Staff turnover was at an all-time high
With a large and fast-moving team, getting messages to the right people, in the right forum, was always a struggle at the Crowne Plaza. As their staff mostly don’t have company email addresses, communications had to go through personal email accounts or siloed WhatsApp groups.
The lack of a consistent communication hub left teams disengaged and uninformed.
“There was a feeling from staff that they weren’t getting communicated to very well, and that they didn’t really know what was going on” says Kelly Johnson, HR Manager at Crowne Plaza Newcastle.”
Kelly Johnson HR Manager, Crowne Plaza Hotel Newcastle
And while recognition happened, it was often delayed and lacked impact.
“We’d use paper thank-you cards signed by managers… but weeks might pass before someone was recognised for something they’d done.”
This disconnect showed up in their engagement survey results — especially around communication and recognition — and retention was suffering too, with staff turnover peaking around 70% the year before Kelly joined.
How did Mo help?
Crowne Plaza Newcastle had first experienced Mo through their parent group, Aimbridge. When the larger group left it up to individual hotels to decide their own way forward, the Newcastle team knew they wanted to continue using the platform on their own.
“We knew we didn’t want to lose it — it was so good,” says Kelly. “It’s really easy to use. Everyone refers to it as a bit like Facebook — but just for the hotel. It’s intuitive, easy to post on, and simple for new staff to pick up quickly.”
Mo now acts as the hotel’s central hub for team communication, instant recognition and rewards, and even day-to-day operations.
“Our ops director posts daily business updates: occupancy, events, VIPs, guest satisfaction scores, and flags any key focus areas based on guest feedback.”
“If we’re a little low in one area, then he’ll focus his daily briefing on getting all the staff to focus on that area.”
It’s not just senior leadership communicating top-down either.
“Managers use it as their communication tool for their teams, rather than trying to email 15 individual staff. They just put a message on Mo and tag their team in it – it’s amazing. Everything is a lot quicker now.”
Kelly Johnson HR Manager, Crowne Plaza Hotel Newcastle
The hotel’s general manager also uses Mo for a weekly business update, in which he’ll thank the team for their hard work and talk about exciting things that are coming up.
This all-hands approach has replaced fragmented WhatsApp groups, boosted visibility for senior comms, and helped every team member feel more included and informed.
The first signs of progress
One of the first things Kelly noticed was how quickly Mo brought clarity and consistency to communication across the hotel.
“Everyone knows what’s going on now. Even if it’s just a reminder about complaint handling or guest service, it’s that little push that keeps everyone aligned.”
Recognition became more immediate too. Instead of saving it for the end of the month, team members could be celebrated in the moment.
“If our ops director sees a staff member jump in to help in a different department or anything like that, he’ll send a reward straight away on Mo.”
If someone mentions a member of staff on Tripadvisor, they’ll instantly get a £5 reward on Mo, which reinforces the positive behaviour.
The team also began using Mo to influence key guest experience metrics.
“We share daily scores on Mo. If one is lagging, we push it. You can see it flip — 78% at the start of the month, over 80% by the end.”
Kelly Johnson HR Manager, Crowne Plaza Hotel Newcastle
Where they are now
Since using Mo independently, Crowne Plaza Newcastle has seen a marked shift in staff engagement, retention, and culture.
Turnover has dropped from around 68% to 43% (a 37% drop!), with aims to go below 40% in 2025. Engagement scores are on the rise — and crucially, communication and recognition are no longer weak spots in the survey results.
“We had a bad year in 2023. Staff didn’t feel involved. Now, they feel like part of the bigger picture — not just coming in and going home.”
And the feedback from the team? They love the modern, subtle approach.
“It’s not nagging or intrusive. It’s fun, it’s positive, and it doesn’t impact their personal life. They can check it while on shift and get all the updates.”
For Kelly and the team, Mo is the only platform that’s helped them reach everyone — consistently and instantly.
“It puts all your comms in one place, and it’s instant. Before, we used to get people saying, ‘No one tells me anything.’ With Mo, everyone feels included.”
“It’s modern, motivational, and easy. For us, it’s made all the difference.”
See how Mo could work for your team
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