The Human Resources Balancing Act

Working in human resources can sometimes feel like you’re the main act in a circus.

The Juggler:  The person responsible for human resources often has the task of juggling the implementation of management’s vision, while ensuring employees remain happy and motivated.

The Trapeze Artist:  Human resources can take you from one extreme to the next.  Sometimes you’re dealing with frontline recruitment, the next day executive recruitment.

The Lion Tamer:  We’ve all had to deal with those employees who don’t want to follow company policies, culture or rules and regulations.  Getting these employees to comply is another part of managing our human resources!

The Fire Eater: Putting out fires, usually conflict between employees, is a common HR function.

Tight Rope Walker:  Works closely with the Juggler, trying to balance organizational, departmental, and employee needs.

This post was written by Darcy Acton, Manager of Industry Human Resource Development.

Labour Market Policy Project Survey

Dear Saskatchewan Employer,

Congratulations! You have been selected to represent Saskatchewan employers from various business sectors in the province in the Labour Market Policy Project Survey.

The Ministry of Advanced Education, Employment and Immigration has partnered with the Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy to undertake a study of many aspects of our labour market.  Specifically, this important survey helps the Ministry understand if their labour market programming meets the needs of Saskatchewan employers. We’d love to include your feedback in our research.

Your information is important to us … and to the success of our programs.

It should take only about 15 minutes of your time to complete the survey.  The insights you provide will help the Ministry improve current programs to meet the needs of Saskatchewan’s employers in various business sectors throughout the province.

Your answers will be kept secure.

Your privacy is our first priority and we ensure that any information you provide remains secure.  With your permission, we’ll share the information gathered by the Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy project team with the Ministry so they can continue to develop and improve programs that will continue to meet the needs of employers in our province.

Thank you in advance for your feedback!

This research would not be possible without your participation.  Your time is greatly appreciated!

The survey will close Friday, November 12th at midnight. Here is a link to the survey:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SK_Labour_Market_Survey_Johnson-Shoyama_School

This link is uniquely tied to this survey.

Thank you for your participation!

The Ministry of Advanced Education, Employment and Immigration promotes provincial economic growth and prosperity through strategic leadership that encourages and supports the development of a diverse, highly skilled, and productive workforce; attraction of new residents to the province; creation of fair, safe, and supportive workplaces; a fair and balanced labour environment; and dynamic and integrated innovation.  AEEI and its partners are committed to help Saskatchewan residents achieve their desired educational and employment outcomes.

The Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy is a provincial centre for advanced education, research, and outreach and training activities with campuses at both the University of Regina and the University of Saskatchewan. The school provides students and faculty the opportunity to work on contemporary public policy and administration challenges in an academic environment renowned for innovation and is fast becoming a destination for students from across the country and around the world.

Cost of Literacy: A Worthwhile Investment

“Most businesses underestimate the importance of literacy.  Higher literacy skills lead to increased output, higher productivity, greater ability to do on-the-job training, reduced error rates or workplace accidents, better customer service and greater employee retention.  Ultimately, this all leads to higher profitability.  Businesses tend to be comfortable with investing in specific skills training, such as learning a new piece of software.  Regrettably, many firms fail to appreciate the merits of investing in basic skills development, like literacy in English or French.”

Craig Alexander, Senior Vice-President and Chief Economist, TD Bank Financial Group

Canadian HR Reporter, Page 31, September 20, 2010

Call for Participation

In partnership with Social Research and Demonstration Corp. (SRDC), STEC and the CTHRC are undertaking a project aimed at assessing and planning for skills development in the accommodation industry of the tourism sector.

This project will implement a multi-stage program model, which recognizes that training is more than a one-time event in knowledge acquisition.  It is a process that involves the careful orchestration of several key elements to ensure the performance and training needs of firms and workers are well understood.  This process ensures that a training solution is designed and delivered in a way that matches learners’ needs and is aligned to the organization’s performance and business goals.

If you are an employer in the accommodation industry with 50-499 employees with training needs and are willing to commit to a Skills Development Research project, contact Darcy Acton, Manager of Industry Human Resource Development, at 306-933-7466 or darcy.acton@sasktourism.com.

Does the dress code at your organization convey professionalism?

You’re likely very familiar with the attitudes, knowledge, experience, values, and beliefs that define your business culture.  Operational policies and procedures, like an employee dress code, are designed to support the way you want to be seen by customers.  

We know that up to 93% of communication is non-verbal, and it all starts with that first impression. Having a dress code that accurately reflects your organizational culture is an important step in getting a positive message to your customers.

