Engage Employees in Being Green

Many of us in the hospitality industry manage a passionate team of people who make it a top priority to put your hotel, resort, or conference centre at the forefront of quality, and customer service. At the same time, there are several properties who have a green program of some sort, with one person responsible for ensuring that it is running smoothly.

But is your team engaged in the process?

While we agree that there should be someone responsible for overseeing the entire process, we believe that the entire team should take part in providing the most sustainable operation possible.

Here are a few benefits that you will see from engaging employees in sustainable practices:

• You may see increased savings to your bottom line through efficiencies implemented;
• By engaging the team you have, you will be in a better position to retain, and even attract the right employees for your facility;
• Employees will be in a position to enhance skills, and contribute to something meaningful

How do you start a green team? Here are a few thoughts:

• Don’t just create new department for this; get buy in from all departments, and have a representative from each on the team.
• With that said, avoid “appointing” someone from each department. They may (or, may not) want to participate. Do a call for volunteers first.
• Include all levels of employees – coordinators, managers, directors and even VPs should be on this team.

Once the team has been created, encourage them to evaluate your current policies and procedures to look for gaps, issues, or areas that have not been covered. Allow them the flexibility (and, the power) to suggest amendments, and create a budget for improved operational effectiveness.

Finally, once this has been implemented, encourage them to meet regularly, and report back to the rest of the employees via a newsletter, memo, etc. on improvements, success stories, and next steps. And don’t forget to share it with the public! According to the 2015 Hospitality Report by Deloitte , 95% of business travelers believe the hotel industry should be undertaking ‘green’ initiatives. Spread the word!