There is a trend occurring the hotel industry, although admittedly, it is in its infancy. However, if excicuted properly this new system of employee training will bring employees up to speed with an organization quicker, make them more effective liaisons with clients and provide a means to monitor and contribute to their development, both personally and professionally.
I am going to preface the following discussion stating that human interaction, specifically one on one training is invaluable, not only during the training process, but in the long term growth and development of an employee. This interaction can never be replaced; instead, finding ways to augment an individualized training process in order to benefit not only the employee but your overall organization is paramount.
Using IT, specifically creating portals/websites which engage employees is the latest tool being implemented in various hotel operations around the world. Providing new employees with a comprehensive source of information which can include: how to enroll in benefit plans, online training classes/documents or property/room layout and descriptions. This information is nothing new, for years hotels have had comprehensive manuals, books and files encompassing the relevant material.
However, with the increase in easy to use website templates and web designers, the tools to move this process online have never been more convenient. Advantages include the ability for the employee to access information from anywhere and the ability to update/add information in a much cheaper/more efficient manner.
Chuck Conine recently published an article on this very issue (located here). He notes that the cost associated with adding IT to the training process is not only justifiable, but is much less than in previous years due to the progression of technology. However, Chuck does mention that non-monetary resources, such as internal and external talent, will be required to design and implement the program. Three considerations, when designing the program are:
- Deciding which policies, mission statements and values represent the essence of what the employer wants to convey about its employee brand.
- Determining topics that should be readily available within the universe of recruitment, selection, employee on-boarding and continuing employees (this decision will certainly influence project scope but also speak to the degree to which the resulting solutions represent a comprehensive approach).
- Selecting the right “content experts” for developing and updating resources, applications and interfaces.
In conclusion, I would encourage all readers of this blog to take a critical look at the way in which new employees are introduced and nurtured within your organization. This analysis is critical in determining if there is a better (meaning not only more efficient, but more effective) manner to develop one of your most valuable assets.
