I: Well, good to know that you that you're happy within the company and Paula, to what extent

are
you aware of the core values and mission and vision of Sport Hotels?

R8: To be honest, I'm not really sure. I know this hotel is iconic in Andorra and in the Pyrenees just
because they want to transmit their guests that they belong to the family but related to
their values. I mean, I guess they have their own values, but they never talked about them.
They never told us what values they have. So I just use my own values whenever I have to
work.

I: Alright, so just to double check about the values, they never told you or explain them, but you use
your personal values while working. Is that correct?

R8: Yeah, exactly.

I: Perfect and what motivates you to work at the company?

R8: Well, I came to Andorra because my boyfriend was living here and who is working here in
another hotel. So I decided to come here and look for a job. And I heard of this, hotel. I only heard
good things about it. So I just wanted to to try and apply. And I did so.

I: Well, that's that's really good. Indeed, this hotel is famous worldwide and has a really good
reputation. So that's indeed a motivation why to work at the company. And well, let's do Paula a little
throwback of when everything started. So I would like to know, how did you experience the
recruitment procedure?

R8: Mm… I would say was quite quick because I applied at the end of February and in April I was
already accepted. The only thing is that it was a bit chaotic. I was already in Andorra when I had to
do the interview. So it was a personal interview, which was much better. But the only thing that
was a bit more chaotic was that they never told me about the visa which you have to get in
order to work there. Mm… I knew because of my boyfriend, but not because of the company.

I: Well, that's a pitty and you were quite lucky that your boyfriend already told you or you were aware
because of your boyfriend.

R8: Yes, exactly. I was lucky but imagine that I come here to Andorra and then they tell me that I
need to apply for a visa and all the documents you need. So I mean, the visa process takes like 4
days or so, so not too long but I mean collecting all the documents is quite time consuming
because you need to go to the public adminsitration to get a … I don’t know how to say it but the …
“antedecentes penales paper” and so on.

I: Oh, you mean the criminal record paper.

R8: Yes exactly. And many other documents which you need to get. So, I was lucky but I think it
would be helpful if in the interview they had gave me a list or they had sent me an email
where I could follow up the steps in order to get my visa.

I: Okey, thank you for sharing. Indeed perhaps could facilitate the process for the visa applicaion by
providing a step by step list. And, well, you said you had a personal interview and that you and it was
much better than if you would do it through Skype or phone. Were you provided with a job
description?

R8: Yes, my manager had a paper and we read through it in the interview.

I: And was it helpful for you?

R8: Yes, really helpful.

I: Why was it helpful for you?

R8: Well, I consider that every job description is helpful because arrive to a new company and of
course the tasks more or less are the same if you are at this level of five star but every company has
its own specialties and stuff. So since in the interview we went through the responsibilities and stuff,
already for the first day I had an idea about what they were expecting from me and that relieved a bit
my nerves of the first day.

I: Okay, well, that's good to know that it was helpful and that it was provided to you. Okay, so you did
the interviews. You were accepted. You did all the visa process. And once you got hired, did you get
any type of introduction, training or orientation training?

R8: No, I never received a proper introduction training. My manager just met with me and she
called so that she could give me a tour around the hotel. Ruth was the one who explained the
facilities and showed me around the resort.

I: Okay and while the tour were you provided or did you get explain about the background of the
company?

R8: She never mentioned those details. She just showed me around and she explained what
kind of food the restaurant had and such things.

I: Thanks for sharing. I would like to ask you to what extent do you feel that your professional needs
and also your ambitions were fulfilled through the tour you had?

R8: Well, throughout the tour, I really think my professional ambitions were not fulfilled
through that tour because you know how I said it was a simple tour and she never really explained
how to use the computer or the phone at the reception and also the standards of Leading. One of the
motivation as I said before is that it is a really iconic hotel in Andorra and it belongs to Leading
Hotels so to be honest, I would have liked to talk about the standards and how I need to
perform. Because of course at the reception you do the check-ins, check-outs and close the cashier
but for example at Kempinski Munich where I was working were they had specific standards
of okey, if the guest has to sign the invoice, you have to give him the pen already open or things like
that. So I was wondering that for sure at Leading they had also standards. But she never told me
about them.

I: Alright and did you learn that throughout the time?

R8: After a few weeks, I learned how to use everything I had to but because of my colleagues, they
helped me a lot. And I just had a look at what they were doing and how they did it.

I: And it was only your colleagues or did you get also some other support?

R8: No, my colleagues were their main source of help, and something I really missed like was a to do
list like a daily to do list like I had in my other jobs.

I: Okey, I will note that down that you missed a task list.

R8: Thanks. I think really that that would have helped me or at least see what tasks I could do.
Because my colleagues for example explained me about the phone, so I was basically picking up the
phone while the others were doing check-ins and outs. But I believe that if there was a task list, then I
could have seen if there were other tasks that I could do in the meantime that my colleagues were
busy. I don’t know if I explained myself well.

I: Yes, yes I understood. And Paula, to what extent do you think that the current well, if you want to
call it training or the current tour that you had were sufficient for you in order to execute the tasks
independently?

R8: It was not sufficient at all. I was really lost, I felt really lost the first days and week
because there was nobody that helped me and I didn't know how to do my my job properly.

I: That´s a pity, but I hope that with time, you you got to learn the things fast.

R8: Yes.

I: And have you ever heard about induction process?

R8: I've never heard about it.

I: Okay well, let me explain it to you so that both of us have a clear understanding about this process.
So an induction process is a form of introduction training for new employees when they arrive to a
company. And in this training, the new employees are provided with all the tasks that I have to
perform and in what way they have to perform them. And also, they are provided with information
about about the background of the company as well as benefits the rules or the procedures and
standards that they have to follow in order to really represent the company. Is that clear for you?

R8: Yeah Thank you.

I: Perfect, so since it's clear and I would like to know, to what extent do you believe that
implementing a process like that, so implementing an induction process, would be beneficial for you as
an employee?

R8: It would have been really helpful because I think it's very important to have as up front desk
agent such background knowledge.

I: Alright.

R8: What I mean is that it's very usual that guests go to the front desk to ask questions, and they
could have asked me about Leading Hotels or Andorra in general. And to be honest, I had no idea at
that time. I discovered after a while.

I: Oh, well, that's that's really important, especially at the reception where it's like the heart of the
hotel where every guest approaches you and you need to have a lot of information. So, well, I'm glad
that after time at least, you you learned about the background information about Leading Hotels.

R8: Yes, exactly.

I: Well, mm… imagine that this induction process would be implemented. What information do you as
an employee would need in order to start working at Sport Hotels?

R8: What I mentioned before at that time, I didn't know anything about Leading Hotels and it
could have been helpful if they had provided me a presentation about it or just a simple A4
paper where it is explained the main aspects about this group. I discovered after a while that
they were 800 quality standards, which I didn't know about. I mean I thought that for sure there
would be standards like in Kempinski but I mean giving me a list just mentioning the quality
standards would have been also good.

I: Thank you for sharing what would be important for you. And well, you said at the beginning that
you're quite happy working at Sport Hotels. I would like to know what aspects make you feel
motivated.

R8: We love the team spirit. We're not only colleagues, we're also friends outside of
working hours and I also really like the salary. It's really, really nice. And what also motivates me
are that the discounts that are that I'm offered.

I: Why do you think these aspects motivates you?

R8: I am a really social person and I really love to socialize with with people. So it's really important
for me. There are good vibes in our team.

I: Alright. Well, indeed teamwork is really important in order to have a good team spirit and so people
feel motivated within our company. Are there are also aspects that demotivate you?

