Happy employees make customers happy

From the lobby to the executive lounge, Cao Jun greeted every employee he met with a smile. His demeanor and conversation revealed the unique kindness and humility of the hotel staff. "My employees are the guests I serve," said the human resources director. "My job is to make them happy at work."

Cao Jun, who has worked in the human resources field for more than ten years, joined Shanghai Marriott three years ago. Hongqiao Hotel was appointed as the Director of Human Resources. He enjoys his job dealing with his employees: "Although sometimes it's trivial, it's really comforting to see them work happily and grow up smoothly." He also made no secret of his passion for Marriott's management philosophy. Appreciation and admiration: "I have worked for different hotel groups, and I can say that the Marriott culture is the best. When it comes to human resource management, the essence is: take care of your employees so they can take care of your guests."

Marriott International, It has been named "100 Best Employers" by the US "Fortune" magazine for seven consecutive years, ranking second among companies with more than 100,000 employees, and the only American hotel group on the list. The Shanghai Marriott Hongqiao Hotel, which just celebrated its fourth birthday in September, is one of the group's more than 2,600 hotels.

Satisfying employees first

You have worked in human resources at various hotel groups. In your opinion, what is the biggest feature of Marriott's human resource management compared to other hotels?

Speaking of this difference, I need to introduce the hotel culture of Marriott Group, which is very different from other places. Although the hotel industry advocates the principle of "guests come first" or "guests are gods", some hotels will not hesitate to sacrifice the interests of employees to meet the needs of guests. rise. This may work well in the short term, but in the long run, it will lose people's hearts. The hallmark of Marriott's culture is to first satisfy and make employees happy. Because the job of serving guests is done by employees, if one employee is unhappy, the hundred guests he serves may all be unhappy.

As a human resources department, employees are our guests, and our main responsibility is to serve employees and make them happy and satisfied around the essence of Marriott's culture of "people-oriented". Therefore, the human resources department, in addition to the marketing and sales department, is the most valued department in the Marriott Group, which is different from many hotels.

When it comes to "people-oriented", it is not as simple as putting it in words. As an example, I once ran into an employee who was eating at the buffet counter. At that time, I asked him if he knew who it was for, and he replied: It was for guests, but because the food in the staff cafeteria was unpalatable that day, he didn't eat a single bite. It was three o'clock now, and he was very hungry, so he grabbed something to eat on the dining table. In fact, based on this situation alone, I certainly have no problem in punishing him. But through this phenomenon, we need to see the problem behind it: Does the quality of the staff canteen need to be improved? I later learned that the feedback on the food in the canteen was really bad, and it was not his own reflection. Although he went too far, it made us think about how to take better care of the staff to prevent him from committing crimes. Error, affecting normal business. If an employee stands in front of a sumptuous dining table with a hungry stomach, and his head is full of "I'm hungry, I want something to eat", how can there be any five-star service?

This small example illustrates the point that when an employee has a problem, we should first reflect on whether something is not doing enough. Not harsh accusations and criticisms, but persuasion and coaching, sit down with employees and see the stories behind these issues. Maybe there is something wrong with the hotel system? Or should the training be strengthened? Or the supervisor's communication care is not enough and so on. Our task is to find the essence of the problem. Therefore, in the Marriott culture, human resource management is very human, which is our biggest feature.

Focus on soft fit

Who do you think would fit into this culture at Marriott Hongqiao? How to find these suitable employees when recruiting?

Hiring begins by identifying several levels. For example, recruiting managers is very different from recruiting general operators.

For managers, in addition to meeting certain knowledge and skill requirements, we need people who are patient, reasonable, non-arbitrary, and analytical. This is determined by Marriott's hotel culture. If an employee makes a mistake, the manager will blame and criticize immediately instead of communicating and analyzing, which is not in line with our requirements. I usually devise small questions to learn about his personality and management style. For example, if a candidate mentions that his hobby is reading books, then I may ask him casually: How long does it usually take to read books? He replied that if there is interesting content, there is no problem for two or three hours. This actually shows his cultivation and patience from the side. Because in this day and age, there are not many people who can spend a few hours reading, and most people are more impetuous. In addition, I also pay attention to the analysis of the candidate's past experience. If he has worked for a long time in some hotels whose culture is very different from that of Marriott, for example, about 10 years, then he has basically formed a very strong management idea. We are also reluctant to accept the deep imprint. Because once the style is formed, it is very difficult to change him. Therefore, for managers, I pay more attention to their suitability in soft issues such as culture and style.

