Employee Retention & Recruitment

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

Like many of our colleagues in the club industry, the Detroit Athletic Club confronted a significant challenge during the pandemic of not only hiring new employees but also retaining the staff it had—people who are the foundation of our ethos of service and member engagement. Initially, our staff was instrumental in our recruitment efforts—the thinking being that current employees could tell the most compelling story of the DAC to potential new hires. Then we decided to put our money where our mouth is—literally—by offering recruitment bonuses to new hires and retention bonuses to current staff.  The initiative attracted a solid contingent of new faces who will continue to maintain if not raise our level of member service.

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

All new employees hired in September received bonuses of $250 to $500 every month through the end of the year. We believed that after four months at the DAC, their experience would compel them to remain. And for our existing staff—whose devotion and service had sustained us throughout the pandemic—we paid retention bonuses of $750 (part time) $1,500 (full time) in October and December. All told, more than 350 employees received retention and recruitment bonuses.