In my article of November 2000 article in this publication, Generation Y: Motivating and Training a New Generation of Employees, it was noted that the potential employees we are trying to recruit have   motivations other than money for working in a certain establishment.  They have choices.  It’s a buyer’s market.

Hotel sales people are asked to formulate a brief ‘value proposition’ with which to gain a potential client’s interest in the benefits of booking rooms in our hotels.  (What – you haven’t done this!)  This includes benefit statements tailored to the client’s special requirements, not just features, of the hotel.  

For those of you who need a refresher on the difference between benefits and features, a feature is an amenity such as the fitness room or pool; the benefit is how that will enhance the experience of the guest.  A classic example is the Michelin commercial with the baby in the tire.  What is Michelin selling?  Not just the feature of the rubber tire but the safety and security that it offers the buyer, the benefit.  

Micheline is not the least expensive tire on the market and your hotel probably doesn’t offer the highest hourly wage.  It is important to identify then why an employee would choose to work for you and your hotel.  While this may sound easy, it does in fact require some thought.

In my management seminars, I ask participants to compose a ‘value proposition’.  Often the responses are a description of health benefits, the company, 401ks (like anyone is there long enough to for this to be compelling), comp rooms at other company hotels, etc.  These are features – tell your prospective employee what you can do for them.  This is about more than the hotel; it has to do with you, your management style and the working environment that you create.

One of the best value propositions that I received was from a chief engineer.  His value proposition to prospective employees was “In this department, we work hard to make the guest comfortable.  We also provide training and we support each other to get the job done.  We have a great group of people and manage to have a little fun each day.”   Short, sweet and to the point.  I would work for this manager if I had a clue how to use a screwdriver.        

I challenge you to formulate your own value proposition.   Think about the following:
 

An effective and honest value proposition can mean potential employees are eager to work for you.  If employees are happy working for you, they will tell their friends and soon you will have potential employees calling you for an interview.  How easy would that make your recruiting!

Carol Verret and Associates Consulting and Training offers training seminars and consulting services to the hospitality industry.  Carol’s latest training product is a comprehensive customer service training system, ResultsWOW.  For a complete description of her services, log onto her web site at http://www.carolverret.com/ or email her at carol.verret@worldnet.att.net. 

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