Investing In Our People During Tough Times

Posted: July 25, 2009 12:03:53 AM

By Ruthann Yamanaka (Dr. Richard Kelley is traveling. His column will return on August 1.) The ongoing tough economy is a demanding test for most American companies. There is a full-court press to do more, better, faster — and with less. Every company is tightening its belt and rethinking its strategies so it can emerge a winner and get through the challenges of these times, which are unprecedented for practically everyone in the workforce today.

At Outrigger, continued fiscal responsibility, distinctive Island hospitality, and remaining committed to the development of employees are among the strategies we’ve chosen. According to a training and development magazine, true recession survivors don’t put training on hold in tough times. Quite the contrary – they emphasize it. However, they focus relentlessly on what works, eliminate what doesn’t, and keep costs down through smart managing. These companies understand that it’s when times are darkest that employees most need to be prepared.

According to Outrigger’s Manager of Organizational Development, Pila Hanson, applying resourcefulness and creativity to training makes it effective while keeping costs under control. “It’s all about making training relevant and finding ways to get information to a wider audience at a reduced cost,” she says.

So what are some ways to get the most effective training during these tough economic times? Here are a few priorities at Outrigger University:

•Target training – Focus on supervisors because these are the people with the most influence on the front-line employees who are in closest contact with our guests . . . and focus also on employees with direct guest interaction. As featured in last week’s Saturday Briefing, 22 dedicated supervisors graduated from Outrigger’s rigorous 10-week Management Fundamentals program. A second program will begin in September. “This class has enabled us to learn the skills needed to succeed, so we can take them back to our respective properties and departments and put them into practice,” explains Reyn Nakamasu, Guest Services Manager. “Seeing Outrigger invest in my personal development as a manager has demonstrated the company’s commitment to me and it has motivated me, in turn, to reciprocate that commitment to Outrigger.”
•Tap in-house resources – Employees within a company are a wealth of knowledge and experience. For example, professionals from Outrigger’s Legal, Risk Management, Safety, Retail, and Condominium Divisions teamed up to design and deliver an eight-module Hospitality Law series. This series has already been offered twice to a capacity crowd, and registration is now open for the fall session. Topics range from an overview of Outrigger’s corporate structure, contracts and regulations governing hospitality, to security issues and specialized topics relevant to the condominium business. Other employees have volunteered to present topics at our periodic, voluntary “Lunch and Learn” sessions.
•Leverage technology – While classroom training is an effective delivery method for some types of training, technology offers a wide range of additional options that allow employees to participate at the time that’s best for them, and that also require no travel expense. Kathy Sylvester, the Human Resources Director for Outrigger’s Denver operations, initiated an e-learning capability by launching online training for our Reservations Agents a few years ago. Since then, many agents have begun working from home, which makes e-learning an especially smart way to keep agents informed and up-to-date. Outrigger has also created over 250 online Stellex training modules, which are available 24/7 to both new hires and current employees. This means that employees can access training on the topics they need, when they need it. The investment last year in a web-conferencing capability has given us yet another way to communicate with and train employees, while also being “green” by minimizing travel expenses and paper usage. Developments such as Facebook, Twitter and other social networking media will offer even more opportunities for communication — and perhaps training — in the future.

Hospitality Manager, Marsha Kapu, one of those who attended the recent Management Fundamentals course, told us, “As I wholeheartedly took hold of this incredible opportunity, it became very clear that I was on a voyage of self-discovery. However, this could not have happened unless Outrigger FIRST believed in me! That trust coming from an employer in such a difficult economic time is remarkable!”

Is investing in training at this time worth it? We definitely think so.