Why you keep showing up for work (hint: it's not because of the money)

Have you noticed that whenever you ask someone, "How are you doing?" the answer is always "Fine", or some variation of that? It's one of those automatic responses we all give, and all expect. You don't really give it that much thought. Workplace gurus and entrepreneurial consultants advise that the best answer is an enthusiastic "Fantastic!!" But, really, it's still the same automatic response. No one actually says how they're really doing (try it some time, just to see what happens).

If you ask people what they think motivates others to work, more often than not their response is automatic, too. They'll say, "money." Maybe they say that because it's what they've always heard, or maybe because they think it's what they're supposed to say. (Or, maybe they're hoping that saying so in front of the boss will land them a nice raise!) It's just one of those automatic responses. But, when pressed to think about it, most people know that money is a poor motivator.

Last month, the Canadian HR Reporter blog reported on research by PsychTests AIM Inc. (company news release), about what motivates people to do their best at work.

Here are the top five things that keep people motivated at work:

1. Being customer focused.
2. Having a challenging work environment in which you can achieve something meaningful.
3. Being able to inspire others.
4. Working in a company or field that provides identity and purpose.
5. Having fun, working in a position or corporate culture that is entertaining.

Number one on that list above is what strikes me as interesting, not because people think customer focus is important, but that it's more important than all the other motivators. That really shouldn't come as a surprise. Helping someone else achieve their goal is at the heart of a lot of human motivation. When you look at it that way, you see that value in all five of the motivators above: working toward a common purpose makes people feel like they are achieving something meaningful.

That doesn't mean money isn't important. It may not motivate people to do better, but poor compensation certainly motivates people to leave a job.

Think about tourism careers during Saskatchewan Tourism Week

Shearwater Tours,
Saskatoon

During an economic boom like the one Saskatchewan's experiencing, a lot of employers have trouble finding qualified workers. But right now, all across Canada, tourism employers are feeling the pinch of a national labour shortage. So, combine our boom with with a national labour shortage of tourism workers, right at the start of the busy summer tourism season, and you can see that tourism businesses in our province are going to have a really tough time finding workers.

Already, we're projecting a shortfall of about 1,600 people to fill tourism jobs this year. That demand for workers is only going to get worse, because travel and visitor spending is increasing faster than other consumer purchases, meaning even more tourism work for fewer tourism workers. For workers, this is a great time to be in tourism, because you can basically write your own ticket to a job.

That doesn't mean the work is easy - far from it, because international competition for travellers and customer expectations for service have never been higher - but there is no better time to find rewarding work and careers in tourism, especially in Saskatchewan. Take a gander over at our sister Saskatchewan Tourism Saskatchewan Facebook page or the Tourism Saskatchewan website to see everything that our province has for visitors. Our tourism businesses are among the best you'll find anywhere (they have to be, because people are able and willing to travel anywhere to get the experiences they want).

So, while things are looking pretty rosy for workers, businesses have to offer not only the kinds of experiences that can attract ever-more-discerning customers, but also nurture the kinds of workplaces that attract and keep the best employees. That's a tough challenge for everyone, and no business is in a position to be able to meet that challenge alone. We all have to pull together to develop a qualified and motivated tourism workforce, a workforce that's well trained and well rewarded for the contribution that everyone makes to our economy.

Keeping track of employee training needs

How do you know what training your employees need? How do you know if their training is up to date?

We'd like you to take a moment to give us your feedback about a simple, quick tool that we hope will make it easier for you plan and track your employee training. We're not asking you plan anyone's training, or asking you for any personal information. This is just a short survey to help us develop the planning tool.

The survey is designed for business owners, supervisors and managers. Please take a moment to visit this link and take the survey. Your feedback is important. http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2JX8T5N

Nominate someone you know as "Tourism Ambassador"

I bet you know someone who makes a tremendous contribution toward tourism in Saskatchewan. Maybe it's someone who makes every customer feel like a million bucks. It could be a coworker who inspires professionalism among everyone in the workplace. Perhaps you know of an instructor who has made an outstanding contribution to tourism or hospitality education. We want to hear your suggestions for this year's "Tourism Ambassador" awards at the 19th Annual Saskatchewan Tourism Professional Recognition Dinners, June 11 in Saskatoon and June 13 in Regina. Nominations are accepted until Friday, May 11. Download the nomination form (PDF).