R8: What I don't really like is when my manager makes decisions and excludes us from
those decisions. Mm.. I would like to be a team for everything, not just for fun, funny things.

I: Indeed sharing the decision power is important, but to what extend does she exclude you? Could
you please elaborate.

R8: So when she has to decide something she rarely includes us and if she does then she
doesn’t really listen to us.

I: Oh, okay. Do you perhaps have any example in mind?

R8: Mm.. yes. So, as they told me the uniforms change from summer to winter and of course the
manager has to see which uniforms she needs to buy. But for me it was quite shocking that she didn’t
involve us in this process or asked for our opinions since we are also the ones that are going to wear
the uniform. But sometimes we have a problem with the allocation of the rooms or that the guest is
not happy with the views, so of course I tell my manager the situation and I always try to give my
opinion on how to solve the issue but she doesn’t take it into consideration. We always have to do
what she says and there can be more solutions. Maybe hers is the best one but I would feel more
motivated if she would involve us more in the decisions. I think we should look for a solution
altogether.

I: Thanks for sharing. And did you ever think about leaving the company?

R8: Leaving leaving not because I'm pretty happy for the moment but of course yes, sometimes I
have ups and downs as everyone I guess.

I: Yes, I think that belongs to the work to have ups and downs sometimes. But overall I am glad to
hear that you you're feeling part of the company and that you would like to continue your career path
at Sport Hotels.

R8: Yes. In everything you have ups and downs. Also with your family, boyfriend or something.

I: Well, Paula, for me this marks the end of the interview. All the questions that I had prepared were
answered. But I would like to give you the chance to add anything or any question that you still have
and not just let me know.
R8: Mm… let me think. I wanted to mention that the discounts that are offered are really good.
We get to go to restaurants and have discounts. But it would be also good if we get discounts for
trainings, so that we can grow professionally and to be more helpful for the company.

I: Okay, well, that's really good. Thank you very much for sharing that. And anything else you would
like to add?

R8: No.

I: Well, then once again, I would like to thank you for the time taken, and I hope that you stay safe in
Andorra.

R8: Thank you.

I: Bye. Have a nice evening.

Interview 9  EMPLOYEE ALEX (BORJA NORMAL)

Position: Front Office Agent
Date: 19/05/2020
Time: 16:30
I= Interviewer
Location: Home
Tool: Zoom R9= Respondent 9
Duration: 27 minutes

I: Good afternoon, Alex. How are you doing?

R9: Hello, Maria. I'm good. How are you?

I: I'm good as well, thank you. Can you hear me properly?

R9: Yeah.

I: Is the connection good? For me it says it's a bit low.

R9: No, I can hear you perfectly.

I: Alright, in case you can't hear me or it stops, just let me know and I will try to call again.

R9: That’s fine. I'll let you know.

I: Okay, perfect. Alex, where are you right now?

R9: I am currently in Andorra.

I: Nice. Well, I would like to thank you for taking time to do this interview. I hope that you and
everyone close to you is healthy during this difficult time with coronavirus. How is the situation over
there?

R9: It's pretty good. I'm glad that my family is doing alright. I hope yours as well. The situation here
is not too bad. We don't have many cases, so that's something positive.

I: Great to hear. I guess that since Andorra is a small country and you started early with all the
restrictions, you you don't have so many cases but… Well, let's start with the interview. It will
approximately take 30 minutes and the topic of the interview is about employee turnover. So, I will
ask you several questions and there are no right or wrong answer. As I mentioned already on the
employee website, you will remain totally anonymous and all the information that you provide will be
maintained confidential.

R9: Good.

I: So, do you have any questions before we start?

R9: No, I'm ready.

I: Okay, so how long have you been working at Sport Hotels?

R9: I think this is gonna be my third year as a full-time employee.

I: Quite some time already in the company Alex. And I would like to know to what extent are you
aware of the core values, mission and vision of the company?

R9: I feel pretty confident about them. I know there's a list for about like seven, I think, but I
know the most important ones are like our behavior has to be customer oriented and then every goal
that we said has to be fulfilled. And then the last one that I know is we have to be a team all the time
and do everything as a team.

I: Well, it seems that you know some of the values of the company. And do you use the values daily
during your work?

R9: Not really, I mean, we try to do our best, but there is no one encouraging you or saying that
you have to do this this way or that way. So, it's more up to the person.

I: Thank you for sharing. And Alex, what motivates you to work at this company?
R9: I really like the team with whom I'm working with and the location is pretty good, too.
I really like snow and the weather here in Andorra and also the discounts that we get as an
employee.

I: Alright. Well, those are important motivational factors and well… it's quite some time already. But
let's throw back to their recruitment procedure. How did you experience it?

R9: It went pretty smoothly. I was working before in London, in the U.K. at another hotel. And,
yeah, I just wanted to start a new chapter of my life. And I decided to come to here to Andorra. I
found the job offer on the Internet and yeah, it was pretty smoothly talking with the managers and
yeah, I'm glad they recruited me.

I: I'm glad that it went smoothly, as you said. Did you receive any interview invitations or how did it
go?

R9: Yeah, so I applied. As I said before on the job application and I applied there and then I received
some emails from the manager and yeah, we set up a Skype conversation and yeah, that was
pretty much it.

I: And with who did you have the interview?

R9: I'm working at the front office department. So first of all, I had a conversation with the front
office manager and once I passed that, I had another one with the hotel's director.

I: Alright, great. Um… and were you provided with a job description while you were having the
interview with the front office manager?

R9: No, I didn't get a specific task list or anything like that. The manager just told me a little bit about
my job, how a normal day looks like here at Sport Hotels. And that was pretty much it. I didn't have a
solid base or something that I could look for.

I: And how did you get to know the responsibilities then of your position if you weren't provided with a
job description?

R9: I just said the manager told me a little bit what I had and what I had to do and then also, while I
was working there. I learned my job tasks and responsibilities while it was working.

I: Okay, personal question. Would you find having a job description helpful?

R9: Yeah, of course. That would be great.

I: And why? To what extent do you feel that a job description would help you?
R9: I mean, it would help me prepare beforehand before starting my job um… to know what I
have to do and what I don't have to do. So, I think that will help me in that way.

I: Great to know. Well, you did all the interviews. You moved from London to Andorra and to start
then the new job. And did you receive any type of introduction training or orientation training?

R9: The first week when I got there, they gave me a tour of the hotel and they explain me other
bit how every department works and then in my department front office, uh, I it was like
one or two days learning about it. But yeah, that was pretty much it.

I: And to what extent do you feel that your professional needs and ambitions were fulfilled through
this tour and training you got provided?

R9: It was decent. I mean, it could have been more but…. I think they explained me how the
system they used work and the different task that I had to do if I was in the morning or
afternoon shift. And well.. the tour has helpful, I got a better picture of how the hotel looks
like and that improved my understanding of the hotel.

I: Glad to know that it helped you out. And were you able to start working directly after the training?

R9: Mm… Bueno… Kind of. Like if a guest came to the reception I would kind of know where the
locations within the resort are. And as I've said before during the first week, I was basically doing
shadow shifts and looking how my colleagues did the tasks.

I: Good to know that you had some time to watch your colleagues performing the different tasks. And
to what extent was that training sufficient for you?

R9: It was it was okay. I mean, it could have been a little bit more extensive. But as I've said, I
got a pretty decent idea of how this hotel works compared to when I was working before in London.
And then my my colleagues, at the front office department helped me throughout the days to to
adjust to this new job.

I: Great. Well, you said before that it could have been more extensive. Could you please elaborate?

