Why general managers have a starring role in this third-party operator’s push to reach new heights and set the industry standard.
PLANO, Texas ‒ Aimbridge Hospitality has long lived by an ethos that puts its people at the center of the company’s success.
While Aimbridge is the world’s largest third-party hotel operator with a global workforce numbering in the tens of thousands, the company has long believed in prioritizing the role of the general manager (GM), who holds an important role as the leader on the frontlines of each and every hotel in the Aimbridge portfolio.
Every GM, from full service, luxury and resort properties to select enhanced, select, economy and extended stay hotels, brings critical skills needed to shape the hospitality experience of travelers today, crafting memorable moments for guests while generating results. Equipping each GM with the tools they need with consideration to the demands of hotel management today requires ingenuity, creativity and a clear vision.
This defined directive cleared the way for Aimbridge to cement its reputation for innovative human resource initiatives and talent development, as the company has taken the lead on emerging strategies and concepts to bolster its global workforce in recent years, ensuring its GMs were poised for these important leadership roles.
Remaining at the top of human resource’s (HR's) task list was the internal commitment to give GMs the tools, training and trust to deliver strong margins.
“We have always viewed our GMs as our 1,500 CEOs in the field,” said Ann Christenson, chief human resources officer (CHRO) for Aimbridge. “The question became, ‘How do we make sure we have the right infrastructure supporting that GM, enabling them to be more effective and efficient in doing their jobs?’ By taking out any bureaucracy or spans of control; things that might be hindering the opportunity for an organization to be swift in execution.”
The amplified focus on GMs within the Aimbridge ecosystem ensures they not only have the operational tools they need, but also direct-line corporate support: more frequent on-property, in-person meetings with regional sales teams, more career pathing and skill development trainings and a more direct line to company leadership.
We have always viewed our GMs as our 1,500 CEOs in the field”
Ann Christenson
As long-time Marriott International veteran and new Aimbridge CEO Craig S. Smith told Hotel Investment Today in an interview, GMs are at the helm of securing property-level profitability and driving client and corporate success.
“It all goes back to giving GMs more control of the asset they manage,” Smith said. “If you put the right people in the job, they know what to do. They know how to run a hotel. Then, at the corporate headquarters, the task at hand is to spend more time finding ways to support them… Our job is to make them successful versus just having them work for us.”
Next-level support translates to next-level results. Aimbridge aims to make its GM-centricity a standout differentiator in the constantly evolving third-party hotel management space, and making investments in HR’s scope in driving talent acquisition, retention, development and performance to strengthen today’s GMs while creating the systems that give rise to the GMs of tomorrow.
Talent attraction and retention
Attracting the best talent—from within and outside—has long been a key priority. Aimbridge seeks internal candidates first, in part due to its extensive training systems and the investment made in each associate who has started their career there. The company’s aggressive but proven-to-be-achievable target is to have 75% of its GM promotions occur internally, from its existing talent pool.
“The number of people on our bench who have been trained by us and have gone through our various personal and professional programs—whether it be housekeeping, general operations, front desk or GM— is our secret sauce. Success starts with having that talent and bench strength,” said Christenson. “So, you might lose one GM to promotion or relocation only to gain a pipeline of other opportunities and talent.”
Another part of Aimbridge’s recruitment strategy is creating pools of interested candidates that the company engages and stays connected with on an ongoing basis. Within these pools exists a network of talented candidates to consider as opportunities arise — a crucial best-practice for a company fast-tracking national and international growth.
“When there is a hotel that comes available for a GM, we have a host of candidates we can provide for consideration,” said Christenson. “We have thousands of candidates for these GM positions every year.”
Aimbridge has also seen its employee retention numbers increase and turnover rates fall across all positions, from GMs to hourly associates.
“You have general managers who feel better supported, and loyal team members who stay longer,” said Christenson. “Our turnover stats, when you compare them to the industry at large, are cutting-edge, and our ability to retain talent is much better than the industry average.”
Innovation to support the needs of associates
To execute on its objectives, Aimbridge has been a leader in innovative practices that offer greater flexibility and control for associates, like shift swaps. Putting the power of their schedules in the hands of associates can reduce the complexity of the GM’s job while still ensuring there is coverage to accommodate personal and family needs more seamlessly than ever before. With this stability in the workforce, there’s uninterrupted ability to deliver the services guests expect to drive results and success for owners.
