SECTION 3: MOTIVATING EMPLOYEES

The role of motivation

If you employ staff or use volunteers, the performance of your business is totally dependent on their performance. Their motivation (or lack of it) has an substantial impact on their performance, and on the performance of your business. The ability to motivate your workforce is therefore a key ingredient in your ability to manage people effectively and in the future success of your business. Motivating employees and volunteers is essential to ensure that your business: l gets the best from everyone working in the business l achieves required results through the work of both individuals and teams l establishes and maintains high standards of performance on a consistent basis l avoids low employee morale l achieves high staff retention rates l provides first class customer service on a consistent basis.

Maslows hierarchy of needs

The researcher Maslow identified five motivating factors in his hierarchy of needs and considered that, as each need was satisfied, others emerge. These needs are: 1. Physiological: thirst, hunger, sleep. 2. Safety: protection from danger, security. 3. Social: acceptance, belonging, friendship, love, social life. 4. Self-esteem: recognition, self-respect, achievement, status. 5. Self-actualisation: personal development, accomplishment, growth.

A motive is an inner drive or desire that moves a person to do something. Motives can be conscious, semiconscious or unconscious. Needs and motives often function in the same way, and the words are often used interchangeably. Motives can be mixed, with several centred around a primary motive. An employee can, of course, have many motivational needs varying in importance. The key to effective motivation is the ability of an owner or manager to identify the true needs of the employee in the absence of preconceived assumptions, and to act upon these needs appropriately to the general satisfaction of the whole workforce. Your task is therefore to detect these needs and take appropriate action. 3.1

Needs and motives

Understanding what your employees (and any volunteers) need and what motivates them is crucial to your ability to persuade them to act. A need is an inner striving or urge to do or achieve something, such as a urge to have something to eat or to accomplish something worthwhile. A need can be regarded as a biological or physiological requirement.

Different people are motivated by different things. It is estimated that 50% of a persons motivation comes from within themselves, and 50% from the environment in which they work.

Demotivating factors at work

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Lack of clarity in objectives, policies or procedures. Inaccessible or incompetent manager. Being treated in a way that is perceived as unfair, unreasonable or discriminatory. Poor relations with colleagues, including supervisor/manager. Uncompetitive compensation package, including salary, pension and other financially related benefits. Lack of status in the organisation. Fear of redundancy or an unwelcome change in a job role or rewards. Adverse impact of job on personal life, such as stress or the need to work unsocial hours. Poor working conditions. Volume of work that cannot be undertaken to a satisfactory standard in the time available with the available resources.

What motivates people at work?

Pay and other benefits do, of course, motivate people at work most employees have to earn a living. However, there are a number of other key motivating factors for people at work, including: l achievement: successfully completing tasks, finding solutions to problems, seeing the results of work, improved results l recognition: being noticed, appreciation, praise, thanks, rewards, incentives l development opportunities: opportunities to acquire new knowledge, skills or qualifications, training l advancement: promotion, enhanced status at work l responsibility: being given new or additional responsibilities for tasks or people, job enrichment l the work itself: what is involved in the actual job l working conditions: space, temperature, lighting, working environment l respect: being respected as an individual, trust.

6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Motivating your workforce

There are a variety of ways of motivating members of your team, and successful techniques will vary considerably between different types and sizes of business. What is appropriate for a family or micro business with two or three employees will probably be very different from what would work well in a company employing 100+ people. 3.2

The following are, however, likely to be key points for all tourism organisations, whatever their size or sector of the industry. 1. Be motivated yourself. 2. Recruit and select highly motivated people. 3. Set challenging but realistic targets. 4. Have high expectations. 5. Enable people to see progress. 6. Treat everyone as an individual. 7. Create a motivating environment. 8. Support and encourage the team. 9. Give recognition for good performance. 10. Provide fair rewards and incentives.

