Build a better team and build a better business

Build a better team and build a better culture

As in all good businesses,  we all know that the culture of the company comes from the top, hospitality is no different. And by culture I mean the owners and managers need to have a clear vision of their company brand and ethos and that ethos being communicated down through the rank and file of your team matters.  Here is why... if your team don't understand your 'brand promise', how on earth are they going to communicate that out to your customers?Lets face it, we all want our guest experience to be different; to be memorable and the greatest impact that we have on all our guests is not our product.  That might be a difficult for some to hear but it isn't... You of course need to have a room that exceeds expectations; a restaurant that serves exceptional food and a bar that is warm and welcoming.  But strip all of those things away and speak to your guests months after their visit and I can almost guarantee that the strongest resounding memory they will have will be the service they received.  The smile; the person that went that extra mile; the team member who was welcoming and engaging.  Those things matter and to make sure you actually make that kind of impression you need to invest in two things - hiring the right people and training them. And by training them, I don't just mean on how to pour a drink or make a bed, but actually training them on how you want your service levels to be delivered - your brand promise...As some of you already know, my own business, Right Revenue is expanding and I am building out a team.  My ethos in hiring is simple - hire people who are better than me. That may frighten a lot of people but let me explain.  Like everyone, 'I know what I know' and I am very confident in what I know, after all that knowledge has sustained me through over 20 years in this business. But the fact is that I don't know everything and nor do I pretend to. By employing people who bring unique skills and specialism in their individual field I am growing a much better business.I love to be challenged and by having an environment where the team feel they can put their absolute best ideas forward and that I am not threatened by their greater knowledge, empowers all of us to build a much better business.Hire better people - it's that simple.  Let them bring their ideas openly to the table and raise the game. After all, 'a high tide lifts all boats' so if we are raising the tide with our quality of staff, our business only grows and moves forward.I was recently told about the ethos of Amazon and how they hire.  They of course have a HR Team that go through the usual procedure of hiring and choosing who they feel will be the right candidate for the job.  But after they have made that 'almost final' decision, that new recruit then is reviewed  by a new panel of people.  This panel consists of the senior team and their brief is simple - make sure this new person adds something to the existing team.  They never hire someone who will match the current level of the team but this new recruit has to add something, bring something new to the table and if they don't, what is the reason for hiring anyone at all?I find this to be genius.  By recruiting in this way they ensure that the skill set of their team is always improving, always growing and their business is constantly moving forward. Surely that should be the goal for us all?Next week I would like to continue by delving a little further into instilling a brand culture but for now, I set you this challenge - No matter who your next hire is, hire better! Hire someone smarter than you or someone that will lift the skill set of your existing team.  If this new recruit is senior, don't be threatened by this new level knowledge, be empowered!(and for all things revenue, ask@rightrevenue.wpengine.com)