24 April 2008
In an industry which traditionally has a high level of staff turnover,Hayfield Manor Hotel, Cork's "Sanctuary in the City", has a proud record of staff retention,many of whom have worked at the hotel since the hotel first opened its doors in 1996. To celebrate the long service of some of the key members of staff, a dinner in their honour was held recently, an opportunity for the whole team to relax and unwind away from their busy duties running this award winning hotel.
The main reason for such a low staff turn over is the ethos of staff development and training, where talent is spotted and nurtured and people are encouraged to develop their skill pool and rise through the ranks. This is no faceless hotel chain, but a hotel that is family run and proudly independent. Staff feel more of a sense of loyalty to the job and owners Margaret & Joe Scally reward this dedication by trusting much of day to day running to the competent and highly skilled team which is in place.
One example of someone coming up from the ranks is Ettienne Van Vrede, originally from South Africa, who has been with the hotel for five years and who has progressed from Food and Beverage to now managing the hotel,together with Anne Marie Scally, Joe and Margaret's daughter. "From my first day at Hayfield Manor, I knew I was working in a special place, like no other. The sense of teamwork is very strong and pride in our work is paramount. I work alongside some of the most professional individuals in the industry and have learnt and continue to learn from them."
The amount of time and energy training staff on various activities lends itself directly to the service one receives when visiting Hayfield Manor. Recent visitor to the hotel Miriam Lee editor of B Wedding Magazine claimed "Hayfield Manor is ridiculously luxurious, with professionally trained staff; nay, happy, smiley, wonderful staff who don't view catering to your every whim as a chore, rather as a passion"
It is this passion that comes through on entering the doors of Hayfield Manor, most likely opened by concierge Louis Murphy who has been greeting every guest with a genuine smile, for the past eight years. Guests are always impressed with the beautiful array of flowers, skilfully arranged by Rita Moore, Resident Florist for the past 12 years and behind the scenes, everything is kept in top working order by the maintenance team headed up by Dominic Scally and Kieran Corcoran, who have both been working at the hotel since it first opened it's doors in 1996.
The whole experience of Hayfield Manor, whether visiting for lunch, fine dining, a business meeting or a weekend break is made special by the top class treatment received. It makes the atmosphere of this award winning hotel more pleasant and unique and adds to the five star experience one receives at this prestigious hotel in the heart of Cork.
As I travelled to Cork for some client and team meetings today, I found myself seated across from the marketing team of a global makeup brand. While I worked on my emails and tried to listen to a mafi...