Assessing your motivational skills

Assess your motivational skills by responding to each of the following statements and circling the response closest to your experience, and then adding up your total score. Key: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 1 Never 2 Occasionally 3 Frequently 4 Always

I am well motivated. I seek a balance between firm control and giving people independence. I treat employees and volunteers as individuals. I am honest with employees and keep them informed. I make an effort to improve my motivational skills. I give reasons for my decisions and actions. I have high expectations of my team. I try to create a no-blame culture. I involve employees in decisions. I organise work so that one person can complete a whole task. I thank people for good performance. I consult before making changes to systems and procedures. I set challenging but realistic targets. I try to ensure that work is enjoyable for employees. I ensure that work conditions are satisfactory. I congratulate the team when targets are met. I keep everyone informed of progress. I avoid accusations of favouritism. I support and encourage individuals as well as teams. I interview people who resign to find out why they are leaving. I provide constructive feedback on performance. I am positive about the role of my team. I seek consensus and encourage others to do the same. I look for opportunities to add variety to jobs. I take motivation into account when recruiting.

25-49

You have generally poor motivational skills and your actions are likely to be demotivating your employees. Review your behaviour and look for new ways to motivate your team. 50-79 You have generally good motivational skills. Look for opportunities to overcome motivational weaknesses. 80-100 You have excellent motivational skills. Take care not to become complacent.

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Motivating yourself
Employees will certainly notice if you: l have little or no interest in, or commitment to, your job or the performance of the organisation l are unenthusiastic about the work of the team or particular aspects of it l are frequently in a bad mood l try to avoid tasks that you dont like l arrive late, leave early or take extended breaks l show no sense of urgency l hide from them. Basically, if you are poorly motivated yourself, you are very unlikely to be able to motivate other people. Why should your employees care about meeting objectives or making a real effort if they perceive that you dont? So start improving the motivation of your team by making sure that you are enthusiastic about your job and the role of the team. This enthusiasm is likely to be infectious. Try to lead by example. If good time-keeping is important, ensure that you are in the right place at the right time. If you want employees to get a move on or make an extra effort, then make sure that you are not seen to be wasting time on unproductive tasks. Its also important to show that you are prepared to persevere even if things dont go as planned at first. Dont give up too easily if difficulties arise or show your team that you are disheartened with progress. Nobody is expected to be upbeat and cheerful 100% of the time at work even managers and owners. However, no-one wants to work with someone who is miserable and distracted most of the time. So even if you are worried about the business or some aspects of operations, or you have personal problems, try to be reasonably cheerful and friendly. 3.4

Recruiting and selecting motivated people

Half of an employees motivation is estimated to come from within, so it is vital to ensure that you recruit and select people who are motivated to perform well in their job. Attempting to motivate someone who does not want to work for the organisation and/or does not really want a particular job will inevitably be an uphill struggle. When interviewing potential recruits, look out for signs and evidence of high motivation in previous employment, at school/college or in their personal life, such as alertness, commitment, staying power, and willingness to accept responsibility. However, it is vital to make sure that you do not discriminate against candidates from ethnic minority or non-traditional backgrounds, people who have spent time raising a family or disabled applicants. When considering candidates for promotion, think about their motivation in their current post and assess how motivated they are likely to be in the new position. Be prepared to make reasonable adjustments for any disabled employees. It can also be important to select motivated people for particular tasks. Choosing someone who you know will dislike the task to be undertaken is not likely to result in good performance. Employees who take a sense of pride in their work, are prepared to go the extra mile for customers and dont settle for second best are, of course, what every employer wants although perfectionists can cause their problems too.

