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The Never-Ending Source of Engagement C243

means recognizing people at the lowest levels the most—those who
clean the toilets and make the beds. We want them to know their jobs
have meaning. Managers also need to understand that not everyone
wants to be recognized publicly. That means they need to know each
person individually. We tend to hire people who just naturally do
that, who will remember the employees’ names and their children’s
names.

Q: Do you have bonus or incentive programs?
Howard: Yes, we have an incentive program for employees who make
their financial goals, but we leave the criteria and amounts up to
the individual hotels. A room attendant might make an extra $50 if
certain financial goals are met, such as efficient utilization of room
supplies. Some hotels give gift certificates for Safeway or Starbucks.
It’s also important to know when to recognize teams as well as indi-
viduals. For example, we recognize teams when we open a new hotel
property, which is a big production. The hotels that achieve highest
customer-satisfaction ratings are recognized at our annual holiday
party.

Q: Valuing employees is about more than just recognition and
incentives, isn’t it?
Howard: Absolutely. It’s about employees having the right supplies,
which is why we ask that question on our employee survey. It’s about
communicating openly, especially in a difficult economy. We prac-
tice open-book management, which sends the message that we respect
employees enough to think they deserve to know as much as possible
about the business.

Q: If you were to create a headline that described the approach
or philosophy your company takes to recognizing and reward-
ing employees, what would it be?
Howard: Help them see the meaning in their work. It’s like Chip wrote
about in his book, Peak: How Great Companies Get Their Mojo
from Maslow. Maslow’s pyramid of human needs begins with the