The world of hospitality as we know it has changed since the pandemic began, and workplace learning has been one of the hardest-hit areas. Imagine a crisis that forces your company’s employees to change the way they work almost overnight? Our industry is such that it cannot operate on the ‘Work From Home’ model, especially the operations bit.
Despite initial fears that the pressure would be too great, you discover that this new way of working could be a blueprint for the long term. That’s what hotels around the globe are finding as they respond to the COVID 19 pandemic. The crisis has accelerated the levels of digitisation to help reduce avoidable physical interactions. This situation meant finding ways to reinvent work and changes in the way workers perform them.
The pandemic changed the critical formula for maximising operational efficiency optimum utilisation of available resources, bringing the concept of cross-utilisation to the forefront. When the COVID-19 waters ebb, the landscape is likely to show some of the same problems that human resource leaders in the industry have long struggled with—low wages and high turnover, a lack of diversity in the higher ranks, and the need to recruit and retain capable talent.
But the virus has also remade businesses, including in some ways that present new opportunities. Remote work is more common now, jobs come with greater flexibility, and job descriptions are broader.
Lords Hotels and Resorts have initiated dedicated multiple training programmes for its team & leaders across the country. We designed and introduced new COVID-compliant SOPs, training manuals, cross-training programmes and to-do checklists for the entire operations team. It aims to gear up all leaders for a post lockdown scenario, ensure guests’ safety, and instil confidence amongst them.
Cross-training/ upskilling/cross-utilisation/virtual training/ virtual meetings with senior management, both formal and informal, had always been the most important strategies as the industry struggled during these uncertain times. Our leaders are trained in a broader range of tasks to perform multiskilled jobs. We have ensured that both the group and the leaders experience many benefits by providing the above.
Motivated associates learn new skills while at the same time making themselves more valuable to the team. They are more open to understanding numerous operational roles. They also gained a better understanding of how the operation works on the other side of the door through cross-training and their impact on one another.
This programme also provided our leaders with opportunities to better get to know their seniors, opening them up to more growth opportunities. Employees who can carry out more than one job are frequently more valuable to businesses.
By enhancing its ‘Karona Safe Rahona Safe’ initiative after the second wave, the Lords Group did its part of planning for a future sustainable organisation and ensured that we adapt and thrive. The new protocols include enhanced cleaning and sanitisation of all touchpoints, training sessions on hygiene, sanitised and considerably reducing the need for physical contact throughout the stay, to mention a few.
These protocols will be reviewed regularly and certified by experts. Other protocols such as social distancing, contactless check-in, sanitisation, in-room dining, thermal screening of guests, allotting room to the guest after 48 hours of the previous check-out, to mention a few were already in place earlier.