R9: I mean, they gave me a tour of all the departments but I think they could have been a little bit
more extensive in the way that they should have explained me more about the tasks that we're doing
there. And also about the fact that this is a Leading hotel. It was my first time working at such a hotel
and so a little bit more in that way. And then in my department, I think I should have stayed like one
week getting intensive training for my department specifically instead of my colleagues showing me
how things are done.

I: Thanks for sharing Alex. Have you ever heard about induction process?

R9: No, I have no idea.

I: No problem. I will describe it to you. It's type of training for the introduction of new employees so
that they are able to perform their tasks independently already from the first week onwards and in
this training session, they are also provided with background information about the company. So, for
instance, the benefits, the safety and security, the rules and what the company actually expects from
from employees.

R9: Okay.

I: And so to what extent do you believe that implementing a process like that, so implementing an
induction process would be beneficial for you as an employee?

R9: I mean, I think it would be really beneficial to have that knowledge before you start even
working there. And, yeah, have a better picture of the hotel itself and all the departments
and what the tasks at every department are and who's working where and what they're
doing. And then in my case, also there is, as you say, as you say, and the induction training, I would
have gotten an extensive training in the front office department and I would have known
how to perform my job much better.

I: Indeed, many companies are adopting the induction process more and more because according to
the employee it's really beneficial, helpful. When you are starting to work, you're completely lost in
the company and this helps you to integrate you within the company. So since you said it would be
beneficial for you what exact information do you as an employee when starting to work at Sport
Hotels?

R9: First of all, as I've said before, it's part of Leading Hotels. So, I would like to know what
exactly means that because the hotel I was working in London, it wasn't a leading hotel. So that's
quite a big difference. And then I would also like to know about their philosophy and their
mission values and everything about their hotel, to know how to how to treat the customers
and all that. And also, since it's a Leading Hotel, there's probably like a lot of standards and yeah, it
would be really beneficial if they would have provided me with a list or something like that.

I: Alright, so those those two aspects would be important for you to receive background information
about leading hotels in general, in general, but also that you got provided with a list where all the
standards that are applicable for your department are stated. Is that correct?

R9: Exactly.

I: Well, I'm glad that I understood and am Alex you're working at the company for already some time.
What aspects within the company make you feel motivated?

R9: There are some. The first one is, as I've said before the team with whom I'm working with the
front office department. I really get along pretty well with them and they really helped me at the
beginning when I came here. And I also have a really good relationship with my manager and
then, as I said before, I mainly changed jobs because I really like the location of Andorra. And I
was looking for change in my life. I didn't like that city vibe of London. And I wanted to to come here
to a more quiet city and smaller city. And that's something I really like. We also get a lot of
discounts as benefits to go out to restaurants, to go skiing or whatever.

I: Well, great aspects and are there also may be aspects that demotivate you?

R9: Maybe the lack of internal promotion. I've been working here at the front office
department for about three years and I haven't gotten an internal promotion. However,
there's been new recruits that have come with less experience than me directly to a supervisor
position. And I think that's pretty unfair towards me because I think I should have gotten that
supervisor position. But yeah, hopefully that changes soon.

I: Okay, well, that's that's a pity. But did you discuss it with the manager?

R9: No, I haven't gotten to that point yet, but I'm sure I'm going to do it.

I: Good. And Alex, did you ever think of leaving the company?

R9: No, for the moment. I haven't thought about that.

I: That's a good sign that you're happy and not thinking about changing your job or hotel.
So, Alex, for me, this marks the end of the interview. All the questions that I asked were successfully
responded from your side. But I would like to give you a chance to add anything that you have in
mind or any questions.

R9: No, I don't really have anything else to say. I'm glad that it helped you out with your thesis that
we're working on.

I: Your input definitely helped me out. Once again, thank you so much, Alex, for your time. And have
a nice evening.

R9: Of course. Thank you. Bye.

I: You too. Bye.

Interview 10  EMPLOYEE ADRIAN (BORJA NORMAL)

Position: Reservations
Date: 18/05/2020
Time: 13:00
Location: Home I= Interviewer
Tool: Phone
Duration: 33 minutes
R10= Respondent 10
I: Good afternoon Adrian. How are you?

R10: Hello, Maria. I'm doing good. How are you?

I: I'm good, thank you. Where are you at the moment?

R10: I am still here in Andorra.

I: Oh, nice. So, you stayed there. I hope that you're safe and healthy over there, during this difficult
time that we're facing. But I saw on the news that Andorra has actually low cases of people infected of
coronavirus.

R10: Yes, yes. That is very good here because the virus isn't too bad. So, it's good. The situation is
good here.

I: Great, nice to hear. I hope that in Spain and other countries, it also evolves quickly.

R10: Lets hope so because this is terrible.

I: Yes, well, first of all, I would like to thank you for taking time for this interview.
And it will approximately take 30 minutes. Mm…so as you may already know, the topic of the research
is about employee turnover. I will ask you several questions and there is no right or wrong answer.
So before we start, I would like to share with you that you as a respondent, you will remain
anonymous and all the information from this interview will be maintained confidential.

R10: Sounds good.

I: Please feel to express everything that you have in mind and I would like to ask you if it is possible
to record you.

R10: Yes, sure.

I: Lovely. Do you have any questions before we start?

R10: No no, we can start now

I: How long have you been working at Sport Hotels?

R10: It's my second season here.

I: Alright and to what extent are you aware of the core values, mission and vision of the company?

R10: Their mission is very clear. We want to be the best at what we do. And then in regards to the
core values mm... I know there that there are seven when I did like the tour, when they gave
me a tour the first week, they told me a little bit about the core values. But it's it's not very
important. I know that there are seven, but. Yeah.

I: And why do you believe that they are not really important, the core values.

R10: I mean they told me about the core values in the first week, as I said before but then they
didn't refer to it in this past time that that I've been working here. And they are not written
anywhere or anything. So I don't believe it's very important.

I: Thank you for clarifying. And what motivates you to work at Sport Hotels?

R10: I mean, first of all, I really like the location. I really like Andorra and skiing and also the
reputation of being Leading. And I really like this type of tourism. In my previous job, I was
working in Marbella in the south of Spain and that type of of tourists that go there are very different.
It's more like good weather and sun and everything, and I prefer this experience of like a ski with
that. So that's why I'm working here.

I: Good to now. Indeed, Andorra is a really nice country for ski purposes and Sport Hotels is located
here in front of Grandvalira. Do you also take some time to ski in your free time?

R10: Yes, I that that was one of the main reasons I came here because since I was a child, I've been
always skiing and I really like it. So, whenever I have time, I go with the colleagues that work with me
and we spend a couple hours there skiing.

I: Those are lovely plans. But let's throw back when you started working here or actually better saying
before you started working here, how did you experience the recruitment procedure?

R10: So, I was working in Marbella and I was like looking for another job and new challenges. So, I
saw them that this this job on Internet and I decided to apply to it. And yeah, like after I applied, they
contacted me. I did a couple of interviews and that was fine. But the worst thing about the visa
that for Andorra you need to have a visa, you need to get a visa and the process of getting that
was a little bit like chaotic and like, weird because the hotel didn't help me that much on that.
So, I had to put a lot of time and effort into it and and yeah but at the end I got the visa.

I: Well, that's that's good. But you mentioned previously that in the hotel it was chaotic and that the
hotel didn't really help you. So, to what extent do you think that the hotel or the HR department who
is in charge of the recruitment, could have helped you?