Setting challenging targets

Would you tell me please, which way I ought to go? said Alice. That depends a good deal on where you want to get to. said the cat. Lewis Carroll If employees dont know what they should be doing at work, or to what standards they are expected to perform, it is hard to be motivated and effective. It is easy for them to spend too much time on unimportant aspects of their role, and to neglect vital tasks. It is also difficult for staff to perform well if they do not understand why something has to be done, or cannot see where tasks that they are undertaking fit into the larger picture of business operations. It is the role of the manager or owner to ensure that everyone: l can identify the objectives of the organisation l understands their role and how it fits into the larger pattern of business operations l appreciates the standards to which tasks should be performed l has agreed objectives or targets to meet. Employees are more likely to be well motivated if they understand why tasks have to be undertaken and have an good appreciation of how the organisation wishes the tasks to be performed. Clear and effective internal communication is vital. Share your views on what the organisation or department is trying to achieve, and discuss with individuals or teams how their role can help. Ensure that everyone, including part-time and casual staff, is aware of the required performance standards. Whenever possible, give employees an opportunity to contribute to the setting of objectives and targets, as this 3.5

can increase commitment to achieving them very considerably. Remember the concept of SMART targets. They should be: l specific l measurable l achievable l realistic l time bound.

Aiming high
Most people at work are keen to deliver what is expected of them, and are likely to be better motivated if they feel that they are succeeding in meeting expectations. So more is likely to be achieved if you have high expectations of your team, and of individuals within it. If you let present performance standards become the benchmark for success, then your team will never achieve its full potential. If you set the team a challenge and explain that you are confident that they can rise to meet it, there is a high likelihood of success. Giving the impression that an individual or group is likely to fail can become a selffulfiling prophecy. Always focus your expectations on goals that are of significant business benefit. For example, on sales achieved rather than on telephone calls made to potential customers. Your expectations do, of course, have to be realistic. Communicating unreasonably high expectations that employees are very unlikely to meet even if they make a considerable effort will probably be demoralising.

Identifying progress
Just as it is important for employees to know what they are trying to achieve, it is helpful for them to know what progress they are making towards achieving a target or performing to the standards required. Feedback on progress (or even on the reasons for slow progress or lack of it) can help to spur people on to greater efforts or concentrate their minds on what still needs to be achieved. Its easy to worry that your team will slow down if you say that good progress is being made or that everything is going well, or that they will be disheartened if you communicate a lack of progress. However, research has shown that employees perform best if they receive feedback on progress. Maintaining motivation depends on informing (and preferably inspiring) your team. Make sure that you praise good progress in a sincere way that generates a positive response in the individual or team. Dont forget that knowing you have succeeded at something is a powerful motivator and a great source of personal satisfaction and self-esteem. Knowing that they are making progress can also make individuals and teams more enthusiastic. Dont be tempted to make grudging remarks or imply you are surprised that they have managed to achieve something. This will only undermine their efforts and is likely to cause resentment. Care, of course, needs to be taken when communicating bad news, particularly if individuals or teams have tried hard. Be prepared to discuss the reasons for failure and to make sure that everyone learns from them. Taking a sympathetic and constructive attitude to failure can

motivate and encourage staff. In essence, you create a no-blame culture. If you choose to punish failure and motivate by fear, you are not likely to succeed in the longer term. However, make it clear that your tolerance of poor performance and mistakes is limited. It can be necessary to remotivate the team by boosting their self-confidence, clarifying the objectives and the value of their work, and expressing optimism about their ability to move forward. Always try to end on a positive note. If no progress is being made or things are going badly, it is also important to review your own role and your motivation.

Treating everyone as an individual

You do not just employ a team, you employ a collection of individuals, with unique skills, knowledge, personalities and motivations. So getting the best from a team means getting the best from every individual. It is important to find out what motivates each individual, and not to rely on general assumptions. This is complex as there can be considerable differences between individuals and between what motivates a person at varying stages of their career. For example, job security may be very important for some staff, while others may be more concerned about management development opportunities. Remember that what motivates your staff may also be very different from what motivates you. Start by assessing the individuals in your team. Try to find out enough about them to define their motivations (without 3.6

being unnecessarily intrusive). Approach new members of the team without preconceptions. Remember that different people want their manager to play different roles. For example, some may be seeking reassurance about their performance, others may not. It is, however, necessary to ensure that everyone is treated in a fair, consistent and non-discriminatory way. Try to ensure that you strike a reasonable balance between talking to teams or groups as a whole and to individual employees or volunteers. You can then use a appropriate management style for that particular person, rather than one judged to appeal to the team as a whole. Dont act in a way that could result in you being accused of favouritism. It demotivates those who feel they are unfavoured and can make the favourites unpopular with their colleagues. Appraisal schemes can, of course, provide an excellent opportunity to focus on individual needs and expectations, to recognise achievement and plan career development. Obtaining feedback on an ongoing basis is also important and can ensure that any required action is taken quickly.

