Haben sie platz frei? This is one of the few lines that my weak brain can recall from GCSE German almost 15 years ago. For those fortunate enough not to have been subjected to this well known language of love, it translates as, ‘Have you any rooms free?’
This is no arbitrary beginning. Had a German asked this question for any one of our 26,000 hotel rooms last week, the answer would have been ‘Nein’. How many?
‘So 26,000 rooms were full on one night?’ Yes dear reader – that’s 26,000+ non Brummies welcomed into our City with open arms by our taxi drivers, our shops, our businesses and our restaurants.
Rather than bemoan this, it seems rather obvious that we should, instead, be celebrating the coming of age of this great City. The world wants to be here – no, let me rephrase – the world is already here.
And to keep those 26,000 rooms in tip top shape and the food and drink flowing endlessly into our growing tummies, well over a 100,000 people are working around the clock to service our every need.
And how do we treat them - these ambassadors of Birmingham? Unfortunately, it is all too common knowledge that many of these people are working in conditions that would plunge a 21st century global City into humiliating shame.
They are what Marketing Birmingham has termed ‘Vulnerable workers’ whose plight is to be highlighted through a DTI funded programme that will work with communities and businesses in the Hospitality Industry.
Ivor Marsh is project managing the 2 year campaign and is working with 150+ schools, universities and businesses to help inform, educate and raise standards throughout the industry.
The result? 26,000 rooms and countless restaurants serviced by 100,000+ proud ambassadors of Birmingham.
Take trail blazers like Al Faisals in the Balti Triangle. Led my Mohammad Ajaib – who could melt even the hardest of hearts with his charm - they actively recruit from all communities and take a genuine interest in how they develop their staff.
My cousin Beenish happens to be a manager of Travel Lodges and has turned round the Broad St and Sutton Coldfield hotels through a mixture of hard graft and holistic management that takes care of the whole person.
Here are Working Links, we were recently awarded the Sunday Times 100 best companies to work for. And the result? We are the market leaders in helping the long term unemployed back into work.
Simple really. Take care of your people and they will take care of you.
Otagowane jako:
culture city hospitality industry
LabforCulture jest inicjatywą partnerską Europejskiej Fundacji Kultury. LabforCulture jest wdzięczna swoim fundatorom za wsparcie