For example, if you work at a zoo you may expect your employees to handle animals, clean cages, deliver tours, and interact with visitors. Deciding what is acceptable attire is tricky, because the clothing must be flexible enough to allow for cage cleaning but proper enough to lead a tour and professionally represent the organization. Customers appreciate being able to easily identify an employee by his/her clothing, which adds value to their positive visitor experience.

Hotels face very different challenges because there are many departments with specific operational requirements.  Generally, a hotel will have a specific uniform that is slightly altered to reflect the department; for example, housekeeping, front desk agent, and catering.  The one thing uniforms have in common is the brand--the style or logo that identifies them as a member of the hotel team.  Guests of the hotel trust that employees who wear the uniform adhere to a certain standard of professionalism.

Retail outlets usually require their employees to purchase and wear the store’s clothing in order to better promote the brand.  Some companies offer discounts to staff, but others don’t.  This can become quite expensive for employees, especially if they are only making minimum wage and working part-time.  When deciding on your store’s employee dress code, it is important to take these factors into consideration.  If the expectation is that every employee must be clad in your brand, consider the cost to the employee and adjust wages and incentives accordingly.

Your organization’s culture can only be defined by you, taking into account the nature of your business, customer base, geographical location, and corporate goals.  Employee dress code is an important part of your overall image and should be effectively communicated to your employees.

Does your organization’s dress code reflect your culture?

Winner of the Service Best Customer Service Contest Announced

We are pleased to announce that the winner of the Service Best customer service contest is Sharon Elder!  Sharon will receive a Tourism Saskatchewan DVD, Place in the Heart, and a Land of the Living Skies CD.

Below is the entry that Sharon submitted:

For 25 years, we had a fly in fishing lodge in northern Saskatchewan, where we lived in the summer.  Winters were spent in Minneapolis, MN.  A great deal of emphasis was spent on GREAT customer service and new staff very quickly learned from experienced staff as to how this should be done.  Dealing with store workers etc. in Minneapolis was a treat.  Coming back to Saskatoon is NOT a treat.  To this day, I very often find the store clerks, office workers, etc. very rude.  It is obvious that they are not getting training in customer service.  Maybe is is because their jobs are year round rather than summer resort jobs.

I would like to suggest that equal emphasis be put on upping the customer service as is spent on rewarding excellent service.

Staff who can not make eye contact, don't smile, don't acknowledge a customer with a nod or finger wiggle do not entice me to deal with their store/office, etc.  As I am the one paying their wages, it is my choice to go where I'm welcome and I do.

Keep up the great job, hopefully other areas of the Saskatchewan economy will catch up to what the tourism business already knows.

Sharon Elder

New Pricing for Standards and Certification

A new pricing plan for national occupational standards and certification will come into effect on September 1, 2010.  All frontline certification will increase to $315 + GST.  The cost of certification for supervisors and managers will be $400 + GST and $680 + GST respectively.

In addition, fees are now applicable for exam re-writes and re-evaluations.

Online Column in the Financial Post Executive Features HR Trends and Research

The Financial Post Executive now offers an online column with a specific HR focus, written by regular HR Matters contributor Chelsea Willness.  Check back regularly for news and commentary on the latest HR trends and research: http://business.financialpost.com/author/cwillness/.  The latest posts offer insights on Corporate Social Responsibility, including "Why your Firm's CSR May Matter More than What you Pay".

Chelsea Willness, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Human Resources and Organizational Behaviour at the University of Saskatchewan's Edwards School of Business. Her research focuses on the impact of Corporate Social Responsibility and organizational reputation on recruitment, employee engagement, and consumer behaviour.

Participate in the 2010 Canadian Tourism Sector Compensation Study

The Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council (CTHRC) and STEC respectfully request your participation in the 2010 Canadian Tourism Sector Compensation Study.

The CTHRC reports that while Saskatchewan was the province least affected by the economic downturn, it will be the first and only province to see a labour shortage in 2010.  Ontario, on the other hand, is not expected to see a shortage until 2013, despite the severe economic consequences that were reported in this province (The Future of Canada’s Tourism Sector: Economic Recession Only a Temporary Reprieve from Labour Shortages, p. 3).

As a Saskatchewan employer, you cannot change economic or labour market trends, but you CAN change the way you respond to these issues.  If you want to attract, recruit and retain skilled workers for peak performance in your workplace, employees need to know your compensation package is competitive.

You will be able to download the 2010 compensation study on the CTHRC website.  This valuable information will help you better understand the tourism labour market and assess the competitiveness of your compensation offerings.  This in turn will assist you in attracting and retaining the staff you need to run your business.

