Page 225 - How America's Best Places to Work Inspire Extra Effort in Extraordinary Times

212B RE-ENGAGE

Q: So, you hire more for talent than experience?
Gallineau: Yes, we truly believe in aligning talents. When we first
opened the hotel, we were trying to fill 200 positions. There were
only so many management positions to fill, and we knew that not
everyone who applies for a manager’s job is cut out to be a manager.
They are often just tempted by higher pay or attracted by the status
of the position. We always asked candidates for these jobs a question
that really helped us determine who was a fit and who wasn’t. The
question was “What was the best job you ever had and why?” A lot
of the candidates said they were actually happier when they were
working in jobs one or two levels below where they were working at
the time. So we moved some of them back into those positions, where
they could do the work they enjoyed, and kept them at their same pay
level. Some told us they felt relieved. One was a director of rooms who
preferred her previous role being in charge of executive housekeep-
ing. She missed the daily interaction with the housekeepers. So that
was a surprise that so many candidates responded that way. It’s not
what we expected, but it worked out quite well. So many businesses
promote people to failure.

Such remarkable stories are commonplace among Best-Places em-
ployers. We said in our preface that these winning employers are a
principled bunch, and there is no better example that Gaylord’s com-
mitment to aligning organizational and employee interests.

: WHO GAINS AND WHO LOSES IN TURBULENT TIMES

Although career goals and aspirations may wane in tough times, some
employers—as Figure 7.4 shows—still achieve employee engagement
gains, while others suffer a significant drop.