Minute on the Clock: Takis Melitsiotis talks next generation hotel technology and positive people culture

Aloft Liverpool general manager Takis Melitsiotis discusses working with the local community, team development and what makes the hotel a great place to work

 

Tell us a bit about Aloft Liverpool…

 

Housed in the iconic Grade II-listed Royal Insurance Building, Aloft Liverpool creates a fresh, purposeful environment and vibrant space that brings people together. We are the next generation of hotel, using technology and design to both move at the pace of our guests and enhance their experience.

 

How have you created such a positive people culture in the business?

 

The management team’s leadership style looks to break down barriers, allowing everyone who works at Aloft Liverpool to showcase their personality and enable them to work in a supportive and positive environment.

 

The team’s achievements are always celebrated, with reward and recognition at the epicentre of everything we do. This stems from a close-knit management team who ‘get it’ and spur each other on to progress and reach both business and personal goals.

 

What makes Aloft Liverpool such a great place to work?

 

Our team at Aloft Liverpool always ensure it is an incredible experience for our guests, which in turn bolsters a positive working culture here at the hotel.

 

We have also created a clear and concise people agenda, providing initiatives such as weekly team runs around the city and our recently launched yoga sessions, cultivating a safe and happy working culture.

 

Our people agenda is constantly evolving and towards the end of 2019, Aloft Liverpool formed a relationship with a local school for autistic students, providing them with the opportunity to gain valuable work experience and foster their ambition of a career within hospitality.

 

To see the students grow in confidence and ability has resonated around the entire hotel and this feel good factor has in turn taken our people agenda to new levels, helping to ensure Aloft Liverpool is a great place to work.

 

What encouraged you to enter Best Places to Work in Hospitality last year?

 

The main focus for our recruitment of the management team at Aloft Liverpool was based on their ability to look after and develop team members. This common goal then focused on a tangible people agenda, which included succession planning for team members, development courses, regular reviews alongside personal development plans, memorable team outings and the development of our team member space.

 

The hard work that has gone into our people agenda was then reflected in our team engagement survey scores and a reduction in staff turnover. We took a step back and saw how much ground we had covered and wanted to submit our achievements to a recognised industry publication.

 

How did the awards influence your people strategy?

 

Achieving 6th place in 2019 has been a proud moment for Aloft Liverpool and has spurred our team on to deepen our people agenda with a dynamic approach. Our management team are now at the stage where they are asking what’s next and how can we make our team become even more engaged within their roles.

 

What was the most valuable outcome of the awards?

 

Aloft Liverpool has always been known as a hotel that has nurtured its team and the outcome of the award has added substance to that ongoing ethos. It has also created a key stepping stone, which we can build on and push forward with more people-centric activity for 2020 and beyond.

 

What’s next for the hotel?

 

Amidst Aloft Liverpool’s targets for this year, the people agenda continues to take pride of place. 2020 has already seen the launch of yoga for our team members and we will soon re-launch the weekly City runs led by our management team.

 

We are also excited to be working on our #ReasonsToBeProud campaign, which will allow us to take a step back and reflect on all of the positives Aloft Liverpool brings for our team.

 

Also, amongst the ongoing succession planning for our team, we are further supporting the development of people within our business who have the ambition to progress further in their career. Our talented Front of House Manager, Claire, was recently accepted onto RBH Management’s Pyramid programme, which will give her the support to reach the next level. We will also deepen our relationship with our local school for autistic students, who will continue to have placements throughout 2020.

 

Looking after our people is an absolute win for the hotel as it positively contributes to every other metric, and with a happy workplace, guests will continue to enjoy their experience at Aloft Liverpool.

 

Enter Best Places to Work in Hospitality 2020