Interview with Grace Esogon, Executive Housekeeper, Sydney Harbour Marriott regarding The Salvation Army Employment Plus scheme

By Liz Lycette, Principal – Lycette & Associates

Grace has been working closely for many months with The Salvation Army Employment Plus on a new employment and training scheme which creates great wins for both the Hotel and unemployed Australians, giving them hope for the future. I met with Grace to find out more about the scheme including all the pros and cons.

Q. Can you explain how The Salvation Army Employment Plus service works?

A.The Salvation Army Employment Plus (TSAEP) is a nonprofit organization which delivers an employment programme funded by the Australian Government.They provide a number of candidates who then go through 4 stages of screening and training; which can be funded by wage subsidies accessed by TSAEP.The Hotel advises how many staff they are looking for, TSAEP screens the candidates and sends through suitable CV’s for screening the next day.The hotel will then run a 2 hour “information session” for candidates to show them all aspects of the work they will be required to do.At the end of the session, those candidates who are interested stay back and are then further screened by the Hotel. Suitable candidates are offered a work experience programme of 50 hours over 2 weeks. Upon successful completion of this programme, recruits are then offered a 2 weeks “work trial”.The final successful recruits are then offered a contract of 26 weeks.Training costs for each candidate is paid for by TSAEP through a wage subsidy scheme.

Q.When did you first start to useThe Salvation Army Employment Plus programme?

A. We first started in June 2008.

Q. How did you initially find out about them?

A. While working at Courtyard by Marriott in North Ryde, I met an employee who was recruited throughTSAEP and I can see that there was potential talent from TSAEP candidates.

Q.Why did you decide to try them out?

A. I met some of the candidates at a career expo and saw an oppor tunity to develop the talents from within this group, I interviewed them and recognized the candidates potential and decided to try them out after some convincing reassurance from the TSAEP consultant. Employing students and getting them to stay has been challenging in the past, the TSAEP recruits have remained steady and loyal.

Q.What procedures needed to be put into place to set this programme up?

A. An excellent existing training process needs to be in place. Strong buddy training programmes with lots of interaction and communication is important.There is also some paperwork necessary for wage subsidy, verification forms and performance feedback to be filled out. All other processes are the same as for regular staff recruitment and training.

Q.What is the process of employing someone throughThe Salvation Army Employment Plus?

A. After the 2 hour group interview and information session, candidates undertake a full 2 weeks work experience programme and then 2 weeks work trial. Successful candidates are offered a 26 week contract, the candidate works as a fulltime hotel employee and a performance appraisal is conducted before the 26 weeks contract expires. 65% of the candidate salary is subsidised by the Government, this covers the Hotel training costs any lost productivity.The successful candidate is then offered an employment opportunity after the 26 week programme.

Q. How quickly are they trained and how soon are they 100% productive?

A. Candidates are trained progressively as per the departmental training process. Some candidates may take a little longer to train and reach the depar tmental 100% productivity level, most have no prior hotel background and some candidates just take time to adjust.The wage subsidy offered byTSAEP assists the Hotel with costs in training candidates to reach their full potential.

Q.What are the financial benefits? Costs to you? Costs to them?

A. The wage subsidy for each candidate assists the department in training candidates to reach their full potential.This reduces the cost and time in hiring and training new recruits.

The 2 weeks work experience programme give candidates and the Hotel the opportunity to assess performance and suitability. In addition, there is an additional 2 weeks work trial. 90% of the candidates wage is subsidized during the trial.This gives the Hotel a further opportunity to assess the candidate’s performance before offering a 26 week contract.

Q.What are the advantages? Short term? And long term?

A.The scheme is very cost and time effective. It is also a way to give back to the community andTSAEP provide workplace visits and support throughout the programme.TheTSAEP employees have proven to be very loyal; they are mostly quiet achievers and work hard to stay employed. As a result, Housekeeping staff turnover is now low.

Q.What about disadvantages? Short term and long term?

A. One has to exercise patience as TSAEP candidates don’t have any hospitality industry background.The first 2 weeks of the work experience programme is sometimes not enough to evaluate every candidate’s performance and there is a lot of coaching and counseling involved with some candidates.There is also an increase in training hours. Critically, the Housekeeping team must be willing to help, buddy trainers need to be patient and understanding, adapting to each candidates needs.

Q. Have you had any feedback from other staff? Management? on these personnel?

A. The candidates have developed a great rapport with the whole team.The programme is cost and time effective in terms of the recruitment and training process.The candidates are being recognized by well management and fellow team members have nominated them for the Hotel recognition program.

Q.What final words of wisdom would you give to someone thinking of considering using these services?

A. TSAEP candidates have talents waiting to be tapped, it is essential to get your team on board. Despite the hard work and paperwork sometimes seeming to make the process high maintenance, it is all worth the effort and very self rewarding. It is important to realise that sometimes some candidates just won’t’ work out. This is a wonderful tool for building up recruits self confidence and it is really a great way to support our local community.

Since Grace started this initiative, she has won the “2009 AHA Housekeeper of the Year Award” and also the “Marriott EDGE Award for Asia Pacific”, selected from Managers of Marriott hotels throughout the region.

Contact details for The Salvation Army Employment Plus:
Samantha Phillips The Salvation Army Employment Plus Parramatta Phone: 02 9633 8106 Email: samantha_phillips@aepsalvationarmy.org