R10: I mean they are used to the laws that are there in Andorra, so I think they should have helped
me and told me all the documents that I need to to have in order to be able to work at Sport
Hotels. And I had to figure out myself. I had no idea, and I had to do some research on it. Yeah, I
think the human resources department could have, like, explained me more things and helped me out
through the process to make it easier for me.
I: Good to know.

R10: But Maria, I believed that since I was in Spain, I could like, call them every time and like, be on
top of it. But for example, I have other colleagues that come from far away like Argentina or places
like that and they they are not able to start calling every time and be on top of it, too, to know what's
happening.So that's why I believe that the human resources department should have given
me or like every new recruit that's coming, like a document with all the tasks or like all the
steps you have to follow in order to be eligible to work at Sport Hotels in Andorra.

I: Thank you for your suggestion Adrian. I will note it down. And you said that you did a couple of
interviews and everything was fine. I would like to know were you provided with a job description a
prior to coming?

R10: No, prior to coming no. Like I've said in the first week, they told me a little bit what my
job was like and what I had to do it. But prior to coming here, they didn't tell me exactly.

I: Okay and may I ask you a personal question? So you were working in Marbella and then you
started looking for a new job. And did you did you only apply to one hotel or more?

R10: No, this wasn't the only hotel I applied to. I also applied to another one here in Andorra. But
then I decided to come here to Sport Hotels.

I: Okay. And to what extent do you think that if you would have gotten a job description from both
hotels prior to starting because you were an undecisive mm… which hotel would you have chosen if
one provided you with a job description prior to coming and the other one not?

R10: I mean, probably I would have chosen the one that provided me with a job description. The
thing is that neither any of the two hotels I applied to provided me with one.

I: Well, thank you. Em… So that inks back to my next question. How did you get to know the
responsibilities for your position? You said earlier that throughout the first week, but could you
elaborate maybe a little bit on that?

R10: Yes. I mean the main things that I learned about my job and like the responsibilities that I had
were during the first week, but also like when I was working and getting more experience in the hotel.
I started learning my task and my responsibilities and what I had to do and how I had to do it.
I had like a supervisor that was always keeping an eye on me and explaining me what I had to do and
what I don't. So basically, I was learning everything during my time there working.

I: Okay, perfect. Thank you very much. Do you think it would have been helpful to have a job
description or just with having your supervisor next to you keeping an eye on you?

R10: I mean, it was okay for me, but I would have preferred, obviously, to have a task list and job
description to know exactly why and what I have to do. But, I mean, for me, it wasn't a big issue.
Like I with my supervisor, I really like him and we get along very well together and and that was
enough for me.

I: Okay, great. And once you got hired, did you receive any type of introduction training, I mean
orientation training?

R10: Yes. I mean, a little bit. Only like the first week. As I've said before, they gave me a tour.
I got to see, like, all the departments a little bit. And yeah, that was basically it. But they
explained me, like during that one day what my job exactly was going to look like. And yeah, after
that, I, I started learning my job doing it.

I: So you got just to clarify, you got a tour around the hotel and your department and hey explained
you the main tasks you had to carry out. Is that correct?

R10: Yes, exactly. I got to see a little bit the other departments too, just to see how they look like.
But I didn't get any training in any of those. And then I was observing my colleagues how they did the
tasks and every one and then they explained me tasks they were doing.

I: Okay, great. Well, as you mentioned at the beginning at the hotel is part of Leading Hotels of the
World. Did you also receive any training regarding those topics during your first week?

R10: No, I didn't receive any info about Leading Hotels.

I: Okay, good to know. And to what extent do you feel that your professional needs and your
ambitions were fulfilled through the orientation process that you had at the beginning?

R10: They gave me them like the tour, and I like a little bit of training and like my ambition about
learning of this hotel was only partially satisfied because, again, they gave me a tour and they explain
a little bit about the resort. But, for example, they didn't tell me anything about their standards
of the hotel or things like that. So, it was only, like, partially satisfied.

I: Perfect. And let's go back to your first week then. Could you explain me what kind of training you
received?

R10: Yes, I said before only like a tour of the entire resort like going through all their
departments.And just like seeing a little bit what's going on there. And then one day it was more
specific in my department, which is reservations. They explain me a little bit like how to do the
reservations and they gave me the codes.

I: And to what extent do you think that, um, that tour or the first day and also the training that you
received in your particular department was sufficient for you?

R10: Yes, it was kind of sufficient, but obviously it could have been a little bit more. The thing is that I
have quite a lot of experience already in this department of reservations so obviously, every hotel is
different but like, the main things are similar. So I already knew how to do it more or less. So the
training for me was sufficient. But I believe for someone that's coming new or so, it would be a little
bit difficult if they don't provide more specific or extended training.

I: Okay. And have you ever heard about induction process?

R10: No.

I: No worries. Let me explain and define it to you.

So, an induction process is a form of training for new employees in order to make sure that they
understand what their tasks are so that they can perform them successfully. And also in that process,
you provide them with information about the company itself.

R10: Okay.

I: So, and to what extent do you believe that implementing a process like that, so an induction
process, would be beneficial for you as an employee?

R10: Obviously, I think it would be really beneficial for me and not only for me, for every employee
here at Sport Hotels because it would provide us really good training for us and like a big
picture of the hotel.
And yeah, it would it would help me to perform like my tasks and exceed the customer
expectations that they have from us.

I: Yes, indeed. That's really important because and the customers that come mainly come because of
Leading Hotels. So providing training on that is essential. And what information do you as an
employee need when starting to work at Sport Hotels in order to be effective?

R10: What would I need?

I: Yes, exactly.

R10: I would need to have a task list of the things that I have to do at my specific role in the
job.And I also don't have an experience in Leading Hotels so that would be really beneficial to have
that knowledge. I would need, like a list or something of like their standards and their values
that they think or believe that is a Leading Hotel. Because, like I said before, I have no
experience in these Leading Hotels and I don't really know how to approach this job and how to
specifically perform the tasks as Leading wants.

I: Thanks for sharing Adrian. And let's move on to the next question. Which aspects and practices
within the company make you feel motivated?

R10: I think in my department and reservations, we have a really good team. I get along really
good with my colleagues and with my supervisor. And so that's something that we have a
really good working atmosphere. And yeah, really that keeps me motivated to do my job and be
there.Also the benefits that I obtain from the hotel are really good, too. And sometimes when I
ask my manager for specific days off, he takes them into account. Also I feel very comfortable with
the mission of the of the hotel. And that's my philosophy, whenever I work, I'm trying to do my best
and be the best at it.

I: That's good indeed. Those aspects are all relevant to keep an employee motivated and also offering
benefits for the employees are highly important to keep people on board.
Did you ever think of leaving the company?

R10: No, I have never thought about that.

I: Okay, that's that's good to hear.

R10: At least for now I haven’t thought about it.

I: That's good that you that you're feeling well at the company and mm...
Adrian, thank you very much for answering all my questions. These were the ones that I prepared
from my side. Do you have any questions or anything you'd like to add?

R10: No, I don't have anything.

I: So this marks the end of the interview. I would like to thank you once again for the time.

R10: Yeah, no problem.

I: I hope you have a nice day and enjoy their nice weather in Andorra.

R10: Yeah. Thank you. You too. Bye bye.

Interview 11  EXIT INTERVIEW CARLOS (MAMI)

Position: Waitress
Date: 22/05/2020
Time: 11:00
Location: Home I= Interviewer
Tool: Phone
Duration: 24 minutes R11= Respondent 11

I: Hey good morning Carlos. How are you?

R11: Hello Maria. I am good and yourself?

I: I´m good. Thanks for asking. Where are you at the moment?
R11: I am at home in Galicia.

