Align & ReAlign

How has this idea enhanced your club's operation, etc.?

The Club at Ibis welcomes each new employee with a weekly orientation class called Align, which acts as an in-depth introduction, covering the company’s history, culture, organizational structure, policies, and performance expectations. Each member of the Executive Committee participates in Align by presenting their department’s structure, as well as discussing how the Ibis Service Principles are lived out in their department’s operations. Align fosters new hire buy-in to the corporate culture, as well as a thorough understanding of company policies and performance expectations.

Ibis recognized the need for a refresher training on these important topics for existing employees. Industry trends reveal that average turnover occurs around 22-months of employment. To curb this trend at Ibis and increase employment tenure, the club initiated a re-orientation program called ReAlign. The program targets employees as they reach 18-24 months of employment. ReAlign acts to refuel the passion employees felt when they first joined the club by taking a deeper dive into the heart of employee engagement. During the class, employees participate in several individual and group exercises, where they are encouraged to reconnect with their peers, tap into their own passions, and realign those thoughts and feelings with The Ibis Philosophy (the club’s mission, values, and service principles).

Ibis recognizes the inherent link between employee engagement and member satisfaction; happy employees equal happy members. Investing time into properly orienting a new employee in the Align class assures they are equipped to perform their job successfully. Taking the second step to reengage existing employees through the ReAlign class, leads to decreased turnover and improved employee engagement. The benefits realized from employee participation in Align and ReAlign have led to an increase in the level of service offered to membership and increased member satisfaction.

How was this idea implemented, and what have been the club members' reactions?

Training manuals: During Align, new employee receives a handbook and participates in an orientation conducted by Human Resources, with presentations by the Executive Committee. At ReAlign, handouts are used for guided individual and group training exercises.

Coaching: Positive encouragement and performance expectations are the focus of HR’s coaching during the meetings.

Continuing education: Align educates new employees on the company’s history, culture, organizational structure, policies, and performance expectations. ReAlign focuses on refreshing key information all employees should know and reaffirming service standard principles.

Professional development: On-boarding training and then ongoing training programs are an important initiative at Ibis, as we strive to empower employees with knowledge to enable them to perform at their highest level.

Staff recruitment: All new hires must attend Align before beginning work with Ibis, assuring all newly hired staff members receive consistent information. ReAlign reengages existing staff into the club’s culture and refreshes performance standards, which helps to reduce turnover and increase staff morale and tenure.