1. 3/24/14 8:51 AMMastering the Art of Building an “A” Team, by Tom Conran
Page 1 of 4http://www.hotelexecutive.com/business_review/3780/mastering-the-art-of-building-an-a-team
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Mr. Conran
Human Resources, Recruitment & Training
Mastering the Art of Building an “A”
Team
By Tom Conran, Principal, Greenwood Hospitality Group
Recent financial and industry-specific performance indicators, as
well as general economic forecasts, suggest that 2014 will
sustain positive trends in overall performance. During the
improvement cycle, hotel owners and managers alike have been
in an enviable position. Net profits have increased substantially
to support capital improvements and much needed property
upgrades. However, no matter the increased thread count of
linens or a savvy design scheme, the delivery of service remains
the cornerstone of a positive hospitality experience. This
experience must be embedded in the culture of the hotel and the
team members who live it. The building of the “A” team is an art and, when executed well, will
pay significant dividends in gaining and retaining valued customers. In this article, we will
discuss strategies and programs to accomplish this core responsibility of hotel executives.
Attracting the “A” Team
Fundamental to selecting quality team members is understanding, at all skill levels, the
prevailing local marketplace for labor. Market surveys will reveal what the hospitality industry
in general is paying for comparable positions. We must remember however that we are also
competing with other local employers for skilled people. They might be local restaurants or
retail stores, corporate offices or sales and service organizations and as such, our market
survey should include them.
Avoid being penny wise and pound-foolish. Paying slightly more than the market rate to
attract quality candidates can pay dividends in hotel performance, reputation and profitability.
At the managerial level, it is beneficial to provide a summary of incentive programs that are in
place, about which candidates are informed before selection. This can be an important point
of difference in the recruitment process.
There are many ways in which to advertise for positions. Certainly, digital and social media
are increasingly important tools. Hotel entities should use their organization’s home web site
and individual property web sites as recruiting agents, to include distinct Job Opportunity tabs
and postings. These posting must be accurate, current and follow all applicable employment
laws.
We must also occupy the social space and be conversant in appropriate portals, to include
Linked In, Facebook and Twitter. Our own web sites and Facebook pages must reinforce our
culture proposition and what we represent.
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2. 3/24/14 8:51 AMMastering the Art of Building an “A” Team, by Tom Conran
Page 2 of 4http://www.hotelexecutive.com/business_review/3780/mastering-the-art-of-building-an-a-team
Our greatest recruiting tool however
remains our reputation in the
community, and within our industry.
How we care for guests. How we
respect our industry colleagues. How
we motivate, train, reward and
advance our team members. These
are all key factors that define who we
are as an organization and employer.
Be a leader in all of these areas and
you will attract the best people.
A Supply Line for Talent
Companies in the hospitality industry
can also take the initiative in
developing their own internal and
external talent supply lines.
Today, there are many fine programs in hospitality and culinary arts at both the university and
community college levels. They can be outstanding sources for excellent associate
candidates. This can be accomplished by getting to know the faculty of these programs so
that they can refer candidates and post openings with their respective departments. Formal
relationships can also be established with individual programs. Examples of this can include
having members of the hotel entity’s staff teach on the adjunct faculty of a program or by
offering on-site, “for credit” internships and other programs for students at a specific property.
This allows an organization to pre-select and pre-qualify students for positions within their
organization.
A seriously engaged internal talent supply line should supplement external ones. Career
retention begins on Day One. Explaining during the interview process that the company will
have identified a career progression for its associates will provide the new team member a
pathway for future growth. Referral tracking systems also work well when supported by
incentive programs for bringing new talent to the organization. Referring employees should be
kept regularly informed about the status of their recommendations, whether the candidate
was hired, and, if so, how they are doing in their new career. A monetary award for the
referral is appropriate after the new team member reaches an ample period of time, i.e. 90
days.
Well-defined job descriptions presented to and reviewed with each candidate for any opening,
support these attraction strategies. By doing this there are fewer misconceptions or
misunderstandings after being hired.
Assembling the “A” Team
The foundations of team building are defined expectations, quality mentoring and regular
evaluation of the associate by an organization, and vice versa.
This stage of building an “A” team can start with “shadow” programs. They allow a candidate
to spend a day “on the job” before formally accepting a position. They help the individual
decide whether he or she is a good fit for the position. Are you a candidate for a house
attendant? Spend a day with a housekeeper and learn the job responsibilities, daily routine
and workload. Want to be a sous chef in our kitchen? Experience the activity and
competencies required during a busy meal period. Are you anxious to shine in sales? Follow
one of our sales executives for a day in order to see what the position demands.
Once selected, each new associate can be assigned a Learning Coach. This individual
serves as a bridge for the new team member between the human resources department and
executive management. This support is especially important during the first 90 days of
assignment and new team members are more likely to confide issues to a learning coach
than their official supervisor.
Going forward, a great mantra for any organization is “inspect and grade what you expect.”
The goal is to not leave important things unspoken; expectations undefined; or performance
ungraded.
This measuring toolkit can include: engagement surveys; employee questionnaires, in which
they can ask questions and share concerns and regular performance reviews. Other
possibilities include brand measurement surveys, which reinforce franchise and
organizational cultures. The surveys allow team members to express, on a comprehensive
scorecard, what they feel or understand about their assigned hotel and how well they fit into
that culture. Also, annual re-certifications can provide a non-stressful opportunity to get back
to basics and re-instill the hallmarks of a brand or culture of an individual hotel property.