I: Oh great. I hope that you and your close ones are safe and healthy during the Coronavirus.

R11: Yes, everyone is healthy. Are you back in Amsterdam?

I: No, I am currently in Madrid.

R11: At least you got to spend some time with your family.

I: Yes indeed. At least something positive of these terrific times. Well Carlos, I would firstly like to
thank you for taking time to do this interview. It will approximately take 30 minutes. As I already told
you when we were in the HR department after resigning, I am currently conducting research on the
topic of employee turnover at Sport Hotels. So, I will ask you some questions I would like you to
answer honestly. There are no wrong or right answers, therefore feel free to express all your
thoughts. I would also like to mention that you will remain anonymous and all the information
provided will be also maintained confidential. Is it okay if I record our call?

R11: Sure Maria.

I: Do you have any questions?

R11: No.

I: Perfect. Let´s start then straightaway. So, Carlos, how long did you work at Sport Hotels?

R11: From end October to December.

I: When did you begin looking for a new job?

R11: Mm... Basically, at the beginning of the season. It was around beginning of December.

I: And what were the main reasons why you decided to leave the company?

R11: Well, I love mountains and skiing in general, therefore I thought that Andorra was the ideal
place for that. I really like high luxus and after some research, I saw that Sport Hotels was the best
resort in Andorra. Also, the location was perfect for when in my free time I wanted to ski. So,
everything was way too different from my expectations. If you research and see that it is the best
hotel in Andorra and it belongs to Leading Hotels, it should be a really got hotel. However, I think it is
the type of hotel where for the guest everything is perfect and not for the employees. I am quite new
in the hospitality industry because before I was working as a flight attendant but well, I know how to
treat the customer in a friendly and professional manner. But well, I worked as a waiter in Hermitage
Tradició and it was terrible.
I: Oh, how come?

R11: I had worked as a waiter before for some months but never worked at a Leading Hotel. I was
quite lost to be honest and no one really knew what to do. Just to the tasks, the regular ones. But I
didn’t know exactly which tasks there were. Also, my team members were not really approachable and
nice to me. I consider myself social and funny but I don’t know, I had the impression I didn’t
really fit within the team. So, imagine the situation, I didn’t know what the tasks were and my
co-workers weren’t really helpful in the sense of making fun and involving me in the team. I
have to say that the majority of the co-workers worked at Sport Hotel the whole year and I didn’t but
still… They could involve me within the team. I missed that.

I: Thank you for sharing Carlos. It´s a pitty that you were lost and your co-workers didn’t really
integrate you within the team. And what do you think that Sport Hotels could have done for you to
retain you within the company?

R11: Quite a lot of things to be honest. I am an easy person but definitely that there was more
structure for a new hired employee necessary. So for example, providing a task list with an
overview of the tasks for the different shifts that I had at Hermitage Tradició, then also perhaps
more team bonding. I didn’t really know my co-workers because I was living in “El Castillo” and
my co-workers didn’t but I don’t know some team bonding activities would have been great so that
you feel part of the team. And well also super important that since it is part of Leading an overview
with all the standards because for the time that I was working here, I was serving the way I
considered that was the best one but not 100% according to what we should represent as a company.
You know what I mean?

I: Let me verify this with you. So you consider that Sport Hotels could have provided you with an
overview with your daily tasks for the different shifts. Additionally, you felt a like a stranger because
you didn’t know your colleagues with whom you were working with really well. And the last thing you
mentioned that for you it would have been important to receive a list with all the LHW standards in
order to work according to those standards, right?

R11: Yes, exactly because I had never worked at a Leading Hotel previously so of course I know that
Leading Hotel is a great distinction so for sure they would have quality standards but I didn’t know
them.

I: Thanks for sharing the aspects that would have maybe influenced your decision of staying within
the company. And Carlos, did you feel that you had the necessary training and sources to perform
your tasks successfully and independently?

R11: To some extent to be honest like, I didn’t really have a proper training on how to execute my
tasks and on the company itself. Ruth provided me a tour around the hotel and explained me
the facilities and how to go to each department or to the different restaurants and that was
all. And then Jordi, my manager explained me where all the utensils were and provided me
with the breakfast and dinner menu so that I could study it at home.
I: Alright, good to know. And did you share your concerns with anyone at the company prior to
leaving?

R11: Well with no one of my team to be honest. With my apartment roommates a bit but for me it
was clear. I was not feeling comfortable within the team and neither with the tasks.

I: It seems you had the decision to leave the company very clear. Are you currently working
somewhere else?

R11: Yes, I am working in London in a 5-star hotel. It is called Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park. Well
not right now because of Covid-19 but I am working there as a waiter.

I: Congratulations for your new job position! I hope you are feeling comfortable there.

R11: Yes, I am.

I: Carlos, at your new job, did you receive an introduction training or orientation training?

R11: Yes, in Mandarin we had a MOLON day. It was a full day of introduction to the company.
A member of the HR department gave us a introductory session about Mandarin Oriental in general
with the values which in Mandarin Oriental are called pillars. That is super important for the company
and therefore, they gave us a small paper with all of the 11 pillars so that we can carry them with us.
Then we had lunch and afterwards we had tour around the hotel and I was introduced my co-workers.
They were really nice and welcomed me with enthusiasm.

I: Quite nice no?

R11: It was really interesting because I didn’t have experience at Mandarin Oriental before so I got
to know the company which was originally based in Hongkong.

I: Glad to know that it was interesting for you. To what extend do you believe that this training was
sufficient for you to execute your tasks successfully?

R11: It was definitely useful because well, I got to know the hotel from the inside, where all
the kitchens are. Also, since we had the introductory session for about 2 hours, I had already an idea
of the company objectives and what attitude they were expecting from me. And then well, during my
first actual day of work, my manager showed me in-depth around all the restaurants and kitchen
where to find everything. So, I would say it was helpful for me.

I: Awesome, good to know that the orientation training helped you out when starting to work at the
company. And to what extend do you consider that if a specific training like that would have been
implemented at Sport Hotels, would you haves have stayed in the company for a longer period of
time?
R11: I believe so yes because because the way that in London they made me feel part of the team
and explained me everything about the company and my department was really useful and enriching.
But in Sport Hotels when I arrived I didn’t get the same things as in London, only the tour. I
preferred the orientation training better from the one in London. In Sport Hotels I was simple lost.

I: Alright, thank you for sharing Carlos. And would you consider coming back to Sport Hotels?

R11: Not for now to be honest. I am really good with my position I have now in London. Perhaps if I
would like to get rid of a city for a period of time, I would like to work there again but definitely if
some improvements are made.

I: What improvements are you referring to?

R11: Well definitely doesn’t matter what restaurant I am working in that they give me a specific
task list so I am aware of the different tasks I have to do and when. With that I would not be
lost. And also that the teamwork would be better, like to get a feeling that I am part of the
family as well and that I am not working with strangers.

I: Perfect. I will note down your suggestions and perhaps the destiny makes you come back to work
at Sport Hotels.

R11: Perhaps. We don’t know but I am good in London for the moment.

I: Glad to know Carlos. Well, do you have any more questions or aspects you would like to discuss or
mention during this interview?

R11: I don’t think so Maria.

I: Alright, well then this marks the end of the interview. All the questions that I had prepared were
answered. I would like to thank you once again for the time taken and for helping me out for my
research study.

R11: It was a pleasure Maria. I hope it was helpful.

I: It definitely was. Thank you! Have a nice day Carlos.

R11: You too. Bye.