In addition to benefiting individual businesses, this research has been instrumental in assisting STEC and the Saskatchewan Hotel & Hospitality Association in demonstrating to both federal and provincial government agencies responsible for immigration that our industry provides excellent employment opportunities.  It is critical that we keep our compensation data current in order to support our efforts in this area.

Hay Group, a national company that specializes in compensation research, is conducting this study on behalf of the CTHRC, provincial tourism human resource organizations across Canada, and various national associations.  Take this opportunity to have your say and complete the survey today at:

https://www.haygroup.vovici.net/se.ashx?s=251137456F46B849

This survey is open to all tourism businesses in accommodation, food and beverage services, recreation and entertainment, and/or travel services for the occupations of:

Front Desk Agent, Housekeeping Room Attendant, Executive Housekeeper, Guest Services Attendant, Director of Sales and Marketing, Sales Representative, Accommodation Service Manager/Front Office Manager, Food Service Counter Attendant, Cook, Sous Chef, Executive Chef/Chef/Kitchen Manager, Host/Hostess, Bartender, Food and Beverage Server/Banquet Server, Food and Beverage Service Supervisor/Restaurant Supervisor/Maitre d’Hotel, Restaurant and Food Services Managers, Retail Sales Clerk, Outdoor Adventure Guide (Hunting, Fishing, Rafting, etc.), Heritage Interpreter, Head of Visitor Services, Tour Guide and/or General Manager as a Landscaping and Grounds Maintenance Labourer, Superintendent Maintenance/Groundskeeper, Head Professional (Golf), Program Leader/Instructor, Operator/Attendant (Amusement, Recreation, Sport), Travel Counsellor, Travel Agency Manager, Tour Operator.

Thank you for participating!  If you need any assistance, please do not hesitate to contact Darcy Acton, Manager of Industry Human Resource Development, at 306-933-7466 or darcy.acton@sasktourism.com.

To read more about the impact of the economic recession on Canada, click here.

Tell Us about Your Best Customer Service Story

One of the reasons we have frontline staff is to provide great customer service to guests. This service can come in the form of a warm smile, attentive listening and helpful advice. Guests are full of inquiries and comments, and it's in our best interest as employers to ensure our frontline staff is in a position to provide the best service available. Staying one step ahead of the competition depends on it!

Here at STEC we're convinced that as an employer in the tourism sector you have many good (and maybe not so good) customer service stories, and we want to hear them!

The story should be no less than 100 words and no more than 500, and will emphasize the great customer service that one member of your staff provided to a guest or guests.

We'll choose the best story of the bunch! The winner (you and the employee who provided the service) will win a Tourism Saskatchewan DVD, Place in the Heart, and a Land of the Living Skies CD. Your story will also be published in our online newsletter, HR Matters, and on the HR Matters Blog.

Let's tell the world what great customer service looks like!

Submit all entries via email to jan.rodda@sasktourism.com by September 1, 2010.

Accommodation Industry Results from the 2008 Canadian Tourism Sector Compensation Study

In 2009, the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council, and the Saskatchewan Tourism Education Council, partnered with Hay Group Limited to conduct the 2008 Canadian Tourism Sector Compensation Study. This was a national project that encompassed 2,016 organizations and 76,195 incumbents across Canada. Four primary industries in the tourism sector were covered by this study, including:

Food and Beverage Services

Accommodation

Recreation and Entertainment

Travel Services

As many as 166 organizations from across Saskatchewan participated in the study, 32 of which were identified as properties in the accommodation industry. More specifically, 6% were luxury hotels/resorts, 62% were mid-market hotels/resorts, 9% were economy hotels/resorts, 12% were inns/bed and breakfasts, 9% were cabins/campground/RV parks, and 3% identified as other. This wide range of respondents provided results that were representative of the accommodation industry as a whole.

Those occupations that were benchmarked in this study include: Accommodations Service Manager, Catering Manager, Director of Sales and Marketing, Executive Housekeeper, Banquet Server, Front Desk Agent, Guest Services Attendant, and Housekeeping Room Attendant. Not surprisingly, Saskatchewan’s base wages for most positions ranked lower than our provincial neighbours, Alberta and Manitoba, as well as nationally.

If Saskatchewan workers are earning less in base wages in the accommodation industry, are they making up for it elsewhere?

Yes and no. Using the same benchmark jobs in comparison with Alberta, Manitoba and national averages, the total cash (base wage plus bonuses and incentives), brought Saskatchewan into a more competitive pay range. In fact, Catering Managers made it to the top of total cash averages.

