It’s Monday 5th November – and while fireworks may be going off this evening in the UK to celebrate Guy Fawkes night, I’m planning on bringing some fireworks all of my own to Quebec!

I have just arrived in this rather chilly (but fabulous!) city to deliver a keynote presentation and series of workshops to several hundred leading hoteliers and restaurateurs at this year’s Relais & Chateaux Rendez-Vous.

For over 30 years, my wife and I have used the Relais & Chateaux guide to simplify finding wonderful places to visit, where the hospitality is exceptional and the food delightful. So, standing on the stage tomorrow represents a moment for me. What’s really exciting is the synergy between Relais & Chateaux’s vision, values, and ethos – and those at Engagement Multiplier.

My keynote address will focus on the biggest challenge the hospitality sector faces today, attracting and retaining productive talent.

The majority of General Managers and hotel owners know that recruiting and keeping hold of the best talent is a constant battle they’ve yet to win. The consequences are headache-inducing. High attrition rates, absenteeism, staff that aren’t ‘on it’ or don’t enjoy coming to work – and let it show; the disruption, time, and cost implications of constantly having to train new staff all make running a successful property harder than it needs to be.

Moreover, the impact is often felt on the guest experience – and importantly on the bottom line. In the worst cases, the ability to retain good quality employees even results in reduced covers and extended off-season closures.

Owners and leaders are often left scratching their heads trying to think of solutions that will break the cycle – and this is what I will be sharing tomorrow…

In my keynote address, I will be delivering education, motivation, and inspiration around the transformative impact that improved engagement levels can have on the ability of the hospitality sector to attract and retain the best talent.

My workshops with Guillemette Colombe (The Boston Project) and Pascal Gauthier (Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne) will take the keynote learnings a step further – providing the audience with 10 key questions they need to ask themselves and answer if they want to improve the success of their property.

I will be sharing a proven 5 step process that will enable every audience member to create the essential core of any engaged hotel, restaurant, or property – an Engaged Purpose.

Why an Engaged Purpose critical in the hospitality sector:

A team that is driven by a shared sense of purpose, that comes to work present, focused, and energised can be the difference between a 5-star experience versus one with daily emergencies and fire drills.

What an Engaged Purpose is:

An Engaged Purpose details the transformation you are trying to create and inspires your team. It’s written for them and with them. It’s critical if you want to hire and retain millennials, who will represent 75% of the workforce in just 7 years.

A meaningful purpose statement is the very core of an Engaged property. It’s the glue that holds everything together. It connects team members while providing the structure and framework to align individual daily activities with the larger aspirations of the property. It makes attracting and retaining productive talent and growing a business so much easier. It simplifies difficult decisions and makes an uncertain future easier to navigate.

Relais & Chateaux know only too well the importance of a connection or a glue that holds everything together. In their own words…

“There were originally eight separate properties, authentic yet each with its own personality, located far from cities on the road from Paris to Nice, and all united by shared values.”

Each and every member of your team has their own personality and may even work in different locations – and an Engaged Purpose will unite them.

How you can create an Engaged Purpose for your property:

I can make this really easy for you! If you work in the hospitality sector and would like a copy of the 10 Key Questions you should ask yourself today to improve the success of your property and a guide that will give you the 5 simple steps to creating your Engaged Purpose, please contact us: hospitality@engagementmultiplier.com.