I: Bye bye.
FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION
Position: Management
Date: 18/05/2020
Time: 11:00
Location: Home
Tool: Zoom
Duration: 1 hour 10 minutes

M: Moderator (Maria)
R1: Housekeeping Manager (Grego)
R3: Executive Chef (Jordi)
R5: Engineering Manager (Miguel)
R7: Reservations Manager (Elvira)
R2: Food and Beverage Director (Manuel)
R4: Front Office Manager (Miriam)
R6: Sales & Marketing Manager (Patri)
R8: Spa Manager (Elena)

M: Hello everyone! Welcome to this conjoint group discussion. Can everyone here me properly?

R2: I can here you Maria.

R4: Me too.

M: That´s good. Well, welcome everyone! How are you all doing?

R3: Good but bored at home.

R4: Here in Andorra we can go out already for quite some time so that’s good. How about in Madrid or
are you in Amsterdam?

M: I am in Madrid at the moment. I went directly from Andorra to Madrid to my house.

R8: Good Maria.

M: Well, first of all I would like to thank you for taking time to do this group interview. I am glad that
everyone could make it to the arranged time. I have seen on the new that in Andorra the situation is
way better than in Spain, so you guys are lucky over there. I hope that all you and your family are
safe and healthy during these difficult times with Covid-19.
R1-R8: Yes.

M: I am glad to hear that. So I will explain you how this discussion will go. This group session will take
approximately 1 hour. The topic of my research, as you may already know, is about employee
turnover. Thus, I want to find out the main reasons for employee turnover at Sport Hotels and I will
create interventions to increase employee retention at the company. I will act as a moderator and ask
you questions. I would kindly ask you to share your answers and thoughts within the group and have
a small discussion. Remember that there are not correct or wrong answers and I encourage everyone
to participate. Before we start, I would like to share with you that every one of you as a respondent
will remain anonymous and all the information from this interview will be maintained confidential. So
please feel free to express everything that you have in mind. Is it okay if I record the discussion?

R1: I would prefer not to get recorded to be honest.

R2-R8: Yes, it is okay.

M: Okay Grego, then the discussion won’t be recorded but I will be taking notes of the discussion.

R1: Okay.

M: Great. So, any questions before we start?

R1-R8: No.

M: Lets start then. Could you explain the recruitment procedure?

R2: So, when someone applies to Sport Hotels, HR department sends us the CV of the
candidate and if we consider the profile interesting, then we contact the person to schedule
an interview. Sometimes it is in person but the majority of the times it is via Skype.

R3: And then after the interview we contact HR and give them our opinion. If they are
suitable for the position then HR is the one that contacts them and does all the paper work
with contract and stuff.

M: Thank you for sharing Jordi and Manuel. Is there anyone else who would like to add something?

R4: No. That’s pretty much what we do in regards to the recruitment procedure.

M: And is the employee provided with a job description?

R8: In my case when I do the interviews to the therapists I never send them a job description.

R5, R1: Me neither.

R4: I don’t give them a job description but when we are doing the interviews we talk about their tasks
and responsibilities, but physically I don’t send them an email with a job description.

R2, R3: In the F&B we also don’t give them a job description. We ask them about their specific
previous experience specially to evaluate their skills.

M: Okay, good to know. Would you find it useful to send them a job description?

R4: Well, I think it would be a great idea since what I experience at Front Office is that they do
not have an overview of our expectations for the department and their tasks they are
responsible for.

R7: In my case, I believe it would be beneficial for us but also for the employees because
there would you clarify our expectations of the employees and have an overview of their
duties. By this we would avoid that the employees are not fulfilling their specific tasks.

R2: It would be good indeed as Miriam and Elvira said to have a job description but then we would
have to send it after the interview once we have mainly discussed them during the
interview I believe.

R3: Yes, that’s a good idea because then the employee can already get an idea during the
interview but have it written down on paper and have it via email.

R8: I like that idea. We could mention and the end of the conversation that they would
receive the specific job description per email if they are suitable for the position. So what I
mean is that before they actually sign the contract or accept the position, we send them the job
description once we approve their profile and then they can make their choice if they would like to
work at Sport Hotels.

M: Thank you for sharing. Indeed, providing a job description to the employees would benefit you as
employers but also them as employees because both of you will have discussed the expectations and
job responsibilities. This actually leads to my next question. So right now, you don’t provide
employees with a job description, so how do the employees get to know their responsibilities for the
position?

R5: What we normally do is sit down with them introduce them and show them around
were to find all materials and also tell them about their tasks and responsibilities. But at
least in my department I don’t provide it in written form.

R4: At the Front Office once the new employee has had the tour around the resort with Ruth,
me or Armando (Assistant Front Office Manager) we sit down with the employee and explain
them their regular tasks and responsibilities as well as about the Opera System.
R6: We explain them the different channels we work with and explain them what the
department is responsible for. I try to specify as much as possible but since many tasks come up I
tell them whenever something needs to be done.

M: So just to clarify for the three aspects you just mentioned, is that you tell the employees verbally
about their tasks and responsibilities, right?

R4, R5: Yes.

M: Great. Then I understood it correctly. And once the candidate is hired, is there any specific
introduction training or like orientation training for the new hired?

R1: The new hired comes to the hotel and needs to sign some papers at HR and then we have already
a date and time arranged so that Ruth can give them a tour around the resort. There Ruth
explains all our facilities and they can ask questions about the hotel or restaurants.

R4: Exactly, we organize a tour for the new employee so that they get to know the hotels and
then they go to their department and we as department managers provide them more in-
depth information about the department and tasks.

R2: I agree. First tour and then we explain them and show them around the specific
department in which they will be working in.

M: Okay. And apart from getting a tour around the resort, do they also have a sitting down session
where they get explained information about the company?

R6: No sit-down lecture or something similar. Like when they are walking around with Ruth,
she mentions some background information about Sport Hotels.

R8: Yes, she explains them about the different hotels and their characteristics but official sit
down to talk about the company we don’t.

M: And how to they get to know the company profile, rules, standards etc?

R5: Well sometimes Ruth tells them while walking around the resort but if not we as
managers tell them little by little. I would say that during the first week questions arise and they
get the answers. Like at least I speak for my department, the guys are from Argentina and love to ski
and asked if the hotel had discounts to go skiing.

R4: That’s true. If they are uncertain about aspects they ask you but the problem that I see since
there is no sitting down with the new hired is that they get to know about the benefits or
rules too late. I remember that at the beginning of the season there was a Receptionist that bought
her forfeit to go skiing without a discount and 2 weeks later she figured out that because of being
employed at Sport Hotels you had a huge discount. She was very mad and if I put myself in her shoes
I would be also disappointed.

R1: The standards are extremely important in Sport Hotels because of Leading but in my department,
the cleaning ladies they do not have a clue about Leading Hotels and their standards.
Therefore, I would find it beneficial that there is a specific training on those topics at the
beginning.

R2: I totally agree. The majority of my employees they have experience in other 4- and 5-star
hotels but not so much in Leading Hotels and they serve the guests well but not 100%
according to our quality standards. So we could maybe apart from the tour give them a
small orientation session with like information about the standards, the benefits and more.

R7: That would be good because they would have the important information then already since
day one.

R8: That’s a good initiative. To provide them with an orientation session where the company is
introduced and standards are discussed and explained.

M: But to what extent do you believe that the current introduction training is sufficient for the
employees?

R3: I think it really depends on the person but for example in the kitchen, it is kind of useful because
Ruth gives them an overview of all the kitchens and restaurants and then we explain them were all
the utensils are and how we actually work. So, from my perspective its sufficient.

