By Boris Gradina, MCM, CCE, General Manager, Maryland Golf and Country Clubs, Bel Air, Md.
All interviewees understood the differences between orientation and onboarding. Orientation is a one-time event during which new employees are officially welcomed to the club. It often involves a one-way flow of information from the presenter to the new employee.
In contrast, onboarding is a longer, more interactive and ongoing process that can occur from acceptance of the job through the first 90 or more days of employment.
Most interviewees indicated that their clubs used a “pre-boarding” process that involved tasks from the time the applicant accepted the position to the first day of employment. For example, most clubs followed up with either a welcome letter or an offer letter and/or a personal phone call. An offer letter could be more formal and contain the conditions of employment, while the welcome letter was usually more informal. It was during the pre-boarding phase that most clubs conducted drug screening and background checks, and provided new hires with a new employee packet.
A classroom-style session, including a PowerPoint presentation and property tour, was typical for new employee orientations. Most clubs used HR staff to conduct orientations, but the HR director, general manager and/or department heads might also be involved. Orientation events at participating clubs lasted from two to six hours.
Orientation content frequently differed by the department in which new employees worked. Common topics covered at almost every club included equal opportunity employment, equipment training (for grounds crew and other staff), knife training (for kitchen staff), and point-of-sales training (for waitstaff and golf shop staff). Some clubs emphasized information about workplace culture during the orientation event, concentrating on the club’s history, principles, and values.
Most of the clubs that were studied spent significant time and resources introducing new employees to the club and integrating them into the workforce and the club’s culture. Those interviewed understood the differences between technical aspects of onboarding (such as hiring tasks, paperwork and training) and the introduction of new employees to their jobs, co-workers, and the club and its work culture.
Unique onboarding topics included tuition reimbursement eligibility, promotion opportunities, club member joining processes, and a property tour game. One club had an “employee engagement committee” comprised of senior employees and the general manager. Its purpose was to ensure new employees were welcomed and engaged with the club during the onboarding process and their entire employment.
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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