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3. 3/24/14 8:51 AMMastering the Art of Building an “A” Team, by Tom Conran
Page 3 of 4http://www.hotelexecutive.com/business_review/3780/mastering-the-art-of-building-an-a-team
The goal in all of these efforts is to halt any misunderstandings in their tracks, while at the
same time to foster open dialogue that helps build both self-confidence and organizational
allegiance.
Retaining the “A” Team
Once assembled and trained, retaining this important investment in human capital involves:
Rewarding team members in timely and meaningful ways;
Maintaining open dialogue and a path of advancement; and
Trusting in associates to embrace not just teamwork or diligent effort, but a true
“authorship” of their responsibilities.
Acknowledgement programs can take many forms. Examples include employee of the month
or quarter programs, occasional social get-together events, or spontaneous rewards for
exceptional service. The key principle is sharing and celebrating individual and departmental
success. Great performance should be acknowledged and rewarded. Also, these programs
must be backed with full human resource and monetary support. At times when budgets are
strained, reward program funding is often the first item to suffer. This common approach is, at
best, a short-sighted process which could have longer term implications.
This “company cares” environment can be expanded to higher levels and the possibilities are
endless. One idea is for an individual hotel to establish a fund that can be used to assist
associates in time of need. Examples include someone not being able to afford airfare to a
funeral, or someone who needs help in moving a grandparent to senior care.
Finally, it helps to add some fun time into everyone’s schedule; to break the rhythm of a hard
day or week; to reinforce that just as we are pledged to treat the customer in a certain way, so
should we treat ourselves in the hospitality industry.
The intent in all of these initiatives is to reinforce the idea that individual hotels are a “work
family” rather than a work place.
Where Are We Going?
A clear path of advancement begins in treating associates with clarity and honesty in the form
of systematic and meaningful review that is based on measurable content. Next, identify and
map a career path for the best performers, based on your organization’s needs and growth
strategy. As part of this process, keep in mind that your best people will be on your
competitor’s radar screens as well.
In developing an “A List” you let outstanding performers know that their contributions are
valued and there is a place for career progression in your organization, whether at the
property or corporate level.
How we best prepare and motivate associates to remain with our organization is based,
ultimately, on how we treat them on a daily basis. This means an organizational culture that
maintains open lines of communication and fully informs associates on everything from what
to expect on any given day to how our entity as a whole is performing in terms of growth and
profitability levels. Through full disclosure and acceptance of input, we want associates to part
of the solution of any issue that arises.
This approach also entails trusting the well-trained associate to improvise when necessary in
order to address a concern or fix a problem with which he or she might not be familiar. We
prepare associates for these situations by role playing during orientation and ongoing training
and coaching, which helps build each team member’s self-confidence and sharpen problem-
solving abilities.
Winning the Game
Managing any hotel organization or individual property is a complex endeavor. It takes
leadership, openness and resources to attract, assemble and retain a motivated, productive
and confident team. It takes selecting people based on their qualities, their desire to be part of
a team and their ability to perform the required tasks, as opposed to simply being hired for a
job.
As we know, this process of attracting and assembling a staff can be expensive, in time and
money, especially if we have to replace individuals at any level of our organization within
short cycles. Conversely, a coherent and fully engaged process can yield many dividends to
our daily operations, overall cost efficiencies, reputation in the marketplace and corporate
culture.

4. 3/24/14 8:51 AMMastering the Art of Building an “A” Team, by Tom Conran
Page 4 of 4http://www.hotelexecutive.com/business_review/3780/mastering-the-art-of-building-an-a-team
Most importantly, mastering the art of building an “A” team sends a clear, consistent and
convincing message — to guests, competitors and ourselves — that this corporate culture
welcomes, values and embodies a pursuit of excellence.
Tom Conran serves as a Principal of Greenwood Hospitality Group, where he is responsible
for strategic investments and third-party hotel management assignments. Mr. Conran has
more than 30 years of hospitality experience in the management, finance, and real estate
sectors. Prior to Greenwood, Mr. Conran served as Vice President of Business Development
for Richfield Hospitality. He expanded the Richfield management platform to include
hospitality investments and acquisitions. At Richfield and its predecessor companies, Mr.
Conran held several key responsibilities, including sales and marketing, property
management transitions, and client relations within the management portfolio. Mr. Conran
earned a Bachelor’s Degree from Keene State College in Keene, New Hampshire. Mr.
Conran was a founding member of Meetings Planner International in Hartford, CT and he
currently serves on the Owners’ Advisory Board of Doubletree Hotels. Mr. Conran can be
contacted at 860-648-9040 or tconran@greenwoodhospitality.com Extended Bio...
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Cultivating Guest Satisfaction and Retention
At the heart of every positive hotel experience is excellent customer service and yet there are
a myriad of factors that contribute to a successful guest transaction. Some are tangible,
obvious and easier-to-manage; others are more ineffable and elusive; but professional
analysts and experts are going to great lengths to define and measure the elements that
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Informational (the availability and delivery of all the information a customer needs to function
as a customer); Deliverable (anything the customer takes possession of, even temporarily);
Procedural (all the functions that customers perform in their role as a customer);
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smell, flavor, visual appeal, temperature, sound levels, music, etc.). By aggregating these
specific areas of operation and then analyzing them in a Customer Service Management
System, the goal is to identify, capture and retain customers, and to provide a comprehensive
view of the customer experience across the entire enterprise. The April issue of the Hotel
Business Review will report on what some leading hotels are doing to cultivate guest
satisfaction and retention in their operations.
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