Nominations are open in each of the five industries that make up the tourism sector:

• Accommodations,
• Food & Beverage Services,
• Recreation and Entertainment,
• Transportation, and
• Travel Services, as well as
• Educator of the Year.

Nominees for an Ambassador Award must meet the following criteria:

• be Certified in a tourism occupation,
• be active in tourism,
• embody the values of Certification, and
• exhibit an ongoing commitment to professionalism in tourism.

Download the nomination form (PDF).

If you have any questions, please contact:

Lesley Welter
Saskatchewan Tourism Education Council
Suite 102, 202 Fourth Avenue North
Saskatoon SK  S7K 0K1
Phone:  (306) 933-7188  Fax: (306) 933-6250
Toll Free:  1-800-331-1529
Email:  lesley.welter@sasktoruism.com

Awards may not be given for all industries in every year. Last year's awards were presented for Accommodations, Recreation and Entertainment, Food and Beverage, and Educator of the Year.

2013 Employer of Choice applications now open

Hurray, hurray!
First of May!
Employer of Choice
opens today!

(Ok, so the rhythm is off a bit, but the rhyme works.)

Visit www.steceoc.com and register to qualify as a Saskatchewan Tourism Employer of Choice for 2013. Applications are now open until November 30. But don't procrastinate. The application will take a bit of time, so start now to make sure you can help celebrate the 2013 Employers of Choice next spring.

See the 2012 Employers of Choice, and find out more about becoming an Employer of Choice, by visiting the STEC.com website.

2012 Employers of Choice awarded at SHHA conference today

Congratulations to our 2012 Employers of Choice. Becoming an Employer of Choice lets a business become recognized for its outstanding management practices. It's not so much the award (a nice plaque at a spring conference and a certificate to display prominently on your wall, awarded at our Professional Recognition Dinners), but the recognition of the hard work and dedication toward creating the kind of workplace where employees feel valued and supported in their work, where managers know that they have the support they need to do their jobs well, and where customers know that they'll always receive the kind of exceptional service that makes them feel welcome and keep coming back.

In other words, you start by creating a great workplace. Getting the Employer of Choice designation is the independent recognition that you have the kind of business that attracts the best employees and keeps them for the long haul.

This year, we're recognizing nine organizations as Employers of Choice. The fact is, there are many more employers in Saskatchewan that would qualify, if they would sign up and work through the application. That takes a bit of work, what with the questionnaires and surveys and all. We know that. But that work helps your business validate the good practices that you already have, and the detailed audit report prepared by our in-house human resource professionals helps you identify areas that can make you even stronger. Plus, we're there to help you with the tools and resources to engage in human resource "best practices" in every way. With potential shortage of up to 1,300 skilled tourism workers by the end of this year, and 6,500 within the next 13 years, that's a good reason to be recognized as the kind of employer that people want to work for. It's just one more "plus" that helps you attract good workers when everyone else is hanging out their "help wanted" signs.

So, if you haven't registered at the STEC Employer of Choice online portal, why not take a moment to sign up and get started. Registrations open May 1 of each year, and close November 30. (You can sign up to register for the site today - you just won't be able to start work on the EOC process until May 1). That gives you seven months to complete the employer questionnaire and employee surveys. Sign up early, because you should plan on taking several weeks, not all at once, but a little at a time over that seven months, to work through it all.

A little sunshine on an April morning

Following up on a February Service Best workshop at South East Regional College, facilitated by Tony Kayter, I noticed this comment from participant Gayleen Gurr, of Langbank, Saskatchewan: "...very worthwhile - should be mandatory in schools."

Thanks, Gayleen, for taking the time at the end of the workshop to provide some wonderful feedback and comments (and for providing permission to share them with our readers).

Several schools in Saskatchewan offer our Service Best in High Schools workshop. When you consider that most young people get their first jobs in tourism or hospitality businesses, the training effectively prepares them for summer employment, part-time work as students, and ongoing work in jobs where good customer service counts, including retail. (So, tell me of any job that doesn't require some kind of customer service, whether that's in a retail or "selling" business or in an office that requires you to interact effectively with colleagues!) Diefenbaker Destination Developments recently organized our Service Best Teacher In-Service workshop to certify high school teachers to provide Service Best in schools throughout the Lake Diefenbaker Tourism Destination Area. We even had one teacher travel down from Blaine Lake to take the training so that she could deliver Service Best in her high school.