For front-line employees, it is much more difficult to recruit than before, because the hotel industry is developing rapidly and competition is fierce, and the talent pool is relatively less abundant. However, our purpose has not changed, that is, to select employees who are suitable for the service industry. In addition to skills, personality, temperament, and character must be considered. If you don't pay attention to these when recruiting, there may be some problems. As an example, one day at the lobby bar, a waiter placed an ashtray a little heavy, and the customer at the table had a conflict with her. In fact, it was a trivial matter. The guest asked her to apologize, but she didn't. Instead, she tried to defend herself. As a result, she quarreled and hurt the guest. The employee was later fired by the hotel. This incident is a lesson in my failure. I also talked to her during the job interview, but I didn't find her "stubborn" side in her personality, and her personality was too strong.

In the service industry, sometimes employees need to sacrifice some personality, especially for front-line employees. Therefore, in the future interviews, I will deliberately cause some difficulties and disappointments to them, and see how he responds, whether it is easy to get angry or impatient. We need relatively extroverted employees, but some resilience.

Do you penalize employees when there is conflict between guests and employees?

Our principle is this, if the conflict between the guests and the employees is caused by our improper service, there is no excuse, and the employees will definitely be dealt with; but if the guests make trouble unreasonably and insult the employees, then we will definitely stand Support him on the employee side. Because in this case, if the hotel does not protect the interests of its employees, it will lose more people's hearts, and it is also in contradiction with our culture.

Do you interview all employees who come in? What is your recruitment process like?

I see all but temps and interns. The recruitment process is like this. We have a human resources manager who is responsible for most of the interviews, then comes to me, and then meets with the relevant department managers and department directors; if it is a manager or above, the general manager will interview at the end. The human resources manager mainly understands the interviewee's character, character, past experience, and why he left the original position; the department manager focuses on judging his skill level; the interview of the general manager and me only lasts 5 to 10 minutes. With our years of professional feeling, we can judge what type he belongs to and what position he is suitable for. At first glance, people who have rejected people thousands of miles away are definitely not suitable for our industry. Usually a candidate stands in front of me and I observe how he walks, how he smiles, how he behaves, how he performs an action. Then talk to him for five or six minutes, completely friend-like small talk, not necessarily about work.

In these five minutes of small talk, have you found someone who is not suitable for you?

This is rare, but it does happen. Generally speaking, I have to support my HR manager, if he gives me a candidate and I keep getting shot, it is not normal and he will not have confidence in his job. Therefore, what I found unsuitable is basically a positioning problem, which does not mean that the interview was unsuccessful. For example, he may be more suitable for another department than the one he applied for. For the human resources manager, his task is to fill the hole, his eyes are full of holes, but I have no holes, more consideration is whether the material is suitable. He and I stand at different angles and heights, so we have different views.

Proposed by the employees themselves

After the employees are recruited, there is a problem of career development, which is also a well-known part of the human resources management of the Marriott Group. What is your training system like?

Marriott's training system is divided into many levels from low-level to high-level. Each career development stage has a corresponding training plan, which must be completed by each employee and included in the assessment indicators. Everyone at the employee level has training in Marriott culture and skills; from supervisor to manager, it takes about 10 months of basic management skills training; from manager to director, there are 8 months of training; from director to general manager, There is also a 6-month course; there is also a course at the general manager level. All courses are designed by the headquarters, and Marriott has more than 200 people dedicated to the design of courses. Including the training of the first team, the second team, the youth team, and the youth team, from the point of view of the hotel that I have been doing for so many years, the Marriott Group is the most complete.

Are employees free to choose some cross-departmental training?

Employees can bring it up themselves. One difference between Marriott and other groups is that it doesn't want its employees to be honest. Marriott's culture creates an atmosphere that encourages employees to think big, talk big, and help them realize their ideas. For example, an employee told me that he wanted to be a general manager and asked me to help him design how to do it. That's fine too. I told him that it will take about 15 years to be a general manager, what conditions are required for each step, what do you need to learn, what training do you need, and so on. Staff have ideas, no need to make an appointment, they can chat with me at any time. He said that, first of all, he must affirm that his idea is quite good, and then ask him why, give him some suggestions, and arrange corresponding courses.

There are too many examples of internal job transfers. Some time ago, there was a secretary who worked for three years. She hopes to try other jobs. Because she knows the hotel very well, has good English and good temperament, and is very suitable for dealing with guests, so I recommended her to be the coordinator of the banquet, and she has done it very successfully now. Therefore, the hotel encourages everyone to think, and only if you have an idea will you succeed.

What percentage of the middle and senior managers of Marriott Hongqiao are promoted from within?

The source of middle and senior managers, I have two metaphors: one is the external airborne troops, and the other is the internal marines. Our group goal is 80% Marines, 20% Airborne. In good conscience, it is not actually possible. This is mainly because the development is too fast. Marriott Group now has 35 hotels in China, and the target is 500. In Shanghai alone, 12 new hotels will be opened next year. According to the standard of 40 managers per hotel, about 500 managers are needed. Therefore, the group also gave me such an important responsibility to develop my own people quickly, and at the same time to introduce people from outside. Here, it is more important to cultivate one's own people, because he understands Marriott's culture and the management style, model and system.

