It's a simple concept, but one Horst Schulze has made a career out of: Hire the right people. There's probably no more basic a tenet in business, especially the hospitality industry, but it's far easier said than done.
Schulze helped make Ritz-Carlton the brand known for its service, and now he's trying to take that to the next level with his Capella Hotel Group and its “six-star” Capella brand. The secret, he says?
“My role is exactly this: To have the right employees, properly trained and a part of the organization, not just working for it … To make sure they want to do the job, not have to do the job.”
He's proven it can work at Ritz-Carlton and he's making it work at Capella now, but he also inspired approximately 500 Red Roof employees and franchisees at their brand conference in September at the Buena Vista Palace Hotel & Spa in Orlando. Schulze was the keynote speaker there and captivated the audience with a similar message.
He stressed the importance of pleasing the customer, no matter the segment of the industry, and the surest way to do that was by providing guests a clean product and employees who treat them nicely.
It's a simple, and yes obvious, but true message. Finding and preparing good employees who can do that are the secret from the economy segment all the way up to the “six-star” luxury segment.
Read more about Schulze's company and its new capital partner and expansion plans.