This study also provided information on challenges related to compensation that are specific to employers in the accommodation industry. The top three challenges listed were:

1. Shortage of labour and a competitive labour market.

2. Difficulty in attracting and retaining employees, as the industry is perceived as low paying and temporary.

3. Rise of fixed cost and salaries.

Many people think turnover is related to wages, but that’s not necessarily the case. According to the study, two reasons staff is leaving workplaces in the accommodation industry are because of:

• Return to school – This reason was highest for full-time employees in small companies, and part-time employees in large companies when reward investment was low.
• A better opportunity from a business outside the tourism sector – This reason was highest for employees in larger companies when work/life balance was low.

This study provides employers with compensation information they need to both hire and retain employees. As our province moves from a motto of “good enough” to “great” accommodation organizations should be mindful of what’s going on in the rest of the country.

Research for the 2010 Canadian Tourism Sector Compensation Study will begin this summer. Every participating organization will receive a detailed report of the findings. If your organization is interested in participating in the upcoming compensation study, please contact Darcy Acton, Manager of Industry Human Resource Development, at darcy.acton@saskatourism.com.

Training Increases Business Revenue--It Takes Money to Make Money!

A Case for Training's Return on Investment (ROI)

Surprisingly, many managers in the tourism sector do not think training employees provides a return on investment for their organization.

We know that training is a good tool for improved human resource practices within organizations, but when it comes to recognizing the monetary benefits many of us are on different pages. Some employers view training strictly as a cost with no attached value. If we look to another business function—marketing, we can draw some parallels to the human resource function and understand there may be a return on investment for training your staff.

Organizations often engage in marketing to expand their customer base and increase the amount of money people spend on their goods and services. Marketing professionals outline their strategic plan and budget for items, such as advertising, with the intention that people will see these advertisements and spend money within their organization. If marketing plans are executed properly, the extra revenue the company earns will exceed the cost of marketing and a return on investment can be seen.

Can we use this same analogy when training our employees?

The same concept the marketing department illustrated for their advertisements can be applied to the human resources department (or function). In addition to budgeting for advertising, let’s create a budget for training. Because most organizations aim to increase revenue, let’s aim for the same outcome: customer expenditures. To illustrate further, in the examples below, let’s see how training has the potential to affect ROI.

Example #1 – An organization that does not support training in the workplace.

A customer walks into an organization in the accommodation industry, which she found in an advertisement on the Internet. The customer walks up to the Front Desk Agent, and is not greeted with a smile; in fact the Front Desk Agent is texting on a cell phone behind the counter. Instead of greeting the customer with a smile, the Front Desk Agent looks annoyed as the customer approaches. The customer provides her name and confirmation number. Rather than be discreet, the Front Desk Agent repeats the customer’s name and room number loud enough for everyone in the lobby to hear. As the Front Desk Agent hands the room key to the customer, she resumes texting behind the counter.

Example #2 – An organization that supports training in the workplace.

A customer walks into an organization in the accommodation industry that was referred to her by a friend. The customer walks up to the Front Desk Agent, who greets her with a smile and asks: “How may I help you today?” The customer provides her reservation information and is immediately given a directory of the hotel services, highlighting the spa that is world renowned and a restaurant that is known for its great wine menu. The Front Desk Agent provides the customer with her room key and directs her to the elevator. Before the customer leaves, a Guest Services Representative offers to carry the customer’s luggage and the Front Desk Agent encourages her to call “0” for more information or assistance. The customer is escorted to her room and proceeds to book a reservation for the restaurant that night and a massage in the spa the next morning.

In Example #2, both the Front Desk Agent and Guest Services Representative are trained professionals who know that providing customers with an experience that leaves them wanting more will increase sales, sometimes even more than a great advertisement in a magazine. While an advertisement may entice people, your employees can provide an experience that will not only keep them coming back, but will encourage them to refer your business to family and friends. More revenue means increasing your ROI.

Does your organization train employees to ensure that your customers are getting the experience they're looking for?

We’d love to hear your feedback! Let us know if your organization measures return on investment for training.

Managing Expectations through Consistent Process

Over the years, I’ve had plenty of people share their experiences with me and ask my advice on whether the organization they work for is doing things properly. As a human resources professional, I love to hear everyone’s stories, but am sometimes disheartened at the outcomes and ponder: How could this situation have been handled differently?

Below are examples that outline how two different employers mismanaged their employees’ expectations through a lack of consistent process.

