For Richard Varela, Program Dir., Horne Lake Adventures, his product isn’t caverns or the magnificent scenery of Beaufort Range on Vancouver Island, it’s two hours with one of his cave guides.
If your product is only as good as your employees, what can employers do to make sure their employees are good at their jobs?
For Richard Varela, this is simple, “You invest in your employees. You treat them as number one. And you celebrate in their successes.”
Growing Pains
When Richard began cave tours out of Horne Lake Provincial Park in the 1980s, he was a one-person operation. He quickly realized that customer satisfaction depended more upon the human side of his operation – his guiding skills – and less on seeing and learning about the caverns.
As his business grew, he had to transfer his knowledge to his employees.
Sixteen years later, all employees undergo a weeklong training program including client care skills, that Richard developed, and BC Parks Cave Guide certification.
Selecting the Right Candidates
Most candidates seeking jobs at Horne Lake Adventures come by way of adventure tourism programs at local post secondary institutions, and industry contacts in the guiding network.
Richard’s recruitment strategy is “match the personality to the job.”
It’s more important to find the person with the right motivation than the best skills, according to Richard. He’s found that he gets a higher level of commitment from his employees.
Interviewing for Personality
When interviewing candidates, Richard wants to know if his company can meet the candidate’s goals. He focuses on learning why the person wants to work for him and what their goals are.
Motivation Fuelled by Ongoing Learning
To avoid seasonal burnout Richard has this to say:
- Recruit the right candidates that "buy-in" to the vision
- Provide ways to motivate employees
- Reward employees to keep them happy
- Deliver on your promises
TNT – Tuesday Night Training
For the entire time employees are at Horne Lake Caves, Richard sees to it that they're learning. Tuesday Night Training (TNT, as it is more affectionately named) is not the weekly pizza and beer social. There’s food, but there’s a whole lot more.
TNT is a weekly life skill training session run by the employees.
We’re all good at one thing. So each Tuesday night, an employee instructs the group in the one thing that they excel in. These sessions are fun, keep employees motivated, and provide an opportunity to learn something new.
Rookies Train High School Students
Another way Richard encourages his employees to get the most from their jobs, and challenge themselves, is in the fall when 30-40 high school students arrive for volunteer work practicums.
New employees oversee student training and work experience, forcing employees to work at higher quality levels. Students get hands-on training working as an assistant guide and keeping up with daily operations.
Monthly Rewards
Each month Richard gives every employee a little bonus or perk costing anywhere from $5-$10. The employees look forward to the “shwag” – mostly local products that they choose from when their name is pulled out of a hat.
Richard’s advice to any tourism business is: give your employees regular perks, help your staff meet life goals so they feel rewarded, and make sure you celebrate in your employees’ successes, no matter how small.
