By Boris Gradina, MCM, CCE, General Manager, Maryland Golf and Country Clubs, Bel Air, Md.
The benefits of well-conducted, effective new-employee onboarding programs typically relate to the consistency of service delivery, employee job satisfaction, understanding of the club’s culture, autonomy for employees to make decisions, and support for the club’s mission statement. Those interviewed believe that the most tangible benefits relate to reduced employee labor costs, due to lower turnover rates. For example, one participant shared that the club had implemented a formal onboarding program three years ago, and its overall employee turnover rate had fallen to under 3%.
When asked to describe how the club’s onboarding program positively affected the consistent delivery of services to members and guests, interviewees mostly referred to member-satisfaction metrics. The general belief was that private clubs strive to provide value to their members through exceptional service and amenities, and this objective can only be consistently achieved when highly trained and long-tenured professional staff are available.
The research showed that effective employee-retention strategies begin as staff are recruited, selected, orientated, and trained, and continue with the utilization of supervisory tactics that show genuine respect for staff members. Numerous HR-related issues, including fair compensation, maintaining a professional workplace, reasonable appraisal systems, and appropriate professional development and career- advancement processes, also impact cultural fit and work-life balance concerns that influence retention rates.
Editor’s Note: This article is drawn from an executive summary of the monograph written by Boris Gradina as part of his pursuit of the Master Club Manager (MCM) designation through the Club Management Association of America (see “Achieving the Ultimate,” opposite page). The summary was written by Dr. Jack Ninemeier, Professor Emeritus at Michigan State University’s The School of Hospitality Business,
Gradina was awarded his MCM designation in February 2020, becoming just the 23rd club manager to achieve MCM status since the program was begun in 1990.
Gradina’s full monograph on “New Employee Onboarding at Private Clubs,” which includes an onboarding template and checklist, and a section exploring the onboarding procedures of Ritz-Carlton, The Walt Disney Company and Chick-Fil-A, can be accessed at https://www.cmaa.org/PD.aspx?id=46500
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