Background

Hilton Garden Inn Heathrow is a 364 bedroom 4 star hotel with ten meeting rooms and staff team of circa 120 employees. The hotel is owned and operated by Pandox AB under a franchise agreement with Hilton worldwide.

The relationship with Gravitate HR resumed when the Pandox acquired the property,. The General Manager became aware of Gravitate’s services, sought support for an HR project in summer 2020 – since which the relationship has continued with the business receiving retained support from then on.

Gravitate’s Approach

  • Immediate Need: Faced with the challenges of the Covid pandemic and reduced footfall, like almost every hospitality business the hotel needed to restructure and reduce headcount for short-term sustainability. Gravitate provided remote assistance to plan and implement a compliant restructure, offered guidance and advice throughout the process, and produced all relevant documentation.
  • Ongoing Support: Since 2020, Gravitate has supported the business across the full-breadth of HR and people practices. This has included:
    • Documentation reviews/updates
    • Multiple employee relations issues including disciplinary and grievances
    • Working on employee engagement projects
    • Undertaking regular salary benchmarking for the hotel to ensure its salaries are remaining competitive in the wider sector
    • And various other elements.

Benefits Delivered

  • Operational Efficiency: Achieved a well-planned and executed restructure, ensuring short-term stability and setting the stage for future growth post-pandemic which we’ve continued to assist with.
  • Risk Mitigation: Ensured legal compliance both throughout the restructuring process and since, minimising the risk of appeals and claims.
  • Employee Engagement: Maintained engagement among staff and, fostering a positive organisational atmosphere.

Testimonial

“Gravitate HR has provided consistent, sound advice spanning all stages of the employee lifecycle for almost 4 years, helping us stay at the forefront of HR best practices. Their support has been invaluable in navigating complex HR matters.

The support has spanned all stages of the employee lifecycle, regularly providing sound, responsive advice to more complex HR matters and providing an objective viewpoint. We receive consistent service from our dedicated Consultant, and it’s so helpful to also have access to the wider team as the need arises.”

Richard Lee, General Manager.

https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/lhrepgi-hilton-garden-inn-london-heathrow-airport/

https://www.pandox.se/hotel-properties/england/hilton-garden-inn-london-heathrow/

What Next

Gravitate continue to provide retained support to the business, with recent documentation reviews in light of legislative changes.  As with every business in the hospitality sector, there are also occasional issues around performance and/or misconduct, which again Gravitate is always available to assist with to ensure the right solution is arrived at for all involved.