismiss a resume because the person is over a certain age, or maybe you have trouble pronouncing their name? Perhaps the candidate isn’t dressed for the interview as you would be, so you are less likely to hear why they are qualified. You may find piercings or tattoos inappropriate for some assignments and a reason for dismissing a candidate.
When personal bias is at the forefront of attracting and interviewing candidates, there is a good chance you will find a cultural fit, but miss the opportunity to find a cultural add. In other words, you are not basing the decision on finding the most qualified person who will add an unfamiliar perspective or perhaps bring a new set of creative ideas to the position, but rather, on hiring a person who you believe will fit in.
Cultural fit may work in the short term, but cultural adds will create a diverse and creative environment that will be instrumental in finding new employees to develop the best solutions to continually improve the experience of your members and your staff.
Train
As your workforce becomes more diverse, it is important to have strong, written policies and procedures that outline service standards and for how employees will treat members, guests and colleagues.
In addition to the standard subjects covered in training programs, additional topics to ensure inclusion have been added recently. These additions cover education/awareness about unconscious bias, privilege, power dynamics, discrimination, microaggressions and systemic oppression. Formal skills-building training can help your employees learn how to actively listen, be inclusive in all forms of communication and successfully resolve conflicts.
Too often, clubs focus on policies and procedures during onboarding and neglect to ensure employees have a clear understanding of expectations. Setting expectations from the onset will allow employees to make a choice as to whether they want to be part of the club and industry for the short- or long-term.
Employee training does not begin and end the first week of employment. It should continue throughout the year to ensure new policies and procedures are understood. Training should also reiterate expectations, citing when they are being met and where the team is falling short. It’s also beneficial to provide periodic training for board members, particularly related to bias and inclusion. While much progress has been made to expand board and club composition to include women as well as people of different races and ethnicity, discussions need to reinforce the benefits of culture adds to both the membership and staff.
And Measure
Jack LaLanne once said “progress is made when progress is measured.” He, of course, was referring to fitness and nutrition training, but the same statement can apply to efforts by private clubs to determine whether they are achieving the goal of hiring the most qualified and diverse group of employees.
Just as you review your club’s finances, capital needs and membership goals, you should also review your efforts related to building a team of employees who bring different backgrounds, experiences and views to the organization.
One quick method to determine progress: go to a staff meeting and try to find meaningful differences between the individuals in attendance—is everyone the exact same? If so, you haven’t added to your team’s culture. Another valuable metric to collect is overall employee satisfaction.
More sophisticated performance indicators using quantitative and qualitative data, along with annual audits of your hiring practices and employee demographics, will identify areas for improvement and establish the next year’s goals.
Change and Progress
Change can be uncomfortable, but without it, progress will not happen.
Diversity and inclusion can be a difficult topic for discussion. But if open and honest conversations do not take place, solutions will not be found. And if solutions are not found, then the industry will miss finding and retaining the best candidates to deliver the service that keeps the member pipeline full.
In the case of D&I, the goal must be progress over perfection. We can’t do everything at once, but we also can’t hesitate because of fear of making a misstep. The first foothold toward making the change is an intention to improve. With that mindset, you can dip that toe in the water and slowly build momentum.
Recognition that change is the law of life is imperative in the new hiring landscape. As an industry, we must broaden our outreach to welcome a wide range of candidates who will bring different backgrounds, cultures and experiences to their role. When that happens, creativity, innovation, and momentum will build and be the catalyst of even more positive change.
Kathy Grayson is a director at GGA Partners and serves on NCA’s D&I Committee. She can be reached at [email protected].
Tracy Rivers, MHRM, is Director of Human Resources at Charlotte Country Club and serves on NCA’s D&I Committee. She can be reached at [email protected].
Liz McDowell is a director at GGA and serves on the Club Management Association of Canada’s Diversity Committee. She can be reached at liz.mc[email protected].