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MANAGEMENT
Another reason for change is that highly skilled employees are in
demand — and they know it. With the U.S. unemployment rate at a
10-year low (4.2 percent in September 2017), human resources pro-
fessionals are competing for top talent. “We’re not just taking a closer
look at candidates; they’re also taking a closer look at us,” says Kelly
Frank, chief human resources officer for ILG. “All great companies
are continually positioning themselves to be the best place to work. If
you don’t do that, you will find yourself at the losing end of the ability
to attract the right talent.”
What do millennials, along with still important Gen Xers (born 1965
to 1981) and baby boomers (born 1946 to 1964), want from employ-
ers today? (The actual time spans for these generational designations
are up for debate.) And what will it take to keep them happy once
they’re hired?
To find out, we checked in with Frank and three other experts,
Kimberly Tramontana, vice president of operations at Breckenridge
Grand Vacations (BGV) in Breckenridge, Colorado; Monica Garcia
Castillon, human resources manager at The Villa Group in Cabo San
Lucas, Mexico; and Amy Gregory, assistant professor at the University
of Central Florida Rosen College of Hospitality Management. Here are
their top tips for employers:
1. Pay Attention
Millennials are a generation that has been well taken care of by their
parents. (Do you hear the sound of a helicopter overhead?) “They
don’t expect anything different at work,” Gregory says. They want
more feedback, more frequent feedback, and more personalized feed-
back. “Not just a list of objectives, but concrete measures they can
take. They’re very responsive to that.”
Documenting performance, but waiting four months until the
annual review to discuss won’t just be unhelpful, it will be viewed as
unfair. You can keep giving an annual review, but that’s just the start
of communication — and it must go both ways. “We are reinventing
that process,” Frank says. “We’re launching a companywide associate-
engagement survey that monitors the pulse of the organization; we’re
looking for tools that provide continual feedback.”
“As an employer, I think it’s important that all employees, regard-
less of age, are able to have a voice,” Tramontana says. “We must
listen to what our employees are saying, recognizing that they work
more closely with customers. We provide the vision and direction, but
then we ask employees how best to get there and try to give as much
empowerment as possible.”
A new initiative at BGV is called Mind the Gap sessions, during
which the entire executive team meets with employees to find out if
there are gaps between what each group is seeing and experienc-
ing. A recent session resulted in the retooling of compensation for
housekeepers, going from a complicated incentive program to an
easier-to-understand raise in base pay.
Policies that ensure that people get regular recognition and praise
for a job well-done are critical to creating a more trusting and positive
workplace environment for all generations.
2. Have a Plan
An important way to demonstrate that personal interest in employees
is by creating targeted development plans. “They’re looking for lead-
ers to be mentors and grow their careers,” Frank says. “We used to
focus professional development more on the technology or technical
side, but now we know that the ability to grow and develop the leader-
ship potential in our best people is important.”
BGV has also implemented the Aspire program to help employ-
ees be better aligned for advancement. Geared toward employees
who aren’t currently in a leadership position, it’s a self-study program
that includes taking online courses, reading books, watching movies,
and interacting with other members of the Aspire group. “Employees
can track their progress in a log, and keep notes of what they have
learned,” Tramontana says. “When it’s time to make a hiring decision,
managers can look in the Aspire file
to see the progress they have made.”
The company is also consider-
ing making a formal mentoring process
that’s worked well in the owner relations
department an optional companywide
initiative.
The Villa Group offers employees
training in computer programs such as
Excel, along with English lessons for
their predominantly Spanish-speaking
employee base. They also bring in
external trainers for the kitchen staff
and have an “intense” training pro-
gram for wine sommeliers. “We have
been investing a lot of time and money
in these efforts,” Garcia says.
3. Develop the Culture
“Millennials want to enjoy their work
experience,” Frank says. “Nothing
makes me happier than coming in to
work and seeing people who are happy,
smiling, and engaged.” Toward that
end, Frank advocates for a focus on the softer skills of leadership, such
as emotional intelligence. “It’s not just what you accomplish, but how
you accomplish it.”
That includes what employees wear when they accomplish it. “In
today’s workforce, it’s something that people ask about,” Frank says.
“We recently launched Dress for Your Day, an initiative that permits a
more casual dress code, including the wearing of jeans.”
At The Villa Group, Garcia says the company also offers “emo-
tional earnings.” “This is compensation to show that we care for our
employees, and we do an excellent job with that,” she says. “We have
many types of recognition programs and take every opportunity to let
our staff know they are worth a lot to us.”
Employees who stay at least a year earn a free vacation at a hotel
in Cancún, Mexico. If employees’ children earn certain grades, they
receive a backpack filled with school supplies. One of the most popular
benefits is a cafeteria where employees get free meals. “The food is
to die for!” she says. “We show through our actions that we value our
employees.”
DEFINING Generations
For 16 years, the generational consultants at BridgeWorks have asked baby boomers,
“What is your first memory of NASA?” The landslide answer is, “landing on the moon.”
They then ask, “What did that moment mean to you?” The usual answer is something
like, “We could do anything. If we have the right technology and if we work hard
enough, the sky is the limit.”
But when they ask Gen Xers the same question, the landslide answer is, “The
Challenger explosion.” The two generations are looking at the same institution, yet
see it very differently.
Each generation’s experiences affect their perceptions of the world they live in.
Although you can’t typecast every millennial, Gen Xer, or baby boomer, there are
important differences. Here’s a look at some identified by BridgeWorks.
Baby Boomer Gen Xer Millennial
WORKPLACE MOTIVATOR Public Recognition Flexibility Colleagues
TRAITS
Competitive
Nonconforming
Optimistic
Disciplined
Resourceful
Skeptical
Independent
Entrepreneurial
Collaborative
Globally Connected
Media Savvy
Environmentally
Conscious
VALUES
Work Ethic
Professionalism
Youthfulness
Individualism
Luxury
Transparency
Independence
Work-Life Balance
Growth
Integrity
Innovation
Efficiency
Speed
feedback
empowerment
mentoring
rewardbalance
social responsibility
flexibility
values-drivenculture
JANUARY – MARCH 2018 VACATION INDUSTRY REVIEW