A Focus on Training, Well-Being and Listening
Mureka Walcott, M&R’s corporate director of People & Culture, is a hospitality industry veteran who has served the company for 10 years. Her area of responsibility spans the states of Missouri, Indiana, Illinois and West Virginia. She also supports M&R’s corporate offices and oversees the administration of all company benefits.
Mureka has witnessed significant changes during her time at M&R. “As the company grows, our culture also is evolving,” she said. “People often view HR with suspicion; we’re trying to change that perception and show that we are family-oriented and still care about people. They are the heartbeat of our hotels and our company.”
Where the traditional HR model emphasizes policies and procedures, People & Culture focuses on providing training, recognizing achievements, engaging employees and creating an overall positive environment.
“We still have paperwork to do but, we are always thinking about how to simplify that for employees,” she said. “We have come a long way this past year in streamlining mundane processes that can bog down employees. For example, we automated employee benefits, revamped and digitized the employee handbook and introduced a companywide texting platform that enables us to communicate on a broader level. We also utilize push notifications to send out personalized birthday messages to make employees feel more valued.”
The team is empowered to approach everything they do through the lens of how they affect the employees and the company’s culture. This involves creating a working environment where everyone can grow and thrive.
“One of our core beliefs at M&R is to promote from within, so we are always looking at succession planning and for opportunities to mentor employees so they can advance to the next level,” Mureka said. “We want to show employees that they have a career path in hospitality.”
Mureka emphasized the importance of building a happier, healthier team. “We try to offer benefits that foster employee well-being, such as a yoga day and on-property health-care events. Offering periodic wellness days serves as a reminder that we care about our team’s physical and mental health.”
Listening to employees is key. For example, the company launched M&R Team News in response to a survey that showed employees wanted to learn about the company’s plans and what was happening at other hotels in the portfolio.
“It’s a big step in helping employees feel connected and building on our family-oriented culture,” she said. “If I can give employees one message, I would say, ‘We hear you. We are listening, and we want you to share your voice.’”
