It’s going to be the Year of Our People
Dalmahoy has a number of best practice initiatives in place to help attract and retain talented staff, writes Karina Glennie
The hospitality industry is one of the most resilient, dynamic and creative sectors in the UK economy because of its human capital. But as the sector extricates itself from the uncertainties of the past two years, in order to thrive we need to make 2022 the Year of Our People.
Atdalmahoygolfandcountryclub, staff recruitment and retention is a key focus for the year ahead. As one of the country’s foremost hospitality employers, we have a number of best practice initiatives in place to help us retain our talent. As a result, we have beenabletoholdsteadieronthesectorwide trend that has seen hotels, bars and restaurants struggle to keep pace with recruitment requirements as the doublewhammyofbrexitandcovid-19 have made their mark.
According to the Office of National Statistics, in the period April to June 2021, there were an estimated 102,000 job vacancies in hospitality Uk-wide. Now, more so than ever, attracting – and fostering – talent is key. In terms of hiring, we need the right approach. Active recruitment has to replace the modalities of old. Whether it’s going out speaking to school pupils about whathospitalityisorcommittingtime to mentor graduates, it’s only when we engagethatwecanattractandenthuse the professionals of tomorrow.
This is why we work closely with Edinburgh College and West Lothian College, supporting work placements and building a talent pipeline into the hospitality sector. Our collaboration withdevelopingtheyoungworkforce (DYW) West Lothian, has also helped to promote work experience and job opportunities in our locale.
Dalmahoy also offers a School Mentoring
scheme through UK charity Career Ready. This two-year initiative, involving management mentorshipandpaidworkexperience,proved incrediblysuccessfulforusin2018and 2019, with all of the placements securing permanent positions and remaining part of our team today.
And we have signed up to the Young Personsguaranteetodemonstrateour commitmenttoattractthenextgeneration of hospitality professionals.
Lookingafterourteamoncetheyare through the door is just as important as attracting them, and we’ve doubled our HR team headcount to make that a focus. Our in-house Learning and Quality Coach has been appointed to identify any skills gaps and to implement a training calendar filled with development opportunities. We have extendedourteammemberinduction to three days, giving each new recruit a fuller understanding of the business as a whole. Experienced managers or dedicated team members such as our Food & Beverage Trainer take responsibility for new recruits thereafter to make sure everyone is confident in delivering the basics brilliantly, thus maintaining standards.
Importantly, every single Dalmahoy team member can work towards a relevant qualification or accreditation. A Supervisory Development Programme, supported by @Training Matters, delivers Modern Apprenticeships for high potentials resort wideprovidingour“risingstars”with the opportunity to gain an accredited qualification,whilstinternally,weoffer trainingforyoungpeopleuptoansvq level 7 in Hospitality Supervision.
In terms of renumeration, we have not stopped at our commitment to becoming a living wage employer. Reward schemes – monetary or non-monetary incentives – are vital as are peer-to-peer recognition programmes. We’ve also looked at creative ways to alleviate pressure points in departments so staff do not feel overworked or under supported. Our “happytohelp”system–enablingteam members to work across department to capacity build at busy times – is a primeexample.ithasnotonlyreduced theneedtorelyonexternalstaffbuthas
boostedcamaraderieacrossthewhole resort. ONS indicates that the labour marketstatisticsfortheyearaheadare encouraging for the hospitality sector, but there is a lot of work to be done to not only actively recruit, but actively the right people as well as retaining them. If we collectively invest as a sector, I’m confident hospitality can realise its potential for long-term growth. Karina Glennie, Director of Human Resources, Dalmahoy.