What is Hostmanship and how can you —as an HR professional— use it when attracting, retraining, and developing talent.
When we think of hostmanship, we tend to think of how we treat our customers. Every good organization wants its customers to feel comfortable reporting any problems they may have, and every good organization aims to make their experience with the company as smooth as possible. It makes sense to keep customers as happy as possible, but customers and clients are not the only stakeholders that hostmanship can benefit. HR, Facility Management and Corporate real estate workplace professionals can also use this concept to make their employees feel happier thus boosting the entire organization’s success.
Hostmanship is the art of making somebody feel welcome. When implemented as a strategy for attracting, retraining, and developing talent, it can be a game changer for a company. Here is how you can use hostmanship to benefit your employees in the workplace.
When Hostmanship is implemented as a strategy for attracting, retraining, and developing talent, it can be a game changer for a company.
How hostmanship can help attract and retain talent.
A truly great team member can take their talent anywhere. There is always a door waiting to be thrown open for them. It is for this reason that good talent is so hard to attract in the first place, let alone keep for any length of time.
When you practice hostmanship around the talent you are seeking to recruit, your goal is to create a welcoming atmosphere that makes them feel like they are truly at home. Millennials and Generation Z are willing to compromise when it comes to money and job perks in exchange for a friendly work environment that they consider a true fit for them.
For most people, a friendly work environment comprises of:
- People who listen, whether that is to complaints, ideas, or questions.
- A cause they can believe in
- Positive people and a forward-looking attitude
- Gratitude for a job well done and recognition of a valuable contribution
According to Jan Gunnarsson, a leading keynote speaker on the topic of hostmanship, all of these characteristics of a friendly work environment start by learning how to welcome yourself and what constitutes “feeling at home” for you.1
Millennials and Generation Z are willing to compromise when it comes to money and job perks in exchange for a friendly work environment that they consider a true fit for them.
Developing talent with hostmanship.
It’s far easier to train people with great personalities and a can-do attitude, than it is to hire a sour person who already has the skills. (For more about ‘attitude vs. skills’, feel free to read this article: Attitude: The number one factor when hiring new employees.
When your employees are trained with a welcoming attitude that is understanding of mistakes, they know they can grow more confidently. This actually leads to faster growth in general, but will also make your team more productive over time.
Polls conducted by Gallup and the Queen School of Business show that employees in stressful environment were 37% more likely to request sick days, had 49% more accidents, and were 18% less productive compared to their stress free competitors.2 When looking at the big picture, cultivating a positive atmosphere can be very beneficial for everyone, company, customers and employees included.
It is often difficult to choose a positive culture over a cut-throat one. Many business owners and executives think that a cut-throat culture will drive employees to better success, but it actually does the opposite 3. The most forward-thinking companies are choosing to make their employees welcome, and they are reaping the dividends of this approach.
Practicing hostmanship in your company is something you can do to make your employees feel like a welcome part of your team. Employees who feel like you truly want them and appreciate them in your company will work harder, and reach greater heights, than an employee that is just there for a paycheck.
Create a welcoming workplace for your employees is definitely an ongoing process. While you may know your employees quite well and have an idea about their needs, it is much more effective – as well as easier and more enjoyable, believe me! – to actually engage them in a participatory process. Sounds like this could be a daunting process? It is unfortunately the case for many companies. This is why we have developed a four phases, easy to follow, step-by-step process to guide you in aligning and engaging any group of people. Get your free copy now.
Your guide to aligning and engaging your entire workforce around any transformation.
