“We define the world of work these days as personalised and streamlined”
“We define work as personalised and streamlined”
Mazars: The past few months have turned all our lives upside down. The world of work in particular - and thereby companies as well - face great challenges. How is the crisis created by the COVID pandemic perceived in your company and how do your employees feel?
Felix Warnholtz: From an economic point of view, 2020 and 2021 are, of course, anything but profitable, but we do not see the situation as a threat, rather as an opportunity. Unlike many other gastronomic businesses and hotels, we were lucky in that we did not have to close down completely, and in the tougher lockdown phases, we could continue to be there for our (regular) guests travelling on business. Our staff also felt the gratitude of our guests. Employees were doing short time work a lot, but mostly only part-time so that they never lost their direct connection to the workplace. That was very important to us. We also have to thank our owners, who fully supported this decision.
Mazars: What creative solutions were you able to offer your workers to cope with the crisis, and will these become permanent after the pandemic?
Felix Warnholtz: In the future, we will certainly offer more attractive working time models and rely on dual training and lateral entrants. To that end, we will have to establish appropriate training programmes, but what is much more important is that the COVID pandemic has given us a new and different perspective on many things and processes. We see the COVID pandemic and the resulting disruption as an opportunity to dismantle, review and redefine old, entrenched patterns of behaviour. Only by doing so can creative solutions gradually emerge, and we want to involve, and listen to, the staff to understand what is important to them.
Mazars: What do you think are the most important cornerstones for the future of work in your industry?
Felix Warnholtz: During the pandemic, everything has become more technical and anonymous, and we want to use that as our starting point. People long for human contact, individuality, and personalised service. Having a progressive work environment in our hotel doesn’t mean focusing primarily on the use of technology. The customer longs for closeness and human warmth – things that technology cannot offer. It is, of course, a mixture of technological progress (e.g. in the booking process, mobility, room furnishings and equipment), that enables our global industry to react faster and offer very personalised service on site. We therefore view the future of work as personalised and streamlined.
Mazars: In the past few years, which were characterised by a strong economy, companies focused almost exclusively on growth. Fewer measures were taken to cope with a possible crisis. What lessons did you learn from the crisis that will always guide your actions in the future, even in good years, to serve as a safety net for your company and especially your employees?
Felix Warnholtz: Teleworking has not been very common in the administrative areas of the hotel industry so far. The pandemic and the accompanying restrictions have shown us our limits in this area. Overcoming these limits in the future will help us be better prepared for upcoming crises. We must remember that we are a service provider, and more than 80 per cent of our staff work in direct contact with the guests. This is our focus and will remain so in the future.
Mazars: What are you planning for your company and the employees in the near future in response to the expected loosening of the restrictions?
Felix Warnholtz: Although our business was never completely closed during the COVID pandemic, we still want to celebrate our reopening and in doing so focus on our staff. We train the staff and incorporate their ideas so that everyone feels included again. The lifestyle brand SO/ Hotels and Resorts of the international Accor group is growing rapidly worldwide and gaining new fans and enthusiasts. As soon as the hotel industry reaches more customers again and the pandemic is over, we want to revive the brand with all its lively events and excellent, creative services. We look forward to a vibrant, spirited Berlin, where SO/ Berlin Das Stue (www.so-berlin-das-stue.com) is a place for chic events and exceptional service in the heart of the city.
Author:
Felix Warnholtz
Human Resources Manager
SO/BERLIN Das Stue
Drakestraße 1
10787 Berlin
The SO/Berlin Das Stue is part of the luxury lifestyle brandSO/ Hotels and Resorts of the international Accor group. The boutique hotel with its 78 individual rooms and suites opened in December 2012. It is located in the heart of the metropolis in the green landscape of Berlin's Tiergarten park.
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This is a post from our newsletter "People in Business" 1-2021. The entire newsletter can be found here. You can also subscribe to this newsletter and receive the current issue directly on the release date.