Imagine the doorman or doorperson at the entrance to your hotel. He opens the door when guests or visitors arrive. He also allows anyone leaving the building to leave with ease.
Installing two motion sensors with a rapid mechanism will save the hotel money on staff costs.
Would you, in your role as a HR professional, dismiss the doorman? Would you prevent your colleagues from throwing this man on the street? I say this: If HR does anything in the months and years to come, it should be to make sure that this doorman keeps his job.
Reasons for firing the doorman
Many colleagues in the workplace see the firing of the doorman as an “opportunity”. The finance director believes that an automated system will only incur maintenance costs and not the salary or benefits of the doorman. The director of facilities is looking to reduce the number of employees.
The chief technology officer is excited about the idea of AI door cameras that display guests’ names on receptionists screens. This is the first step in a strategy to provide a frictionless, and ultimately human-free check-in process.
The head of investor relationships sees the firing of the doorman as an opportunity to show business owners that, while being mindful of operating costs, the executive team is positioning the company for growth without the burden of messy contractual obligations.
The head of customer service, confident that his new app will provide a product customised to international travelers’ needs, also believes that the doorman should go.
These views reflect a belief in value. These views are common in an ecosystem geared towards profit and efficiency. Consumers demand convenience and low costs, and technology is seen as a solution to all problems (including the ones it has created).
Why you should keep your doorman
The doorman’s role isn’t to open the doors. He is more of a representative for the human experience that hotel guests find valuable. Doormen are in the business of building relationships, and connections matter more than ever.
Rory Sutherland, vice-chairman at Ogilvy UK and advertising veteran, explains why reducing activities to their core is a mistake. The doorman does not keep out undesirables with his muscle, but rather by protecting an invisible cultural barrier between the hotel and outside world (my words).
He greets everyone by name, and asks them about their day. Everyone feels recognised. The uniform and manners of his doorman are a symbol of the status of the hotel and the respect it owes to its guests. The doorman is a symbol of the hotel’s ethos and practices. He ensures happy customers, stable rack rates and repeat business.
The HR department’s duty to champion values
When taken to extremes the powerful narratives about efficiency, profit and convenience, as well as technology, reduce people to mere functions, and their value to basic material. The doorman is reduced to a mere opening of doors. These eyes, however, are blinded to the real issues.
The human resources team must take on the role of a doorman. HR must take a stand as workplaces and services rationalise in the name efficiency. As processes replace relationships, as computers substitute people, HR has no choice but to make a statement.
How to value the doorman
It is the responsibility of HR to create experiences that improve workplaces, services and products, and society. HR has a unique opportunity to make a positive impact: what can we do to maximize this?
Build vibrant relationships
HR teams need to be curious about the world beyond the status-quo and also have the insider’s perspective of the boardroom. The way to build trust and credibility is through vibrant, productive relationships.
Question cherished norms
Now we know what trends are causing harm in the workplace and within the society. Risk will arise when the primary goal of an initiative, such as securing profit, efficiency or convenience, is to save money. HR must ask relentlessly, “What is the value of this initiative beyond these four imperatives?”
Take a hard look at technology
The technology can bring benefits to both society and individuals. Many corporate initiatives are today geared towards efficiency and convenience at the expense of human value. If an organisation is going to jump on the technology bandwagon, it should do so for good reasons.
Think beyond “either/or” thinking
No one enjoys being a jerk. Instead of saying “No”, become known for creating solutions that empower people and, as a side-product, create other forms value. It’s no longer about maximizing efficiency, but rather how to create value for people.
Personalize it, but not personalise
The internet is constantly dumping irrelevant data. Companies ‘personalise their interactions in this way, which results in more data being collected (often from customers). Humans require ‘personal’ interactions, not personalised information, to thrive.
Investment in a doorman represents a commitment to creating a society that values people. Without this, everyone suffers, whether they realize it or not. Who in the boardroom is going to retain the doorman if HR can’t? If HR does not champion the importance of people then what are they doing as a team?
