October 26, 2011, Vancouver, BC – go2 is pleased to announce that Panorama Mountain Village is this year’s recipient of the Employees First Award. The award was presented at the annual BC Tourism Awards gala held in Victoria as part of the 2011 BC Tourism Industry Conference.
Sponsored by go2 since its original inception in 2004, the Employees First Award recognizes BC tourism industry employers that demonstrate exceptional standards of excellence in human resources and people management.
Located in the Kootenay Rockies region, Panorama employs more than 110 year round staff and 350 seasonal staff and is one of the largest tourism operations in the region. The company recently achieved the Certificate of Recognition (COR) certifications for both its ski operation and golf course, Greywolf Golf Course.
“We realized immediately that to deliver the quality of guest experience we wanted, we needed to create a company culture committed to delivering exceptional experiences. The only way to build that culture is to invest in our employees creating both personal and professional growth. It’s an honour to have our efforts being recognized by go2, the Tourism Industry Association of BC and the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation,” says Rick Jensen, CEO/President of Panorama Mountain Village.
Panorama’s human resource strategy focuses on employee experience and engagement, and the theme of “family” runs through all of their employee programs. Here are a few examples:
- Assistance in finding subsidized staff accommodation or contacts for private housing.
- Communication channels that engage all generations in the workplace and keeps all 16 company divisions synchronized, including a reward program to seek new and fresh ideas from staff.
- “Create your future” workshops, facilitated by Rick Jensen, Panorama’s CEO, are offered to all staff (front line to management), their spouses and families to encourage growth in personal and professional potential and leadership.
- Free access to all resort amenities, discount on food and beverage, retail and rental services, and the participation of a reciprocal discounted season pass program with 20 other mountains.
- Ongoing employee recognition of outstanding performance as well as an annual dinner to acknowledge long-serving employees.
- Departmental health & safety training, which is also available online for easy access allowing for staff to review prior to training sessions.
- A staff committee to oversee the fundraising effort for a local emergency relief fund that is available for all people in emergency situations that are connected to Panorama Mountain Village.
As a result, Panorama is able to achieve a 60% seasonal return rate, representing employees who return for a following summer/winter season after completing their first seasonal contract, an increase from 15% four years ago.
“Our high retention rate is a testament to the strong sense of community and belonging our resort offers to those who are here not only looking for a place to work, but also a place to grow their careers, talents and abilities, and also somewhere to call home,” Jensen adds.
“Panorama Mountain Village has a very comprehensive HR strategy that ties back to its corporate vision and value proposition, which is key to its success,” says Arlene Keis, CEO of go2. “The Employees First Award has grown over the years and the competition has become fierce. It’s great to witness good people management practices being put to work."
About go2
go2 is BC’s tourism and hospitality human resource association responsible for coordinating the industry’s Human Resource Action Plan, a key component of the industry’s growth strategy. Tourism is one of the largest resource industries in BC comprising 18,000 mostly small to medium-sized businesses which directly employ close to 128,000 British Columbians. For more information, visit www.go2hr.ca.
About Panorama Mountain Village
Panorama Mountain Village and Greywolf Golf Course is a locally owned, year-round resort in Southeastern BC. Named 2011’s “Mountain Resort of the Year” by the BC Alpine Association, Panorama’s owners are committed to creating the best family-focused mountain resort in Canada. For more information, visit www.panoramaresort.com.
Media Contact:
Joyce Lam, go2
Phone: 604-633-9787 x227
