Three quarters after it opened in June 2019, Lemon Tree Premier Mumbai International Airport was witnessing excellent business, when COVID-19 struck. During the uncertain initial days, the biggest challenge for Hotel Manager Abhiram Menon was deducing his
team’s reaction. “Despite the decision to keep the hotel open and receiving a positive response from guests, a major concern was the reluctance of team members to stay onsite,” he said.
Hence, he decided to walk the talk by staying in the hotel himself and working alongside his colleagues. “I stayed there for three months to build my team’s confidence and built an excellent work environment,” he reminisced. COVID-19 also underlined the critical
role played by the HR division, as Menon saw mediocre members transform into fantastic players during the pandemic. Hence, he focused on their continuous training to nurture their inherent talent.
With the altered staffing ratio, it was important that team members were well rested, considering the additional pressure. Menon moved all non-residents into the hotel, saving them house rents, while he had the workforce ready at the property’s disposal.
