Transforming work culture to empower and engage employees

In Singapore’s hospitality and food services industry, jobs are often perceived as low end, remuneration tends to be lower than that of other sectors, and the industry in general has limited progressive people practices. Further, F&B business owners often find themselves faced with stiff competition, evolving consumer demands, high operational costs, and increasingly, the war for local talent.

The Institute for Human Resources Professionals (IHRP) has developed a series of playbooks specially designed to help businesses in the food and beverage (F&B) sector, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs), de-mystify HR by using simple, business-friendly language. 

The playbooks illustrate how HR practices (“plays”) can help address business challenges, with a curated set of practical HR resources, tools, and templates. In addition to strategies and solutions, business owners can expect to find case study examples from 14 local F&B companies, who are featured in the playbook.

In this video, Josephine Chua, Director of HR and Quality, Ramada and Days Hotel by Wyndham Singapore, shares how Ramada and Days Hotel by Wyndham Singapore attract, retain and engage employees in a financial viable way. “When employees feel a sense of belonging, there will be an increased positive performance result” said Chua, who is also an IHRP Master Professional (IHRP-MP).

This case study reflects the strategy of building a positive workplace through people practices and engagement, which is a key HC play in the playbook that the hotel has applied in response to the challenge of attracting and retaining local workers. 

The hotel’s work culture is shaped by the “Count on me” service culture of the parent company.  It emphasises the personal responsibility of each employee and encourages him or her to be responsive and respectful, and to provide a fantastic experience for guests. This, in turn, translates to a positive work culture where employees are empowered, engaged, and trusted to deliver great service. 

This case study is also highlighted in the Digital Transformation Playbook. Ramada and Days Hotel by Wyndham Singapore’s HR team, recognising the importance of employee engagement, has adapted and leveraged technology during the pandemic to increase employee engagement. 

Chua believes that timely, clear, and repeated communications help to instil employee confidence with the company and has developed a mobile app for talent engagement. RD Connect is a customised mobile app developed to share HR-related information, allow management and employees to communicate virtually, and allow timely employee recognition through e-appreciation. 

These efforts have helped the hotel to enjoy a retention rate above industry average, which is also reflected in its consistently favourable employee engagement results. 

Click here to find out more about the Playbook for Food Services industry and the Digital Transformation Playbook- Applying technology across employee lifecycle.