Summary of Interviews
To date, we've interviewed 19 tourism businesses across the province that are participating in the Transforming the Tourism Workforce project about their challenges and successes in today's labour market. The interviews were started off on a positive note in April 2009 when training was coined "the single greatest human resource tool" by Jim Bence, Director of Human Resources, at the Travelodge in Saskatoon.
From Saskatoon, we travelled to North Battleford, where both interviewees expressed hope that the workplace training provided by the project would lead to increased levels of pride, confidence, adaptability, knowledge, and creativity among employees.
In June, we found ourselves in Moose Jaw, where Deb Thorn, Chief Operating Officer and General Manager, at the Temple Gardens Mineral Spa Resort, highlighted the importance of creating a "sense of warmth, family and inclusion" among staff in order to achieve organizational objectives.
Next on our list was the southwest region of the province. It was here that a common theme became apparent: Group study sessions for employees to assist them in achieving their training objectives.
In August, we were back in Saskatoon to interview employers from the Radisson Hotel and Sheraton Cavalier, where both highlighted the importance of inspiring supervisors to take on mentorship and training initiatives. This was followed by a trip to Prince Albert, a small but forward-thinking city where empowering employees through training is a shared goal among tourism employers.
Saskatoon was on our list for the third time in October and November, when we interviewed employers from The Willows Golf & Country Club and the Delta Bessborough. Certification was the hot topic for these interviews, in which we learned about the standards-based training manuals The Willows has created for staff engaged in the project and the Delta's commitment to ensuring that training does not end after employees' orientation period.
The last interview of 2009 was held in Yorkton, where Elena Braithwaite, Kitchen Manager at Boston Pizza, noted that when it comes to certification it's important for managers to "step up to the plate and lead by example".
The New Year brought the Western Development Museum's desire to become an Employer of Choice to the fore via its HR strategy, which includes training and mentoring, inclusive decision-making, analysis of salary and job description, the administration of employee performance reviews, and team building.
Chris Regier, General Manager at the Days Inn, astutely observed that training staff isn't just about achieving professional ambitions. It's also about reaching personal goals.
In the spring, Karen Stewart, Human Resource Services Manager at the Regina Inn Hotel & Conference Centre, commented that a well-kept secret in the hospitality industry is that it "is one of the few industries in which a young person with a strong work ethic and positive attitude has the opportunity to turn a job into a career.
A month later, Wendy Lawrence, Human Resources Manager at Prairieland Park, observed that staff who took the Workplace Trainer workshop gained a better understanding of the different ways that people learn, which has helped them to develop individual training programs based on different learning styles.
"They have observed employees who didn't 'get it' using one trainng style 'get it' with another training style," Lawrence said.
In June, Joan Jakobsen, Training Coordinator for Transforming the Tourism Workforce, gave us a few insights into the project and thanked operators for their contribution to the project.
This was followed by Rita Mayes, Housekeeping Manager at the Radisson Hotel, who said that mentorship is part of her training philosophy. "We have trained room attendants, laundry, and janitorial associates to be Guest Enthusiast trainers," she said. "[They] follow-up with associates and with me. I feel it is very important to be able to help out where required and assist with getting the job done."
Our last interview for the two-year project was with Donna Hordyski, Tourism Coordinator with Prince Albert and District Tourism, who said the project has impacted her both personally and professionally. "I have gained a self-confidence in my abilities that wasn't always evident to me and to others. I have taken more seriously my role as a supervisor and become more confident in my ability to lead my staff," she said.
A heartfelt thanks to all the Transforming the Tourism Workforce operators and staff who participated in this project!
