Laura Baez Sawridge

EMPLOYER Q&A
EMPLOYER PROFILE
LAURA BAEZ
DIRECTOR OF LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT WITH THE SAWRIDGE GROUP OF COMPANIES
Q: WHAT ARE YOUR BIGGEST HR
CHALLENGES?
530 MacKenzie Boulevard, Fort McMurray, Alberta
1-888-729-7343 http://www.sawridgefortmcmurray.com
For entry-level positions, it’s really hard to retain
staff. We don’t see the shortage for these positions
application-wise. We get a lot of applications for
kitchen helpers and other positions like that. But
we do face shortages when they leave us. We train
servers and housekeepers but they will often leave
because there’s so much demand in town.
The other kind of shortage is with positions like
maintenance. You have to find a certain level of
qualifications for these positions. With this kind of
shortage we find it very difficult to find qualified
applicants in the first place.
Q: HOW DO YOU OVERCOME THOSE
CHALLENGES?
When it comes to monetary incentives there’s no
point in even trying to compete with oil. What we do
is work very hard to engage our employees. We want them to feel they belong here from the
beginning. Providing learning and development opportunities is part of that. The other part is our
culture. It’s like a family here. We respect our staff, and try to make work a fun and rewarding
environment. In this industry having positive and engaged staff is a strength. If our staff are happy
that’s reflected in the service.
Q: HOW DO YOU ATTRACT STAFF?
Our best recruitment strategy has been from postings on the Internet. We do postings everywhere
including Job Bank, Kijiji, and the Aboriginal board. We also have job fairs, get referrals from
employees, and we work with Keyano College, and the Alberta Hotel & Lodging Association.
Keyano started a great three-week hospitality program for occupations in the industry like servers
and kitchen helpers.
Another place where we have success is hiring spouses of people working in the camps, or the
children of people woking in camps. They already have a good income, but want a job that makes
them happy and provides a sense of community. By concentrating on offering a great work
environment we can appeal to these types of workers.
HR Strategies for Success at Sawridge Inn
The hospitality sector faces enormous HR Challenges in Fort McMurray. Unable to match the wages
in the energy industry, the hotels and inns of Ft McMurray have to innovate in order to attract and
retain the staff they need.
At Fort McMurray’s Sawridge Inn, investing in training and development coupled with an emphasis
on a great work environment are the pillars in their strategy to build, develop and retain a workforce.
In a difficult operating environment it has retained many of the original local staff that came on board
when the Fort McMurray site first opened.
“We have people who have been with us for 5 years, 10 years 12 years, because they came to us
when we started,” says Laura Baez, Director Of Learning and Development with the Sawridge
Group of Companies. “Building loyalty early on with learning and development programs is very
important. We work with our employees to find career paths they will enjoy, and they can foresee as
their future career.”
EMPLOYER
CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS
HOSPITALITY OCCUPATION
OUTLOOK 2013-2017
CHALLENGE #1
RETAINING STAFF
SOLUTION
Like many employers in the hospitality industry, Sawridge doesn’t have the deep pockets to compete
dollar-for-dollar with large oil companies, and losing staff to high-paying jobs in the camps is
inevitable. But in spite of the lure of much higher salaries elsewhere, Sawridge has retained a large
portion of the original employees hired when they first started up. Laura Baez says success retaining
staff comes down to one key element: a respectful, fair and even fun work environment. “There’s not
much you can do about the pay, but we work hard at building trust in the workplace,” says Baez.
“We’re honest with our staff, and we make sure to listen to their needs. It really is about building a
family culture. It’s the main reason we have done so well keeping our staff.”
2.9%
2.9%
0%
1%
2.5%
2%
3%
6.7%
4%
5%
6%
7%
All Jobs in Wood Buffalo - Cold Lake
Chefs and cooks
Occupations in travel and accommodation
Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related occupations
Source: Alberta Occupational Demand Outlook - Average annual growth in jobs.
CHALLENGE #2
BUILDING SKILLS
SOLUTION
Hiring for entry-level positions can be a challenge, but it’s often the more skilled positions that
can be the toughest to fill. In some cases, there’s no choice and Sawridge has to find outside
help for technical positions like maintenance. But in many cases, building up staff is the most
cost effective solution even if it means spending money on courses for employees. Not only has
putting resources into training helped build a more productive and versatile workforce,
Sawridge’s employees were far more willing to stay for the long haul.
CHALLENGE #3
ATTRACTING STAFF
SOLUTION
Sawridges’s approach to finding staff is diverse. Internet job boards are a key component,
including local outlets such as Aboriginal job boards. But word-of-mouth referrals from
employees, and networking with other industries also play important roles. In addition,
Sawridge works closely with Keyano College and its hospitality program. By providing work
experience for students, Sawridge is often well positioned to directly hire new graduates.
WORKER RETENTION STRATEGY:
TR A I NI NG
Building workforce loyalty early on with employee learning and development programs
has been a highly successful retention strategy for Sawridge. Many of the staff that
signed on when the Fort McMurray site first opened have stayed with the company. “If
we do not have the resources to provide the training for our employees to grow, we turn
to resources outside the organization to provide that training for the right people,” says
Baez.
Sawridge will even go so far as to send workers to Edmonton or Calgary. “Particularly
for managers, there are a lot of management courses available at the big cities, or HR
conferences,” says Baez. “Here in Fort McMurray we are getting better at providing
those opportunities.”
Keyano College also offers a Food and Beverage Server Training Program. It is 3
weeks of in class study and 2 weeks of workplace training. This program was designed
specifically to support and facilitate the projected growth in the hospitality industry and
address the labour shortage in Fort McMurray. Tuition for this program is funded by
Alberta Human Services.