l l l l l l

too hot struggling to work in poor light working in very cramped conditions using poorly sited equipment or sitting in an uncomfortable chair for an extended period of time thirsty hungry.

Making it fun
Just as a leisure tourism experience should be enjoyable, so should working in the tourism, leisure and hospitality industry. Employees want to: l enjoy their jobs l have fun at work l have interesting and satisfying jobs l have good working relationships with their colleagues. So always look for opportunities to make work fun and enjoyable. Dont take things so seriously that you cannot enjoy a joke, or develop a boring working environment. Where appropriate, encourage employees to interact socially as this can build team cohesion and boost morale. Dont forget that staff parties and other social events can help to motivate employees and recognise their efforts.

Creating a motivating environment

Certain working environments can boost the motivation of employees and boost the morale of a team, others can demotivate and demoralise. Start by making sure that the physical environment in which people have to work is satisfactory. It is nearly impossible to work effectively if you are: l frightened about your personal safety or the safety of your personal possessions l cold 3.7

So make sure that: l health, safety and security measures are appropriate to your business circumstances and that employees believe that they are working in a safe environment

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l l l

employees have a secure location in which to store their personal possessions, such as a locker indoor temperatures are reasonable and that those working outdoors are equipped with appropriate outdoor clothing and footwear for the weather conditions lighting is adequate for the tasks being undertaken equipment and furniture is appropriate and located in a position that does not create problems employees are given breaks at appropriate intervals, even during very busy periods.

Dont forget the old adage your staff will treat customers like you treat them. The way that you treat employees can also create a motivating environment. l Try to avoid creating a restrictive environment with too many or unnecessary controls or rules. l Enable employees to contribute to decision making, especially when the decision has a significant impact on their job. l Consult carefully before implementing any major changes.

Job enrichment
The composition of jobs and the amount of variety they contain has a major impact on motivation. Few people enjoy a very routine, monotonous role. The level of interest in a job depends on the content of the work, its complexity, and the sense of achievement generated by successful completion. So think hard about how you design jobs and allocate tasks among different employees. Look for job enrichment opportunities that add variety and responsibility to front-line roles. These are likely to stimulate enthusiasm and will enable individuals to develop new skills to benefit the organisation as a whole. It is often preferable to make one individual responsible for the whole of a task, rather than dividing different elements among a number of people who cannot see the whole picture. Encourage people to use their initiative to improve efficiency, and allow as much flexibility as possible in letting individuals decide how to perform a task.

Supporting and encouraging your team

There are times when every team needs some support and encouragement to produce their best, and it is the role of the leader or manager to provide this. Support can take the form of: l providing information or advice l encouraging open and constructive communication and co-operation l helping to resolve problems l ensuring that appropriate resources are available l helping out in busy periods or difficult situations l taking action to remove bottlenecks and other barriers to achievement of targets l discussing potential changes at an early stage, explaining why they are necessary and allowing individuals to express their concerns. Teams also need to be encouraged, especially during peak periods and if any difficulties arise. Make sure that everyone knows you appreciate their efforts and are aware of the circumstances under which they working.