Innovation isn’t limited to the tools Aimbridge deploys for its associates to use, either. The Aimbridge market recruiter program accelerates the process of hiring hourly workers at its managed hotels, filling jobs in an average of nine days, compared to the industry average of nearly 30 days.
“We want to be setting the trend,” said Christenson. “We focus on setting the standard as part of our vision, so that’s what my team likes to do: go out there, be ahead of everybody and meet the needs in advance. It’s on us to be ready for the changes in the workforce.”
Personal development, mentorship and belonging
Beyond placing people in the right role for their skill sets, Christenson’s aim is to develop new programs to incentivize Aimbridge’s team members and give them a pathway to find a lifetime career with the company. Then, Aimbridge can nurture those aspirations.
Ann Christenson, Aimbridge Hospitality
“How do we make sure that we get those opportunities in front of them?” questioned Christenson. “We must show them the pathways to really build a meaningful career within our industry, but more importantly, within Aimbridge. That is a primary focus.”
The answer has been to launch a host of successful programs at Aimbridge in recent years, including its Management Skills Intensive Program (MSI), Leaders on the RISE! GM Apprentice Program (RISE) and its Aspire, Amplify, Accelerate leadership programs. The feedback has been unanimous, with 100% of attendees agreeing that they benefitted from the experience and would recommend the programs to others.
Aimbridge also collects feedback at every stage of the employee lifecycle and uses that data to continuously improve programs and offerings for associates. Survey programs start with a 30-day onboarding and 90-day onboarding steps, followed by a consistent series of other feedback moments including annual engagement survey; pulse surveys; exit interviews and surveys, with other ad hoc surveys incorporated as needed.
Taking a thoughtful approach to feedback and listening is part of the company’s long-term strategy to develop associates and ensure they feel they belong. Retention has also come through prioritizing a company culture where everyone feels they have a place they belong and are accepted—one of the key pillars within Aimbridge.
As part of this focus, every department has its own diversity plan. “We as an organization benefit from the results of this focus,” Christenson said.
“Over half of our GMs in select service are female and represent diverse backgrounds and experiences. This is just the foundation for diverse growth for our team and an area we are prioritizing to create further opportunities throughout the organization.”
Improved training at the top
As associates find their home at Aimbridge, critical skills prepare them for the roles that could await them on their career trajectory.
GM training is an essential part of Aimbridge’s strategy, delivering better results for owners and better performance for hotels. This training calls upon the entire organization to ensure all associates are living The Aimbridge Way and understand the breadth and depth of tools available to them. For example, the sales and top-line teams are part of the GM onboarding process, providing training, tools and proprietary technology for deeper dives into the marketplace, helping future GMs see what's happening before it happens.
“As part of the onboarding, they get training and build those relationships with their property sales and revenue teams to really have that cutting-edge advantage when it comes to identifying top-line trends and making sure we're capturing every possible revenue channel or source we can,” Christenson said.
Aimbridge corporate leadership also takes a direct hand in the onboarding process, regularly bringing GMs to its headquarters as part of the company’s well-regarded GM Connect program. To date, 468 GMs have attended and graduated from the program.
“You get to know the HR team, the accounting team and all of us who are here to help support the GMs,” said Christenson. “Our GMs have the opportunity to know who that person is in payroll, for example, in the event that there ever was a question or an issue that they need solved. Having that human connection is something we value.”
Team problem-solving
Another point of emphasis for Aimbridge has been on deepening connections and collaboration to solve property-level challenges. With these strengthened relationships across different geographies, teams are better equipped to address situations in real time, with regional sales teams making regular visits to the properties and always on call when GMs need guidance and support.
“One of the big transformations within our operations was a regional deployment: making sure that our regional leaders who are overseeing our properties have a span of control in geography enabling them to be on-property more frequently, providing the resources, support and oversight to help drive results for owners and support the GM and property,” said Christenson.
This team approach is at the heart of how Aimbridge has become an award-winning employer, recognized for its career growth, leadership, diversity and company outlook, among other awards.
“Whether it be managing our workforce, creating culture, managing change, and even just sales and revenue, we're always trying to have solutions ready to support each individual general manager and the properties they are managing every day,” said Christenson. “Collectively, with all of our corporate teams driving that strategy, innovation and change, strengthening and empowering our workforce is our number one focus.”
Brendan Manley is a writer, editor and digital marketer specializing in hospitality content creation based in Warrensburg, New York.
The views and opinions expressed in this content do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Hotel Investment Today or Northstar Travel Group and its affiliated companies.