by John Nugent, Chief Executive at Green & Fortune
The event and hospitality sector has faced significant challenges in recent years: people left the industry or migrated away from the UK in droves. However, as the event sector continues to recalibrate, new faces join the industry and roles are redefined; it’s crucial that we all align our people policies and procedures to the current demands of employees.
What’s important now.
People want to work for organisations that have a purpose, businesses that are both mindful of their environmental impact, and genuinely value the diverse outlooks and inputs that their people can bring.
Despite a diminished talent pool, our company has persevered in attracting individuals who align with our values and vision to develop a more dynamic, supportive service sector. It’s an ethos we’ve championed since 2008, and in doing so, we’re attracting and maintaining a team that contributes to our commercial success and reputation. By supporting our people, we also help build personal confidence, pride and long-term retention too.
The past 3-years proved we can easily haemorrhage a workforce to other industries and countries. Therefore, it’s imperative that – as we build back – we recognise, reward, remunerate and reflect the business of events as a profession that is run professionally.
From a Green & Fortune perspective our employee culture is anchored on four core principles:
- fostering growth opportunities
- embracing diversity
- nurturing personal development
- prioritizing the happiness of both our guests and team members.
Understanding the needs of our employees is essential.
Modern professionals seek purpose, innovation, and security in their workplace. They want to show their entrepreneurial spirit, yet they want the stability offered by an established organisation.
We recognise the evolving landscape of the hospitality sector; we understand the importance of flexibility, work-life balance, and of equitable compensation. As a company we make sure it goes beyond the London Living Wage and provide paid breaks and meals on duty. Additionally, we’ve done away with antiquated shift patterns to better accommodate the flexible needs of our valued team members.
In response to the cost-of-living crisis, we took proactive steps to support our employees. We made additional payments of up to £600 per person (pro-rated where appropriate), amounting to over £100,000 in November 2022 and February 2023. Most importantly, hourly employees and those earning less than £30,000 benefited the most from these payments.
By championing internal promotions and delivering comprehensive training and development programs, we’re committed to empowering our employees to thrive and flourish within our organization at every stage of their career.
In order to support employee well-being, we’ve maintained initiatives introduced during the pandemic as an integral part of our company’s focus. We concentrate on mental health and holistic well-being, with a devoted People Business Partner at the helm to oversee these crucial elements.
To further strengthen our team, we’ve implemented a referral scheme that incentivizes current employees to suggest friends, peers, and family members for new roles, rewarding successful referrals with attractive bonuses.
We recognise the value of purpose.
We are committed to reducing our environmental impact and promoting sustainability. Our company works with partners like Urban Partners to create local jobs in the Kings Cross area. Where we can, we assist clients in achieving sustainability accreditations and measure the environmental impact of their large-scale events.
Attention to retention matters.
By understanding and addressing employees’ change in needs, offering comprehensive support, and fostering a positive work environment, we have successfully attracted and retained top talent in the event and hospitality industry.
We will continue to lead by example, demonstrating the potential of the sector as a rewarding and fulfilling career choice. We will set a benchmark for excellence that will draw and inspire others to follow suit: redefining the industry’s as we recalibrate and look forward to a new chapter in the events sector.