Would we like to see more schools deliver Service Best? You bet! Consider how most of us learn about how to behave on the job. We learn mainly from experience, by watching how others are treated. If you can remember how you were treated as a high school (or younger) student when you went into local businesses, then you know that our youth don't often experience exemplary customer service. So, how do you learn to provide good customer service if you never experience it? That's why we've got Service Best in High Schools.

Ready To Work Menu, March 20 - April 11, 2012

SK 25 Menu

Remember: to book your reservation, contact Lynne Kennedy, at 306-933-7187 or lynne.kennedy@sasktourism.com.

Week 1- Lunches – noon service/ St. Johns Anglican Church

Monday March 19 - No Service

Tuesday March 20

• Soup/ Sandwich Buffet
• Veggie Tray and Dip
• Soups:
• Cream of Mushroom
• Chicken Noodle
• Sandwiches:
• Ham & Swiss Croissant or Kaiser
• Open Faced Cream Cheese and Cucumber on Bagel
• Egg Salad Wrap
• Desserts
• Fruit or Butter Tarts

Wednesday March 21

• A La Carte Service:
• Iceberg Wedge Salad
• Choice of: Spinach Quiche OR Quiche Lorraine with Brown Sugar Carrots
• Fruit Salad and Local Grain Granola

Have lunch or dinner on us!

SK25 Ready To Work - Lunch & Dinner

March 20, 2012 at 12:00 PM - April 11, 2012 at 7:00 PM

Saskatoon

Have lunch - or dinner - on us!

Our latest Ready To Work (RTW) recruits are are anxious to show off their talents, and what better way to do that than to make you a delicious lunch or dinner.

Please join us on from March 20 to April 11, as participants put their skills on display in our authentic restaurant-style training facility. Attendance is by reservation only.

We will be at St. John's Anglican for lunch service, March 20, 21, 22 and 23, and at the Saskatoon Trades and Skills Centre at Mt Royal Collegiate for evening service, March 27, 28, 29 April 3, 4, 5, 10 and 11.

To make your lunch or dinner reservation, or for any other questions you may have about recruitment of Ready to Work participants, please contact Manager of Special Projects Lynne Kennedy, Ready to Work Coordinator, at 306-933-7187 or lynne.kennedy@sasktourism.com.

If you are looking for entry level staff, you will not find a better opportunity to meet qualified applicants and get a first look at STEC's newest Ready to Work graduates.

Responsible Service of Alcohol

No one likes to put a damper on a good time, but people still need to understand the kinds of liability they face when they serve alcohol, especially in a commercial or organized setting. You need effective strategies that let people enjoy themselves, help you serve responsibly and let you identify guests who drink too much. That's where responsible-service-of-alcohol programs come in.

The program that STEC uses, Serve it Right Saskatchewan (SIRS), uses three broad "learning cycles", covered in six modules.

Rising Tide: Impaired Driving Awareness Week 2012

The "rising tide" of liability against commercial liquor establishments and servers
This week is Impaired Driving Awareness Week in Saskatchewan. Drinking and driving is the leading cause of fatal crashes in our province.

About 45.1 per cent of fatal crashes in the province are alcohol-related, above the Canadian average of 37.9 per cent. By some estimates, impaired driving costs Canadians more than $225.5 billion a year.

Whether we like it or not, tourism industry operators have a stake in solving this problem.

Watch for us in the summer edition of Prairies North Magazine

Diane Cohoon, STEC's Manager of Training, and I just finished an hour-long conversation with Prairies North Editor Lionel Hughes. Lionel is working on a special summer edition of the magazine that will focus on education.

We don't want to spill the beans on all that we discussed - you'll have to pick up a copy of Prairies North and read story when it comes out - but we can say that it was a wide-ranging conversation that covered the gamut of programs, training and services that help tourism employers in the province.

We hope you'll pick up and copy and see innovative tourism training around the province, in places like Lipton and Reindeer Lake, and what communities everywhere are doing to improve customer service and workers' skills.