Example One:

An employee, who was with an organization for a year, traveled frequently and was being reimbursed for meals. There were no set guidelines and when this person was on the road, she bought food and submitted expense claims for reimbursement upon returning to the office. After following this process for a year, her boss unexpectedly denied an expense claim. The expense was for water and chips the employee bought as a quick lunch while on the road. Her boss didn’t think this was a “proper” lunch and didn’t want to reimburse the claim. As similar claims were always approved in the past, the employee met with her boss to clarify the situation. The boss informed her that all expense claims during the year of a similar nature were wrongly processed. The employee was confused, as the items on all these claims were clearly stated and approved by this same boss. When the employee asked for clear guidelines on what was eligible and what was not, the boss felt it was unnecessary and refused to provide these guidelines. The employee left the meeting confused and disappointed. Not only had her boss taken issue with a $2.49 claim, but had refused to provide any guidelines in order to ensure that no additional expense claims were denied in the future.

Example Two:

An employee worked shifts at the same organization and on the same site for three years. When the employee started, there was an expectation that any out-of-town work was given to the newest hire. The employee gladly obliged, as this seemed to be the organization’s practice. Naturally, three years later this person was no longer the newest employee. Even so, he was informed that because another work site needed extra workers he was being temporarily transferred. When the employee’s boss spoke to the staff, it was stated that all employees would take turns working in the remote location for two week intervals. Ironically, the last employee to work the out of town shift was the newest hire.

In each of these situations, it was not the outcome that bothered the employees, but the process in which it was handled by the employer.

Here’s my take on how both these situations could have been handled better: Employers should manage employees’ expectations by being consistent in applying processes. This generally makes employees more comfortable with the outcomes. Without any set expectations, employees will set their own. When management’s expectations differ from employees’ as a result, it creates a situation where staff feels like something has been taken away. Not doing anything about these situations runs the risk of employees becoming disengaged.

What’s the best way to prevent this from happening?

Set expectations and be consistent with them.

This blog entry was written by Darcy Acton, Manager of Industry Human Resource Development. For more information, contact Darcy at (306) 933-7466 or darcy.acton@sasktourism.com.

Don't Let This Happen to You

Once upon a time, in a land not too far from here, an 18 year old entered a drinking contest at a local bar. As his friends and the bar staff cheered him on, he threw back 25 shooters made from two different liquors in 15 minutes, not to mention the six beers he consumed before his victory. About 45 minutes later, a friend put him in a taxi, took him home, and left him lying on the stairs in the heated entryway of his apartment building, thinking he would sober up and make it upstairs. He lost consciousness and died within two hours. His blood alcohol level was 0.32, about four times the legal limit.

This is a true story. A $230,000 lawsuit was filed against the owner of the bar and two employees who oversaw the drinking contest. The establishment was placed on a five month suspension and lost the right to operate VLT’s, pending charges. The case attracted national media attention and cost the owner of the establishment revenue and a lot of bad publicity.

There are countless cases like this popping up all over the country. Many provinces have responded by increasing fines for over-serving and have cracked down on reckless activities such as binge-drinking contests. In some cases, bar owners, servers, and party hosts have been criminally charged and found guilty of failing to provide duty of care. Here’s the truth: If you provide alcohol to an individual to the point where he/she becomes intoxicated, you are responsible for that person until they become sober. This is the law.

From 2007 to 2008, the number of alcohol-related injuries and fatalities increased in Saskatchewan. In 2008, there were 987 injuries and 74 deaths in alcohol-related crashes in the province. This is a substantial increase from 2007, when the province saw 849 injuries and 45 deaths. The need for good risk-management strategies is a must.

That's why the Saskatchewan Tourism Education Council (STEC) developed the Serve It Right Saskatchewan (SIRS) program. The SIRS program provides consistent training for the sale and service of alcohol to ensure that alcohol-related activities are conducted in a socially responsible manner. This program is applicable whether you work on premise (lounge, bar, club) or are involved in other activities (special events) that include the sale and service of alcohol. When implemented properly, SIRS training can help you and your staff reduce the risk of liability and enhance the safety of your premises.

Investing in the development and training of your staff will make a difference in the face of a risky situation. SIRS addresses ways of identifying intoxication, how to handle situations involving minors, effective approaches in discontinuing the sale or service of alcohol, and facts and figures on legal responsibilities and liabilities. The $30.00 per person investment will allow you to take a major step in ensuring that your staff is well informed and prepared to responsibly serve customers.

SIRS is supported by the Saskatchewan Server Intervention Program (SSIP) committee and is comprised of representatives from the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA), Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI), the Hotel and Hospitality Association (SHHA), the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health, the Wines and Spirits Association, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

Help reduce the risk. For more information, visit our website at www.sirs.ca or contact STEC at (306) 933-7186.

What can we do as an industry to reduce Saskatchewan’s recent increase in alcohol-related injuries and deaths?