Mr. Poirot

Diversity Issues

Workforce Diversity: Not Just a Trend

By Olivier Poirot, CEO, Accor North America

Embracing diversity among employees is an important part of building and maintaining a company that truly reflects the diverse communities served in the hospitality industry. It is becoming increasingly important to establish internal programs that not only encourage, but also cultivate this diversity.

Diversity has become and should be a primary focus for all businesses, from small business to global corporations. Too often, it loses its significance and "diversity" becomes an overused buzzword that everyone wants more of but fails to apply appropriately into the overall business plan. Diversity is essential to implement in all facets of business, from the workplace to the marketplace and everywhere in between. The best place to start this implementation is to concentrate on workforce diversity. Most companies have a video or section in the handbook to address sensitivity to each employee's diversity, but that only scratches the surface of potential to use diversity as tool to make your guests, employees and shareholders happier.

Luckily for those of us in the lodging industry, this idea is not a completely foreign one. We are no strangers to diversity and have learned to work with it and embrace it in our guests. Tourism and travel have become more global than ever, bringing people from all walks of life, cultures and ages to various destinations throughout the world. Similarly, the lodging industry workforce is just as diverse and can use this diversity to its advantage in building internal relations and to create a better way of working together.

Perhaps one of the most important aspects of embracing diversity is communication. No progress can be made without an open and constant flow of communication between a company and its employees. One of the easiest ways to start this dialogue is to encourage employees to talk about their backgrounds internally. Even something as simple as a bulletin board in employee breakrooms, where anyone can put up information on their cultures and heritages, can help generate discussion.

A simple way for a company to communicate to its employees is through regular reports. Annual reports on diversity are a great way to showcase the company's diversity programs and opportunities internally. These reports reinforce the importance of diversity and also provide employees with a tangible perspective on how a diverse workforce can help achieve business goals. Another useful avenue is to create calendars for employees that note key dates and include information on diversity, such as fun facts, significant holidays and any company activities on diversity. Employee appreciation days or weeks can also be used to highlight employees who have gone above and beyond to contribute to the company's diversity programs.

One of the most vital parts of fully embracing diversity internally is through proper training and education of employees. Most companies and organizations include diversity training on respect and sensitivity in new employee education. While this is a critical part of creating a professional and productive work environment, it is also necessary to introduce new employees to diversity as an integral part of the company's culture. This can be reinforced by training employees from throughout the company to teach these policies and attitudes to the new employees. In doing so, current employees are given the opportunity to commit even more to diversity within the company and to strengthen this aspect of the culture.

Often times, celebrating differences is a direct extension of this training. A natural next step after employees learn about the company's perspective on diversity and how to be comfortable with these differences is to express their own pride in who they are, such as a a special section in the company newsletter.

Such courses and programs work well on the corporate level, but in the hotel business there are usually hundreds of properties that need to be taken into consideration when planning diversity education. One way to bring this important training to the property level is to develop a tool kit and send these materials to the general managers for use in training sessions. The kit can be as simple as a binder and CD of information with an explanation of the business case for diversity along with supplemental activities. By providing the tasks, courses and exercises that need to covered, the company has consistent implementation of the same message on every level.

Another great way to celebrate not only the company's diversity but also its programs, is to apply for external diversity awards. Such awards bring credibility to the company along with a sense of pride for employees. Encouraging and maintaining this employee attitude makes cultivating the company focus on diversity much easier, as diversity then becomes just as much a priority for employees as the company.

Understanding each other's differences does not mean the group can never have a common cause. Community relations programs such as holiday toy drives and service projects allow employees pool their various resources and unique perspectives to achieve one goal. Such programs also take employees outside the work environment to explore the diverse communities the company serves. These experiences emphasize the importance of the local community and also help to put diversity education in a larger context. These activities bring training full circle by focusing on the strength of a diverse team.

Taking the time to invest in establishing diversity as a personal priority for each employee pays off in more ways than just creating an environment of respect. This understanding of each other's diversity allows employees to better relate to guests as well, further enriching the hotel stay and establishing brand loyalty with those customers. Employees are then also better equipped to work with each other. Managers who understand the differences between baby boomers and Generation Y employees can tailor their styles to accommodate generational differences in communication and work ethic.

Mentoring programs are a great way to help old and new employees learn from each other's varied experience. Mentors obviously provide advice based on years in the industry. In exchange, mentees provide a fresh perspective and introduce mentors to new ways of doing things. These pairings can reinforce the culture of diversity within the company by having employees with different backgrounds and experience levels come together and use these differences to make their careers richer.

Committing to diversity goes beyond today; companies need to start thinking of the future as well. By taking an interest in students, companies can ensure that the industry will reflect the diverse communities served. Establishing scholarship programs for minorities looking to get into the hospitality industry helps remove the financial obstacles many students face when pursuing their education. Establishing relationships with local colleges and hospitality programs gives students the opportunity to get inside perspectives and advice for a more hands-on approach. Bringing students into the office as interns gives them the chance to ask questions and find out more about the industry, while allowing the company to get an idea of who is coming out of the hospitality programs.

By embracing each dimension of diversity, a company can harness and cultivate the greatest talent, better serve guests and sustain profitability for shareholders. Diversity in the workforce is more than a trend; it is a business philosophy that needs to be seen in every facet of company culture possible. Attaining diversity in the workforce is not a destination, but an ongoing process that needs to be reinforced continually. Diversity should be a driving force in the hospitality industry that permeates all strategies, programs and plans, just as it is found in all those we serve. Understanding and using diversity in business is the key to achieving success in a changing world.

Olivier Poirot is CEO of Accor North America, Motel 6 and Studio 6. Accor North America's portfolio includes Sofitel, Novotel, Studio 6 and Motel 6 properties. Poirot was a driving force behind Accor North America's Pinnacle Program, its company-wide diversity program. Poirot joined Accor as Senior Vice-President in charge of finance for the Accor Business and Leisure (ABL) division in June 2001. Prior to that, he was CFO of Accor UK Ltd, in charge of finance, IT, procurement and legal for Accor hotels in the United Kingdom and Ireland, where he began his career with Accor in 1992. Mr. Poirot can be contacted at 972-360-2528 or anaceo@accor-na.com Extended Bio...

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