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Recognising good performance

Achievement is its own reward but it is never enough. People also want recognition. Failing to recognise good performance can make an individual feel unnoticed, unvalued and unrewarded. This can lead to a poor level of motivation. Recognition can be formal or informal, for an individual or for a team as a whole. It can range from an informal thank you, verbally or in writing, for a small task or some extra help to Employee of the month or annual award schemes. Some tourism organisations encourage customers to nominate staff for awards or special recognition. Never forget that praise can be an incredible motivator. However, praise used in inappropriate circumstances can simply re-inforce poor performance. There are three key occasions to give praise: l when work meets a standard for the first time, such as when a new employee completes an unfamiliar task correctly l when work exceeds an agreed standard. Praising those who shine encourages them to continue l when work is satisfactory over a period of time. Solid performance every day is praiseworthy. When praising an employee, make sure to be specific about what aspects of performance impressed you and, if appropriate, mention personal effort and comment on how the achievement has helped the team or organisations overall performance. Respond to peoples success as soon as possible.

Providing fair rewards and incentives

Both financially-based and non-financial rewards and incentives are available to help motivate people, and different types of reward can have different impacts on the motivation of individual employees and teams. Pay and benefits packages can include basic pay, bonuses, commission payments, pension schemes, health insurance and life assurance cover. The overall level of pay and benefits determines an employees purchasing power and (in combination with other household members income) their standard of living. Employees are rarely entirely satisfied with their pay and small pay rises do little to enhance satisfaction. Enhanced satisfaction (and perhaps enhanced motivation) only occurs when a pay rise is given which surpasses expectations. Perhaps more importantly in terms of motivation, every employee has an opinion on whether their pay is fair. The employee who feels underpaid, either for the job itself or in relation to others in the organisation or local area, is likely to be demotivated. They perceive that their contribution is not recognised or valued by the organisation. It is, of course, essential to ensure that you meet all legal requirements relating to equal pay for men and women (see section 6 for more information). It is also important to ensure that pay is perceived as fair and reasonable. You do not have to pay the highest rates in the area to have well motivated employees, but it can be difficult to attract and retain well motivated people if your pay and benefits packages are viewed as unfair and uncompetitive.

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Bonus schemes
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Bonus schemes can play an important part in motivating employees and achieving targets. However, they must be devised and implemented in a way that ensures compliance with equal pay legislation. Bonuses linked to clear targets for individual performance encourages individual effort, but not teamwork. Each person should have only one or two immediate targets to aim for, such as those related to sales performance. It is also possible to offer a bonus for innovative ideas that boost productivity. Bonuses linked to company profits can promote teamwork, as long as individuals can see how they can affect the figures. Team goals can include sales, margins, costs or customer satisfaction levels. Bonus targets should normally be set monthly, so that results can be monitored immediately. You can target a key area for one month only, to focus on something that would otherwise be neglected. It is worth remembering that bonuses based on short-term targets can damage long-term profitability. For example, employees can focus on sales and neglect customer service. Reducing basic pay in order to fund bonuses can do more harm than good. Bonuses do not need to be large to be effective as a motivator. However, they do need to be perceived as fair and reasonable if they are not to demoralise employees.

Bonus and incentive schemes linked to individual and/or team performance are far more likely to have a motivational impact than basic pay rates. Whether or not you are in a position to improve pay levels or provide bonuses for employees, it is well worth considering the motivational impact of other rewards and incentives. These include the following.
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Time off Extra days holiday, other time-off or opportunities for unpaid leave, extra leave entitlement for long service. Privileges Car parking spaces (especially in areas where parking is difficult) or opportunities to use guest services. Small gifts or other tokens of appreciation Flowers, chocolates, Christmas gifts, birthday cards or other small gifts. Social events Staff parties, away-days, visits to attractions or events, restaurant meals or family events. Discounts Discounts in retail or catering outlets for employees and family members. Subsidised or free meals Staff restaurants, free drinks, free or subsidised meals on duty. Cars and equipment Company cars, car financing schemes, laptop computers for home use. Incentive schemes Reward schemes offering vouchers, experiences or travel opportunities, either run in-house or through a incentive company.