R1: The tour from Ruth is definitely insightful and helpful for the employee. In
Housekeeping to be honest we don’t give them a specific training. What I normally do is I pair
that person up with a partner and the partner needs to explain her/him all the tasks and
our procedures. That’s okay I believe but what I think is missing is the part of the standards
because the housekeeping ladies do not know the standards by heart. So maybe there we
could improve a bit and provide them with a standard list because its true that when do we
questionnaires new hires do not know them.

M: And has maybe anyone heart about induction training?

R4: It’s a kind of specifically training for something like that.

R8: Yes, it’s like an in-depth training for the new employee once they enter the company. There are
actually a lot of companies that a training like that.

R5: Which ones Elena?

R8: I know Hilton for example, Mandarin Oriental, Four Seasons but there are many more
companies that have an induction training in place.

M: Indeed Elena. It’s similar to what you were referring to. In order to make sure that everyone
understands what an induction training is I will briefly explain it. So, an induction process is a form of
training for new hires when joining an organization. During this process they get explained how to
perform their tasks as well as are provided with information about the whole company.

R7: What do you mean with information about whole company?

M: When they are provided with information about the company I meant about the company values,
mission, vision, their rules and procedures, benefits etc. So, to what extend do you feel that SHRS has
currently an induction process?

R1-R8: Not so much because we don’t have that so clearly organized.

R2: But it’s true that we explain them those aspects but not in a specific training session.
Instead questions arise during the first weeks and by this, they get to know all these
aspects.

R4: Yes, but then we since we don’t have a intro session where we explain them the rules
and benefits, then problems like the one I had with the Argentinian girl about the forfeit
benefit arise.

R8: By having that session we would avoid that the first day they do not come well dressed
and that they are aware of the discounts and benefits they have because of being an employee
at the company.

M: Anyone who would like to add something to this question?

R1-R8: No.

M: To what extend do you believe that implementing would be beneficial for the company but also for
the employees?

R7: I guess it would be really beneficial for all of us because employees would have an idea
about the company already before their first day of work. The location of the different
departments and hotel facilities but also how we function as a company with the uniforms,
rules, procedures. By this, they would be more confident and we would have to explain less
to them about generic aspects and only focus on specific topics that are relevant for the
department.
R4: I agree. We would have more time to do our tasks instead of having to be occupied with the new
employee for the whole morning because of explaining them all the benefits, behavior rules, give them
the safety instructions etc.

R2: What we could do then in that case is that I guess Ruth apart from the tour gives them this type
of training and then we will explain them the department tasks.

R6: So then guys that we only have to explain them their tasks and how the department exactly
functions? Or what do you mean?

R2: Yes exactly. That when they go to their department, they have already an idea about the whole
company: about the location of the departments but also about background of the company.

R1: And here they can maybe get already the different standards they have to follow. But for
Housekeeping with all the different types of amenities in the rooms, we would need to make a list of
which amenities need to place in each room category.

R8: They could receive there a list and then they can have a look at home and bring the list to the
outlet to have an overview.

R3: That’s a good idea I guess.

M: And what information do you think employees need when starting to work at Sport Hotels in order
to be effective?

R1: Definitely the standards are very important because from experience I know that once you start
working somewhere you need to adapt. So it’s better that from the beginning they get used to do their
tasks according to the LHW standards because if not they will never apply them and we have severe
errors like we did in the last audit.

R4: Yes the standards are really important Grego and also I consider that giving them a task list is
important. That’s a straightforward way that they know which duties they have to do each day.

R2: Miriam, maybe we can divide it per shift. So for example in F&B a task list for the different
restaurants and bars and also per shift.

R4: Yes that’s a good idea.

R7: I would say that also a small intro about Leading Hotels would be useful for them because
well for sure Miriam at the Front Office and in our department, guests always ask about LHW and since
the majority of the employees do not have experience in Leading Hotels, that would be
important for them to know when starting to work. I mean in general for all employees.
R3: Well its good to know but for our chefs they don’t need to explain it to the guests but it always
nice to have the knowledge about the company you working at.

R5: Definitely. I think that also motivates the employee to be aware of the company background
itself.

M: Great brainstorming. And to what extend do you believe that the introduction training you provide
to employees affects employee turnover?

R7: That is employees don’t have an overview of the quality standards something that makes
employee leave basically because they are so tense when they have to pick up the phone and proceed
to the reservations that employees are not enjoying their job anymore because of lack of
confidence to do the tasks. This is what 2 of my employees who left recently told me. It was
really stressful for them and therefore, they preferred to work in another hotel with less standards
and less pressure.

R5: I don’t really know if the orientation training we give them makes my employees leave to be
honest. I don’t think so because Marco, the one who left last year was because his wife moved to
Barcelona. So, he left Sport Hotels because of family reasons but not because of being dissatisfied
here.

R4: At the reception I notice that they are quite lost with all procedures and that’s what Elvira
said, they are really tense and it reaches a point that they leave. So I guess if we implement the
standard list and a task list that would be avoided.

R8, R1: Yes, I agree Miriam.

M: Alright. So, you have already identified some possible causes of why employees decide to leave the
company. So, during my first three weeks, I have talked with some of you already about the fact that
over the past three years, employee turnover went up. Can maybe everyone mention their current
status of employee turnover in their department and when did they leave throughout the season? Is
there a specific timeframe and how did that affect the department in particular?

R1: In Housekeeping we have had a lot of people leaving and entering the department. I
would not know the exact numbers but quite a lot. For the time it was throughout the whole
season but specially at the beginning. The girls are new and I noticed that we expect too
much from them and they don’t have a lot of experience in Leading Hotels. So you could see
that they asked the supervisors but also me a lot of unclarities they had about the amenities the most
but also what things to focus on during turnover. Because during the turnover, we don’t clean again
the room entirely. We have noticed that those were the most repetitive questions and what we do is
that during the briefings during the first weeks is to remind them about the tasks they have to do but
its true that we only say it verbally. I have already thought about it with the supervisors to
write them down or something but we never did.
M: And how the employee turnover affects the department?

R1: Well, severely because during winter season well we have a really high occupancy in all
of the hotels so the ladies are busy and every time that one left it impacted the department
negatively because training again a new employee and explaining them everything takes a
lot of time. Also, the person needs some time to get familiarized with all the procedures and
how we perform the tasks here at Sport Hotels.

M: Thanks for sharing Grego. And who wants to go next and explain the situation in their department?

R2: When employees leave it can be because they are not happy within the company or because they
want to go to another hotel or because of family reasons. I always tried to talk to the employees prior
they left just to find out what we could to do in order to ameliorate the situation and maybe keep
them for the rest of the season. It is really painful when someone leaves during the season,
because we have a lot of reservations in the restaurants and bars. But if employees start during
the season, it's really difficult to provide them with explanations because it is so hectic. So
it definitely has a negative impact on the whole hotel, but in the food and beverage department
specifically. I tried to talk to them and the main reason were because in the beginning we didn't
really provide them with the proper training and therefore they were lost at work. They felt
lost within the restaurant that they were working at and it´s normal that you are lost at the beginning
when you're starting to work at a new company working. But they felt that it was for one month
that they felt really lost and it was awkward and felt unsecure when they were serving the
guests.

M: Good insights that you got then after talking with the employees. And since you received some
causes why they left, did you implement any changes to avoid these?

R2: Not yet. We didn’t know exactly what to change and how to, but you will hopefully provide us with
more information and changes we can apply.

M: Definitely. That’s my goal and also the topic of the research I am conducting. Someone who would
like to share their situation?

