Getting to know the neighbours took on special meaning for one new tourism owner, demonstrating how rewarding it can be to honour community values.
It is Japanese tradition to bring gifts to your neighbours when you move to a new place, so when the Japan-based Morita Corporation purchased King Pacific Lodge in the isolated community of Hartley Bay, this is exactly what Hideo "Joe" Morita did. He went and met the local Gitga'at, and has since provided training and employment opportunities to local band members. "We are guests in this country," says Morita. "We want to be good guests, treading lightly, leaving as small a footprint as we possibly can. Our interest is in building a successful business, creating value on an ongoing basis in cooperation with local businesses and residents."
Fair working relationships
Morita's first giant step forward was in recognizing the land use and employment issues in the area, while building fair working relationships with local businesses. Under no obligation, King Pacific Lodge signed a working protocol with the Gitga'at, acknowledging the local First Nations as joint stewards of the land. In addition, the lodge employs many qualified First Nations as guides and in-house resort staff.
Because the area's remote location requires lodge staff to live and work together 24/7 for months at a time, all candidates must pass through hiring and interview committees, and a candidate is usually interviewed a minimum of three times before being approved. According to King Pacific Lodge vice president Michael Uehara, "When we hire people, the most important thing we look for is knowledge and personality. We can train the rest so long as there is a willingness to work." As a result, King Pacific Lodge doesn't have an HR department. Everyone is involved in selecting, hiring, and training.
Mentoring program
The training experience can actually begin while prospective employees are still in school. King Pacific Lodge recently started a mentoring program with the local high school in Hartley Bay. A total of 40 students who showed an interest in the hospitality industry at a local job fair held were selected to come to the lodge and shadow a lodge employee. Seven students were considered to be stellar candidates. Uehara views this new program as an investment in future employees, and an opportunity for participating students to pick up some invaluable work skills. Little wonder that King Pacific Lodge doesn't need to advertise for positions. The First Nations elders, school, and band council do it for them.
Just as the owner has sought to look inward, the employees can now look out, farther than they might have imagined possible. Given the resort's exclusive location and luxurious accommodation, King Pacific Lodge was the first Canadian property invited to join Rosewood Hotels & Resort's hotel collection. Joe Morita welcomed this association, as it is Rosewood's philosophy to jointly steward the land and respect the local environment and culture.
Now, this new association offers potential employment opportunities for lodge employees at Rosewood's eight other resorts throughout the world. It is Uehara's hope that one of his Hartley Bay employees will take advantage of this work exchange in the very near future.
