A robust people strategy is crucial for success in today’s dynamic and competitive tourism industry. Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts, Sri Lanka’s leading hospitality chain, exemplifies this with its comprehensive recruitment, retention, and employee development approach.
Cinnamon’s people strategy focuses on continuous improvement, innovation, and a commitment to employee satisfaction. The company uses cross-functional projects to foster creativity and offers extensive training programmes to enhance skills.
Ishara Naufal, the Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts, exemplifies exceptional leadership and strategic acumen. Over her 24-year career, she has honed her expertise in HR management, orchestrating transformative initiatives within this prestigious hospitality conglomerate. Her leadership extends beyond traditional HR functions, encompassing visionary strategies, people-centric approaches, and innovative solutions that fuel the brand’s success.
Ishara holds certifications from the International Coaching Federation and as an NLP Personnel and Business Practitioner, and she is currently completing her NLP Mastery level. Her commitment to professional development and excellence is evident in her accolades, including the HR Leadership Award at the Global HR Excellence Awards in February 2024.
In an in-depth chat with Ishara, she explained why employee experience is paramount at Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts. The company invests in top-notch employee experiences focused on talent development, best-in-class tools and staff facilities.
How would you describe your people strategy and can you explain why it is crucial to succeed in the tourism markets you are in?
We are committed to a dynamic people strategy aimed to attract, retain, and nurture talent in the tourism industry. With a workforce exceeding 6,150 employees and expanding further with the launch of Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams Sri Lanka, our focus is on delivering exceptional experiences for both our team and our guests.
Our strategy includes cross-functional projects that foster innovation and creativity. We’ve introduced digital innovations like the Application Tracking System (ATS) to streamline recruitment and attract top talent. For instance, the ATS helped us attract 18,000 candidates for 1,600 positions at Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams Sri Lanka. We plan to expand the ATS across the rest of our portfolio to enhance our hiring processes further.
Employee experience is a top priority. We invest in top-notch facilities, including updated meal rooms, staff restaurants, and accommodation. This focus on comfort and engagement is essential for retaining talent, especially with international competition in Sri Lanka’s hospitality sector.
We also have high-potential talent programmes to identify future leaders and offer focused development plans. Growth opportunities are available in Sri Lanka and the Maldives, supported by international trainers and expert-led programmes. We ensure our job designations and job descriptions meet global benchmarks to align with international standards.
Our reward and recognition programme, the Hall of Greatness, celebrates top performers, reflecting our commitment to excellence. Regular salary reviews and well-defined salary bands ensure competitive compensation, fostering a motivated and dedicated workforce.
How does Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts embody its values in its day-to-day operations, in its employee interactions and in setting up colleagues for success in a dynamic market such as tourism?
In line with our vision and purpose, we relaunched our core values in 2022 to honour all stakeholders, including customers, investors, shareholders, and employees. Our commitment to ethical and responsible business practices is supported by a strong governance framework.
Employee physical and mental well-being is a top priority for us and we offer various initiatives, such as the colleague assistance programmes, providing one-on-one counselling sessions across Cinnamon properties for emotional and mental support. Our own tailored Anagram programmes enhance self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and social skills, while employees participate in intercompany and mercantile-level sports events.
Another core value we have is agility. We adapt swiftly to guest feedback and changing circumstances. By reviewing guest feedback and internal surveys, we gauge employee sentiments and implement improvements to boost satisfaction. Innovative recruitment campaigns help us attract top talent, particularly for Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams Sri Lanka and Kandy Myst by Cinnamon.
Compassion is at the heart of our values. We nurture this through open discussions on self-awareness, starting by fostering compassion within ourselves. This extends to actively engaging with our colleagues, community, and nature. We are dedicated to volunteering and participating in CSR initiatives, always promoting empathy and community involvement.
The value trust is built through transparent communication, integrity, and accountability at all levels. Our open-door policy, zero tolerance for sexual harassment, and whistleblowing policy reinforce this commitment. Trust and growth are integral to our talent management programmes, ensuring colleagues believe in the career development opportunities we offer.
Curiosity is a core value encouraged at Cinnamon. Continuous learning and growth are promoted through fresh perspectives, digital learning interventions like the Cinnamon Online Academy, and engaging discussions at town hall meetings.
We also focus on the value of inclusivity. We celebrate special occasions and significant days across Cinnamon. Our partnership with Jaffna University College trains female students, offering them firsthand hotel operations experience and learning opportunities from industry experts.
And last but not least, we embrace greatness at Cinnamon by setting high standards and constantly pushing boundaries. Our upcoming Cinnamon Hospitality Academy, launching in 2024, is a testament to this commitment. It aims to bridge the talent gap in Sri Lanka’s hospitality industry by partnering with top-tier educational institutes, addressing staffing needs, and creating a sustainable talent pipeline for the future.
Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts emphasizes operating with excellence to grow with intent. Can you explain more about what this means in practice and give examples of how this strategic imperative has been successfully applied?
For us, excellence means delivering world-class service and continuously improving our operations. Our brand vision is to showcase the best of Sri Lanka to the world with style and elegance. We aim to curate emotional experiences that inspire stories, which is our core purpose. To achieve this: we focus on cultivating the best people and culture, driving customer personalization, operational excellence, and intentional growth.
In 2022, we relaunched our core values to align with this vision and purpose. We uphold a robust governance framework to maintain our values and commit to ethical and accountable business conduct. Regular audits ensure compliance with our HR governance system, policies, and processes.
Transparency is critical to our operations. John Keells Holdings ranked sixth in Transparency International Sri Lanka’s corporate reporting assessment. We prioritize data privacy, continuously monitoring and governing data protection policies for guests and employees.
To ensure our staff delivers exceptional service, we bring expert trainers from international hotel chains to provide specialized training in food, beverage, and quality standards. While currently focused on Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams Sri Lanka, we plan to extend this training to our other hotels through a cascade training approach, leveraging external experts and our internal trainers.
As a subsidiary of the John Keells Group, how does Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts align with the Group’s progressive approach to valuing diversity? Specifically, what steps are being taken to increase female participation in the workforce and achieve gender parity?
At Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts, we are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where everyone can be their true selves, grounded in respect and trust. We welcome diversity in our workforce and aim for gender parity, targeting 22% by 2025-28 from the current 16.6%. Our internal communications are built on a foundation to prevent harassment or ill-treatment, ensuring everyone feels safe and valued.
Our surveys now include options for non-binary identities, reflecting our commitment to inclusion. We expect this group to grow as more people feel comfortable being themselves. Our HR forms and surveys accommodate all gender identities, reinforcing our dedication to diversity.
We offer 100 days of paid parental leave to mothers and fathers, including partners. This policy ensures equal responsibility in the early months of a child’s life. Project Aloka trains females for roles traditionally held by males, focusing on marginalized communities to provide career opportunities.
In 2023, we launched comprehensive training programmes for female employees, covering professional presence, workplace harassment, work-life balance, and parenting. Sensitivity training for leaders helps break gender biases in recruitment. We share success stories of female leaders to inspire and encourage women in hospitality.
We host open days for parents to showcase the safe working environment and career opportunities in hospitality. With employees from 22 nationalities, 18% of whom are Gen Z, we maintain a harmonious, multi-generational workforce. Our zero-tolerance policy for harassment is supported by a whistleblowing system for confidential reporting, ensuring a safe working environment for all.