SPOTLIGHT
At DoubleTree by Hilton, the CARE
(Create A Rewarding Experience) culture
expresses how team members interact
with each other, their guests and their
communities. “It’s the thread that we carry
Anne Thompson all the way through the brand at every
part of the employee experience,” said Anne Thompson,
Hilton’s senior director of global brand hospitality and
internal communications for full-service brands.
Most employees in the hotel environment are on the move
at work. Instead of sitting in front of a computer, they’re
making beds, driving shuttle vans, serving breakfast
or handling repairs. It’s more difficult to communicate
culture to non-desk employees, but critical because these
frontline employees are the ones who deliver the brand
experience.
To reach their non-desk team members, DoubleTree
by Hilton uses both low- and high-tech channels to
communicate the culture. Sometimes that can be as
simple as a whiteboard or bulletin board in a back room,
but they also leverage smartphones and other digital
forms of communication.
About six years ago, Thompson spearheaded the
development of a proprietary mobile application that she
believes is the first of its kind in the hospitality industry.
Called the DT CARE Community, the app connects team
members at hotels all over the world. The app serves as
an online community, a learning tool, and a way to share
ideas and best practices.
“It’s a global channel that allows team members to talk
one on one,” Thompson said. “So if I’m a team member
in Beijing, I can connect with a team member in Chicago.”
The culture also
carries through to
performance.
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