Now our actual ratio is 3:7, with 30% internal training and 70% external recruiting, which is far from the goal of 8:2. As far as I know, there are many other hotels with 2:8 or even 1:9. Therefore, the Marriott Group now attaches great importance to succession planning, that is, every manager must select three successors when he is on the job. For example, for my position, I have to select the first, second and third candidates, and one of them will not rule out looking for them from outside the hotel. If we persist in doing so, we will be a group unparalleled in the world.

How were the three successors selected?

This is not based on pat on the head, but based on the internal selection system, to avoid subjective tendencies as much as possible. For example, my human resources manager, training manager, they can all be my successors. There is still one missing. I can also choose a human resources manager with good work, temperament and technology from other hotels in the group as a successor, because Marriott encourages the flow of people within the group. I want to compare among the three people, and I have to talk one by one to determine the rank of the candidates. There are three people in my succession plan, each with completely different characteristics, personalities, and ideas, including my views, all of which will be recorded. If I leave one day, I will tell the general manager that I can choose one of these three people. The specific conversations I have with each of them and the next step in their career development can be found in the records. It is equivalent to completing a system, that is, internal selection.

What role does performance appraisal play in selecting a successor?

For manager-level performance appraisal, Marriott has some quantitative indicators, including turnover, guest satisfaction, employee satisfaction, and employee turnover rate, which are all hard indicators. When choosing a successor, performance is a big part of that, but it's not simply looking at metrics. Combined with performance, we will analyze whether he is "ready to move" to see whether this person is in the growth stage or has matured. There are several different states. Each of the three successors has an 8-page assessment that is reported to the general manager. It is not enough to report names and assessment results.

Provides pressure and motivation

Marriott has a competitive advantage in compensation and benefits in the hospitality industry. So will employees have an inertial mentality and have no passion and motivation to continue to improve themselves?

This mindset is possible. But our biggest advantage now is that there are so many opportunities, and those who are at the top have the opportunity to develop. This is an invisible force. Sometimes you force him and press him to move forward. It is better to let him see a bright future and let him work hard consciously. For example, the Marriott Group needs 500 managers nationwide next year, many of which will be selected from within the group. We let employees know that there are really many locations, and you can choose from all over the country. Then such a competitive selection will bring some pressure and motivation to those employees who are always in the middle.

Yesterday I talked to a department manager about this issue. I said that you have been in this position for a long time. In fact, as long as you take a step forward and work hard, you will achieve great achievements. After hearing this, he suddenly realized.

So do you think that allowing employees to see more career development opportunities is more motivating than salary increases?

Yes. In addition, our salary increase is also based on the results of the assessment. There are three levels and five levels in total, which strictly open the grade difference. Let employees who put in more effort get more rewards and rewards, which is also to avoid employees' inertial mentality of going with the flow.

Are there any other ways to reward employees other than pay raises?

It is not possible to increase salary every month, and even every year is limited. Therefore, in terms of rewarding employees, it is an operationally flexible part of human resource management. Marriott's approach is points, there is a special certificate: Guest Service Awards (Guest Service Awards). For example, if you get a letter of commendation from a guest, you can get a small sticker, and 5 stickers can be exchanged for a medal, which encourages providing high-quality service to customers. Every year, the Group selects the best managers, best leaders, best employees, etc. in the world, Asia Pacific, and China; our hotels also select the best employees and best managers every month and every quarter.

Model management is very important. This is actually not a new thing. Many hotels do this, but the key is how to do it and whether it is sincere. We made a hall of fame in the staff cafeteria, and the photos of all the best employees on the job will be posted on it, which is very beautiful. Although we have corresponding rewards such as bonuses, free hotel rooms, and vacations in Marriott hotels in other countries, this sense of honor is more effective than all material rewards. We pay more attention to meeting the psychological needs of employees and the pursuit of honor.

Have Marriott's human resource management culture been adjusted for Chinese culture?

Yes. The authentic Marriott culture in the United States is about self-consciousness and human initiative. The basic quality and education level of Western talents are relatively higher, while Chinese employees generally have a mentality of waiting for others to take care of them. Therefore, it will probably take quite a long time for the Marriott culture to be fully implemented in China. During this period, adjustments are inevitable.

In the United States, Marriott's contract is an open contract, with only a start date and no end date, but in China we have also made corresponding adjustments according to the culture here, and the contract has a date limit. In addition, for example, many Chinese hotels have a "fault note" management method, and an employee who gets three will be dismissed. In Marriott's culture, there is no fault single, but persuasion and counseling, communicating with employees about his problems, and letting him improve, rather than letting him go. Now we combine "persuasion and counseling" and "blame single", and use the former's head and the latter's body to execute them together. That is to say, we not only need to reflect Marriott's corporate culture, but also in case of special circumstances, I also need to be able to ensure some strong means to solve them. This is also a very real problem at this stage in China.

Happy employees make customers happy

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