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Official: TT means business!

talent toolbox wins cipd ‘Talent management for business benefit’ award

We are proud to say that in September, learnpurple, in conjunction with Malmaison and Hotel du Vin, were presented with the 2007 CIPD and People Management “Talent Management for Business Benefit” Award. This officially makes us the best talent managers in the UK. We were particularly proud that we won over many other organisations, large and small, from a wide variety of industries. And it’s great to see hospitality leading the way.

It’s also a great endorsement that what we do gets results and adds value to our clients’ organisations. We loved that they too are being recognised for the hard work and effort they have put in and for being brave and making this investment in their people.

The Background
When Malmaison Hotels acquired Hotel du Vin in 2004, the group set itself the target of becoming the largest boutique hotel chain in the UK. As two distinct and successful brands operating in the same market, both now faced several, business critical people challenges:

The need to preserve the separate brands whilst operating under the same leadership with many shared support services
The need to exploit the opportunity of bringing together the two separate workforces
Merging the strengths of both without destroying their cultures
Very challenging expansion plans (gearing up for the opening of four properties per year plus acquisitions)
Retaining and motivating many employees used to an ‘owner-culture’ and lack of formal process / structure
Putting development and succession plans in place to feed proposed expansion whilst preserving the distinctive
Malmaison and Hotel Du Vin service offers, yet allowing cross-over of talent

How they did it
Sean Wheeler was recruited as HRD in a key strategic role to support the initiative. One of his greatest challenges has been to ensure Hotel du Vin and Malmaison continue to have separate identities, core values and brand essences and can remain as distinct brands which earn critical acclaim. This group is now the biggest and most dynamic lifestyle hotel company in the UK. Service standards are critical and excellent people management is therefore key.

It was Sean’s view that people were central to the success because they could act as ‘guardians of the brands’, maintaining their identities and values as they grew. learnpurple - being no stranger to the significance of investing in ones people - was called in to work with Sean to create a solution… and a bespoke version of our talent toolbox was created.

The online communication/appraisal system was rolled out to managers and supervisors in 2005 and this year was extended to staff at all levels. Robert Cook, chief executive at Malmaison and Hotel du Vin, has described it as a “fun and honest tool that will be the cornerstone of (their) people development in upcoming years”.

Jane Sunley, managing director of learnpurple, will be the first to remind you that one of our core values is keeping things simple. And it’s this value that the success of talent toolbox is based on. Because people enjoy using it, it isn’t bogged down by the appraisal banner.

The results
There’s a great story whereby one of the Mal team was asked how his appraisal went. He looked blank and said he hadn’t had one until it was explained that the talent toolbox IS the appraisal. He exclaimed it a great success and a positive aid to his development. Just goes to illustrate that talent toolbox is seen as something positive and welcome rather than the tired old ‘appraisal’ that often bogs people down, or doesn’t happen at all.

Companies can see at a glance the ‘health’ and happiness of their staff, and where next managers might come from. This would explain why about 80% of managers are now promoted from within the company.

We have really loved working with Malmaison and Hotel du Vin who have invested so much in their people, and the fact that it has paid off with a considerable return on investment for them is what we’re all about.

If you are interested in a full case study of this project, more information or to find out how a Talent Toolbox solution might benefit your organisation, please contact Jon Reed 0207 836 6999 or email jon@learnpurple.com.

11 November 2007