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Always make sure that any rewards and incentives are available to employees in way that does not discriminate against any members of staff. For example, think about whether they can be achieved by part-time as well as fulltime employees. Training and development opportunities can also make employees feel valued and therefore be viewed as a reward or incentive, leading to improved motivation. An off-site management development programme is, however, more likely to be viewed as an incentive than a mandatory food hygiene training course or similar.

Learndirect offers courses entitled Motivation and Motivating yourself and others. Further information is available on their website: www.learndirect.co.uk. Useful publications on motivation include; l Bringing Out the Best in People, Aubrey Daniels, McGraw-Hill l Effective Motivation, John Adair, Pan l Essential Managers Manual, Robert Heller & Tim Hindle, Dorling Kindersley l How to Motivate Every Employee, Anne Bruce, McGraw-Hill. The website www.yourpeoplemanager.com includes some useful articles on motivation. There is also an article on how to motivate your staff on the People Management section of www.caterer.com.

Developing your motivation skills

If you consider that your motivational skills could be improved, it could be worthwhile taking part in a motivation training programme. Motivation training could also help to develop the skills of team leaders, supervisors and managers.

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MOTIVATING AN ATTRACTION TEAM FOLLY FARM, BEGELLY, PEMBROKESHIRE

Family adventure
Folly Farm in Pembrokeshire is an all-weather, family adventure park, which was started in 1988 as a farmbased educational attraction. Today it is a Wales Tourist Board Star Attraction and features: G the Jolly Barn, where guests can meet a huge variety of farm animals including many rare breeds, and a Pet Centre G a vintage funfair, the largest undercover fairground in Europe, with a large collection of rides and stalls G Ziggys Childrens Zoo, which is home to over 100 exotic animals from Arabian oryx and mountain bongo to zebra
G G G

a 700-seat theatre a go-kart racetrack catering facilities including Henrys Coffee Shop, the Ploughmans Restaurant, a Burger Bar, a licensed bar, the Dog and Duck, kiosks throughout the park and picnic tables the on-site Folly Farm Shop and a shop on the High Street in Tenby.

A sustainable attraction
The main objective of Folly Farm is to create a sustainable company for future generations offering employment opportunities for local people, with a management attitude to business demands of total flexibility. Folly Farm is also dedicated to promoting the conservation of our wildlife heritage, both locally and globally. This aim is incorporated into a conservation and education strategy, whereby Folly Farm contributes to the conservation of wildlife while also teaching guests about animals and the environment.

Working at Folly Farm

The attraction employs up to 150 full and part-time employees across the various departments. These

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include 50 core staff all-year around and 100 seasonal employees, some of whom work from February to October. The company is committed to internal promotion wherever possible. When a vacancy arises, the directors first look to recruit from their existing workforce. Other recruitment methods used include the company website, the local press (and national/trade press for managers) and Jobcentre Plus. Representatives of Folly Farm attend job fairs and make presentations at local secondary schools and at Pembrokeshire College, and the attraction also participates in work experience initiatives.

All employees have two days off a week, receive family passes to the attraction and a discount on retail goods. Flexible working arrangements are available for example, some members of staff work at weekends, others dont.

Motivating the Folly Farm workforce

Folly Farm is an equal opportunities employer and has achieved the Investors in People award. The company is dedicated to developing the skills and potential of all employees. Training opportunities include NVQ qualifications in catering, customer service and team leadership, and Welcome Host customer service courses. Training is discussed during every induction and employees are encouraged to come forward and ask for additional training at any time. Folly Farm is very good at identifying the skills of people within the organisation and utilising them. Within 18 months, I progressed from General Supervisor to Manager. Its a fun place to work and there is plenty to keep you busy. Paul Harries, Human Resources Manager

Making it fun
The directors of Folly Farm are keen not just to make the attraction fun for guests, but also to make it a fun place to work. It's great fun every day, so I feel like Im getting paid to have fun. Sarah Parry, Entertainment Staff There is a vibrant social life within the organisation, co-ordinated by a staff-run social committee. Recent social events have included beach parties, regular staff nights out, football matches, end of season parties, employee visits to other attractions in Pembrokeshire, and department meals.

