How People-First Culture Transformed the Crowne Plaza Newcastle

At the Crowne Plaza in Newcastle, People and Culture Manager Kelly Johnson and her team have done what just a year ago seemed impossible. They’ve orchestrated a remarkable cultural transformation, moving from a situation of high employee turnover and poor communication to an environment where people genuinely feel valued, supported, and connected.

The results speak for themselves: 37% lower staff turnover, improved employee engagement, better performance, and more repeat bookings. So, how did they do it?

The Wake-Up Call: High Turnover and Poor Communication

The Crowne Plaza Newcastle, like many in hospitality, faced significant challenges post-COVID. Kelly shared some stark statistics:

• Nearly 70% employee turnover in one year
• An engagement survey highlighted poor communication and strained relationships between managers

These weren’t just numbers; they were symptoms of a culture struggling to keep its people.

The team knew they had to make a change to address retention challenges and improve workplace communication.

Shifting the Paradigm: What They Got Right

Fast forward to today, and the picture is dramatically different. The hotel has seen a massive reduction in turnover, with any departures now largely for positive career progression. How did they achieve this turnaround? Kelly highlights three key areas:

• Communication: This was the “biggest thing that everybody had a problem with.” The team actively worked to improve clarity and transparency.
• Building relationships: Moving away from impersonal emails and towards genuine conversations. As Kelly puts it, “It’s far more effective actually spending the time talking to each other.” This fostered a sense of team connection.
• Listening: Actively soliciting and acting on feedback from staff. This is a cornerstone of employee voice.

This focus on human connection over transactional communication is crucial. If you expect your staff to provide a personal, caring experience for guests, shouldn’t you offer the same to colleagues?

The Playbook for Change: Practical Steps

The cultural shift didn’t happen by accident. Kelly and her team implemented a clear strategy to drive employee satisfaction and better performance:

1. People-First Meetings

• Reprioritising agendas: Manager meetings now lead with “people” discussions. Anything in the people calendar, special staff events, and employee wellbeing are the first topics.
• Work-life balance at the forefront: Rotas are designed to better reflect and respect employees’ personal lives, a significant shift from purely business-driven scheduling.

2. Enhanced Communication Channels

• A unified platform: The team consolidated all internal communication onto the Mo app, moving away from fragmented WhatsApp groups and personal emails. This created a single, easy-to-access source of information, promoting transparency and trust.
• Consistent messaging: Leaders constantly reinforced the importance of using the new platform and adhering to new communication rhythms, like consistent team meeting days.

3. Fostering Engagement & Feedback

• Off-Site chats: Encouraging managers to take team members off-site for informal coffee chats to build rapport outside of the workplace.
• Fun activities: Incorporating social elements into team events and training, like providing pizzas. This boosted team morale.
• Supervisor meetings: Introducing dedicated meetings for supervisors to ensure information flowed effectively down to the wider team, preventing communication blocks.
• Engagement team: Establishing a monthly meeting with staff representatives from each department to gather feedback, address concerns, and celebrate successes. This direct line to employee sentiment is invaluable.

Overcoming Obstacles: Consistency is Key

No cultural transformation is without its hurdles. Kelly acknowledged the challenge of maintaining momentum in a busy operational environment. The biggest barrier? Consistency. Managers, focused on the day-to-day demands of running a hotel, would sometimes let new initiatives slide when things got hectic.

Kelly’s response was simple yet powerful: constant reinforcement and empathy. She’d step in to remind managers to get back on track, often by prompting them to “look at it from your staff member’s point of view.” This empathetic approach helped managers understand the human impact of their decisions and drive manager effectiveness.

The Ripple Effect: Tangible Business Outcomes

The cultural improvements have had a direct and measurable impact on business performance and guest satisfaction:

• Improved guest feedback: By openly sharing guest feedback with the wider team and highlighting areas for improvement, the hotel saw an uplift in scores. Staff, when informed, are empowered to find solutions.
• Increased staff mentions: A brilliant initiative rewards staff with a £5 bonus for every mention on review sites like TripAdvisor. This motivates exceptional service, leading to more repeat business and positive reviews, ultimately boosting occupancy and profitability. This is a great example of recognition and reward.
• Solving problems faster: When staff are informed about specific operational challenges, they often have the answers and are eager to jump in and solve them, creating a more agile and effective team.

Golden Nuggets for HR Leaders

Kelly leaves us with some invaluable advice for any HR leader looking to drive similar change and improve workplace dynamics:

• Prioritise communication: Make it clear, consistent, and easy for everyone to access.
• Embrace reward and recognition: Even a simple thank you goes a long way in fostering an appreciative culture.
• Focus on work-life balance and wellbeing: Show your team you care about their lives outside of work. 

When staff feel cared for, listened to, and well-communicated with, they become a far more engaged team. This leads to longevity, a greater interest in their career development, and a desire to stay within your company.

As Kelly succinctly puts it:

It’s a simple truth, often overlooked. By putting people first, the Crowne Plaza Newcastle has not only created a workplace where employees thrive but has also built a more successful, resilient business.