By Jimoh Babatunde

The Cluster Director, Human Resources, Continental Hotels Group, Niyi Agoro, has said that Human Resources is critical in the hotel industry.

He said staff can only deliver exceptional service and create memorable experiences for our guests if they are happy.

Speaking during the May Day celebration recently, Agoro said they are happy to celebrate their employees exceptional performance and their critical roles in the organization through commendation and recognition.

“We prioritize managing our people to ensure they are happy, which in turn makes our guests happy. Our approach is to make both junior and senior employees happy so that they can deliver exceptional service and create memorable experiences for our guests.”

Agoro added “we have many unique welfare packages for our employees. We are the only five-star hotel in Lagos that has a nursery facility for our nursing mothers, which is unique in the industry. We are also the only five-star hotel in Lagos that uses brand new buses for employee transportation. We deployed nine buses last year.

“Additionally, we have staff facilities within the premises, including layover dormitories for colleagues who need to stay back for extended hours. We also have separate facilities for male and female colleagues.

“We have a staff clinic with a professional nurse, health insurance, and monthly town hall meetings where we treat employees to lunch buffets. Our cafeteria offers two meal options daily, and we prioritize employee well-being. These programmes demonstrate our commitment to employee welfare and retention.”

Speaking on employee compensation and performance evaluation, Agoro said they offer a performance-based salary increment, as their employees are evaluated and compensated accordingly.

“We have also done salary increments twice a year for the past two to three years, demonstrating our commitment to fair compensation.”

On the philosophy underlining their recruitment process, he said “ our recruitment philosophy is driven by being an employer of choice and giving back to the community. We balance internal and external recruitment to encourage career advancement and social responsibility. We prioritize attracting talent to deliver exceptional service to our guests.”