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many seasonal employees returning to work at the attraction each season. It is vital for staff to believe in our product quality and have the confidence and ability to deliver the Folly Farm experience to all our guests to a level that exceeds their expectations. Chris Ebsworth, Director

Contact
Ive been working at Folly Farm since I was 18 and I really enjoy it here. I worked at Folly Farm during the holidays while I was at university studying theatre design. My job now incorporates all that I learned during my degree, as Im involved in entertainment and park theming. Im using my artistic skills every day. The best part of the job is the people I work with and the social life. Rebecca Rees, Entertainment Supervisor The directors approach to employee motivation and development has resulted in very low staff turnover with Chris Ebsworth Director Folly Farm Begelly Kilgetty Pembrokeshire SA68 0XA Tel: 01834 812731 Fax: 01834 813148 E-mail: chris@folly-farm.co.uk URL: www.folly-farm.co.uk

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DEVELOPING A WELL MOTIVATED TEAM CAERELWAN PARK, TALYBONT, GWYNEDD

after year, and some have chosen to purchase a holiday home at Parc Caerelwan.

A sustainable attraction A holiday in Snowdonia

Parc Caerelwan has operated as a caravan park since 1932. It borders five miles of sandy beaches in the Snowdonia National Park at Talybont near to Barmouth. The park has received a Four Star Holiday Park grading from the Wales Tourist Board. |t has approximately 100 high-quality static units in a carefully-tended landscaped parkland, as well as touring pitches. They all feature showers, colour television, videos and microwaves. Park facilities include: l indoor heated swimming pool l sauna l steam room l multi-gym l games room l on-site shop and offlicence l childrens play area l laundry. There is a strong emphasis at the park on meeting the needs of family holidaymakers. Many visitors return year The owners, Trevor and Val Smedley, started work as camp housekeepers in 1977 and purchased the Parc Caerelwan lease in 1991. They have since developed the park, building a new laundry, solarium and multi-gym in 1991 and an indoor swimming pool in 1999. They now employ seven full-time and 11 part-time staff. These staff are employed on year-round contracts as job security is viewed as a top priority by the owners. The owners daughter is also involved in the business and is gradually taking over responsibility for more aspects of operating the park.

Motivating the park workforce

The owners devote considerable time and energy to leading and motivating their team. They are committed to llistening to the views of all employees and hold regular staff meetings at the park.

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All staff have clear and accurate job descriptions, and the owners explain the objectives of the park to the workforce. Targets, such as the sales of new caravans, are also communicated to the staff. Trevor and Val Smedley believe that it is important to deploy staff effectively to have the right people doing the right jobs and consider that this aids both motivation and performance. They also think that it is crucial to trust their workforce, and to encourage staff members to take on new responsibilities. If mistakes are made the owners stand by their employees and they have created a no-blame culture.

Other training has included: l Welcome Host and Managing your Welcome customer service courses l sales skills l leadership and supervisory skills l the Caravan Industry Training Organisation Park Management programme. The range and quality of training at Parc Caerelwan has helped to motivate the workforce and led to the park winning the Wales Tourist Board Laura Ashley Training Award in 1998. New skills have also helped the owners to delegate more responsibilities to front-line employees.

Contact
Val and Trevor Smedley Proprietors Parc Caerelwan Talybont Barmouth Gwynedd LL43 2AX Tel: 01341 247236 Fax: 01341 247711 E-mail: parc@porthmadog.co.uk URL: www.porthmadog.co.uk/parc

Training and development

Training is given a high priority, both to ensure that the park conforms with all relevant legislation and to extend the skills of both the owners and the workforce. The Smedleys believe that it is essential for employees to be provided with opportunities to acquire recognised qualifications to back up experience gained by working at the park. For example, the nationally-recognised British Institute of Innkeeping National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders. Recent training linked to legislative requirements has related to: l health and safety, including swimming pool safety and first aid l food hygiene l portable appliance testing l door management.

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