R6: In my department, there were only two people that left over these past three years. So
not a lot in comparison to other departments, but as Grego already said, it has a negative impact for
us. Because you need to start training again a new employee which takes a lot of time and
also once you provide them with the training, they need to get used to the company and
how we work. In our case, we have to explain them about the social media platforms, passwords,
our goals, how we post etc.. So it takes as a lot of time.

R4: I know it takes quite some time that the employees feel comfortable within their job
position and the company. At the front office, a lot of employees left throughout these years
and especially this season. The majority of the employees, I think there were like three
employees that left at the beginning of the season. So already towards the end of
November, they left the company. It was terrible for us as our department because in November,
we have the “Cumbre” and there are a lot of protocols and procedures that you need to follow. Thus,
we couldn’t hire anyone for that time because it would take too much time and it would be too much
for them as well. So, we had a shortage of staff for like two weeks. it's when their hotel starts to get.
A lot of occupancy and we can't be with a sharp shortage of staff. That had an impact on the whole
department because when they left, employees had to do extra hours. So, after the “Cumbre” we
hired two new employees, Emma and Antonio but they don't have that much experience at the
reception in a five-star hotel. But we couldn’t be more time without employees because our current
employees were feeling tired, demotivated of all the workload and the extra hours they had to work.
So here clearly, we could see that employee turnover has an effect on both current employees as well
as on the company because of financial issues.

R7: In my department , we also had people that left. Not a lot, but for this small amount of people
that we are within the team, we are only five, two employees left. So part of the team is new this
year. They're slowly adapting. They're helpful, but not the way as the other employees
were. Adapting to the company takes time. What I noticed as I mentioned already before is that we
urgently would need to provide them with a list with all standards because the last audit
revealed it already. The person that took the reservation didn’t have the knowledge of the
quality standards of LHW and thus we got a really bad grade. We are currently starting to work on
ameliorating it but we don't have an official standard list with sentences or the different steps that
they need to take. So maybe Maria that could be something that you would create for us?

M: Let me double check with you Elvira if I understood you correctly. So employees need to take the
reservations according to the standards of LHW but they are currently not doing that because they do
not have a list and I should be the one that creates the list with the quality standards for reservations
department?

R7: For example but maybe for all departments because as we discussed before already we are all
quite missing the standards of LHW.

M: Thanks for clarifying. Yes I can do that. And who is next with sharing?

R3: In the kitchen, we had also some people that that left, especially at the beginning of the
season. That had a negative effect on the whole department because we had either to take
other employees from another restaurant within the resort, for example, from the Pizzeria to
work at the restaurant where we were missing cooks even though the type of restaurant and cuisine
was really different. At the beginning they accepted to switch but of course, there was a challenge that
they had to learn how to do all the plates and different techniques. After some time they told me that
they had enough at that department, that they weren’t prepared for the type of restaurant since
the dishes are very elaborative. Since they did not have the required experience, that had an
impact on the team because you have a teammate that has a different level thus, he/she requires
special attention and training and also the dishes weren’t as good as expected. So we had two
options, or include him in the restaurant the employees was originally working at or that he had to
leave the company. So definitely it has an impact on the company.
R5: I agree with my colleagues. Providing the employees with a task list per shift will be
useful so that the employees are aware of their daily duties. I also consider that for my
department, it is important that they have background knowledge about the hotel and
Leading Hotels because since they are walking around the resort, guests may approach them for
questions.

M: And how is the situation in the Spa?

R8: In the Spa department, we have had some people left but this season it's also like Miriam
just said, they left in December more or less. So, people were at Sport Hotels for one month
and then left. I tried to ask them the reasons why and some of them mentioned they weren't
really feeling part of the team. Some others, they mentioned that it was too much pressure.
They didn't get instructed on which standard they we have to follow. So, it's not simply doing
a massage, it's also the steps how they have to treat their guests. That was missing for them and to
be honest, I acknowledge that we as a department, we didn't really focus too much on that.
But that's something that that we could perhaps implement. As we mentioned earlier, provide them
with a standard list that will enable them to feel more relieved and more confident about
their tasks. So, in our department, even though it's small, we also had quite some people that left
the company.

M: We are done with the complete round. Thanks for sharing. And well you already kind of included it
but maybe you can provide a small summary of the main reasons you think for that the employee
turnover rate increased.

R4: The missing of standards and therefore they feel they are not sure about how to perform.

R2: Also the missing of structure during the shifts, so like a specific tasks list could be
implemented.

R1: They are lost during work and also the workload perhaps during busy weeks.

R8: Maybe not being included within the company since they are new.

R3: The way that we as management treat them. That was for example one of the reasons why I
left from the hotel in Barcelona. So that could be a possible reason why the employees leave.

M: How do you consider that you treat the employees? How are is your leadership?

R3: It depends on the situation but I personally include them in the decision as much as
possible. I ask them for their opinion.

R4: I challenge them to solve when a problem occurs.

M: Anyone else?

R1-R8: No.

M: Alright. And which aspects and practices do you consider that make the employees feel motivated
and demotivated within the company?

R5: They should be happy about the salary and little taxes they have to pay in Andorra.

R1: The benefits you get because of being employed at Sport Hotels should make employees
motivated to work with us. All the discounts they get in Andorra and also in the restaurants of the
resort and for ski lovers the forfeit.

R3: Yes the benefits even motivate me so imagine them (laughs). I would also say the team spirit
and the culture we have in the company.

M: Oh, now that we talk about culture, what type of culture would you define that there is at Sport
Hotels?

R3: I would say that we are friendly, outgoing and we want to be the best resort in Andorra. That’s
why we need to do our utmost to achieve that.

R7: That’s why our mission is to be and in this case continue being the best resort in Andorra. Every
day we work towards that. I think that can also motivate employees to be part of the best resort in
Andorra.

R8: I agree Elvira but also that puts employees in tension and stress.

R1: I would say that actually motivates someone because everyone wants to be always the
best. But maybe something that demotivates the employees is that since we have a lot of
workload, they don’t have “free time” during their work. Like not so much socializing
because there are so many tasks to do.

R4: Fair enough Grego. Since they need to be fully concentrated and are busy all the time
during their shift, that can demotivate them that they can’t talk and enjoy some off-work
conversations with their co-workers.

M: And to what extend are the employees aware of the core values of Sport Hotels?

R2: To be honest I am not really sure about that. We have a list of values hanging in each
back office and also in the kitchens. But I believe that the employees are not really aware of
the values.
R1: I have seen some of the ladies having a look at them while we were having the morning
briefings but I wouldn’t know with certainty if they know them.

R4: I personally when I am explaining them the tasks and Opera System, I mention that we have a
list of values show them where it is hanging but we don’t really relate to them in daily
basis.

R8: We have them next to the computers at the spa reception but we don’t mention them
regularly. I trust that the employees have seen the list but I guess they don’t really make
use of the values.

M: Well, anyone would like to add something else to the discussion? If not, this marks the end of the
discussion. All the questions that I had prepared were answered. So since I didn’t record the
conversations you were having, took notes as fast as possible to get all the information but what I will
do is write it all down and send it to you per email by tonight. In case there is information which I
misunderstood please let me know as well as if you have any extra thoughts on the questions and
topics discussed. If someone would like to add something and let me know only in private that is also
possible but it has to be sent before 24 hours, so like tomorrow after lunch I would have received the
email please.

R1-R8: Alright.

R2: Hopefully you can find out interesting factors and help us further to decrease the employee
turnover at Sport Hotels.

M: That’s my ultimate goal. So once again everyone, thank you very much for collaborating and I wish
you a lovely day.