The Courier Mail recently published an article outlining some of the many benefits that Brisbane’s latest major development, the Queen’s Wharf Precinct, will be offering to attract new employees.
Benefits such as free meals whilst on breaks, discounts on dining and accommodation, free laundry facilities, 16 weeks paid parental leave, competitive salaries and bonuses for some roles, have all been tipped to capture the attention of prospective staff.
With the Queen’s Wharf Precinct hoping to recruit 400 local staff (however will look to the international market if roles cannot be filled locally), the Brisbane and Queensland hospitality industry is likely to feel the impact over the coming months as skilled team members begin to see job advertisements and word of mouth about the precinct starts to circulate amongst staff.
Executive leadership teams need a strategy to retain and attract staff as the casino begins to ramp up their efforts.
This includes:
Employing the right people
Skills and licenses that are required for a position count for nothing if new employees do not have the right personality and aptitude. Consider what you can offer your staff, and how it positions your venue as a better place to work than another one down the road.
Pay the right level of reward
If your first reaction when employing new staff is to look up the award, then you’re on the wrong track. Assess the role you are recruiting for, the skills and traits you require, and what you would be willing to pay your ideal candidate. Always ask people what they’re looking for in terms of remuneration. If the best person applying for the job asks for $75,000, offer them $85,000 so they feel valued and are excited to join the team.
Managing Staff communication
In my experience as a consultant, I’ve conducted many senior staff remuneration reviews. A reoccurring piece of feedback that I receive is that senior management rarely has interaction from their superiors, except for when something negative occurs or goes wrong. Unfortunately, a pattern has occurred where General Managers, the Board or committee don’t take the time to thank their managers for their positive contributions to the business. Approach the review process as a positive communication and work towards changing the perspective of reviews amongst your team.
Support and assistance
Whilst many operators in our industry are suffering from staff shortages, we must beg the question; ‘what has our industry contributed to the promotion of benefits, and education of our staff and school students?’
In Board and committee meetings, we often become fixated on gaming figures, cost of promotions, entertainment etc. In my experience, I have rarely heard these meetings focus on how to implement better training programs and budgets in this area. Of course, the Chef shortage is one we can’t help but to raise at these meetings, but how many apprentice Chefs or school-based trainees does your organisation employ that will likely cultivate loyalty and a positive culture?
Constantly Moving on Poor Performers
We need to be wary of the current staffing shortages in our industry impacting on our ability to move on poor performers, simply for the sake of numbers. Not only can poor staff have a detrimental impact on customers, but it can also affect your high performers as they will likely grow frustrated with these staff, and in turn your business.
For assistance with your organisation’s recruitment and retention needs, please contact us via email at info@dws.net.au or view our range of HR services here.
