All In: How Omni Hotels Empowers Every Employee to Make a Difference

Sometimes, HR leaders say, “I want a seat at the table,” meaning they want to be more involved in their company’s key decisions. Whenever I hear this, I tend to say, “You already have a seat. And if you don’t start using it, it might get pulled out from under you.”

While I am known for being straightforward, I firmly believe that everyone, regardless of seniority or circumstances, can contribute to a company’s success. This is how I approach my job as CHRO at Omni Hotels & Resorts and why I champion our “All In” spirit of collective achievement. Every day, I ask myself and my team: “What’s best for Omni?”

This question gets people outside of themselves and shifts the focus from individuals to what’s optimal for the company. This new perspective equips HR team members with the right mindset to make informed decisions, empowering them to participate in discussions while confidently claiming their seats at the table.

Surveys like the 2023 Edelman Trust Barometer highlight the need for companies to prioritize employee empowerment. Edelman, a communications and research firm, revealed in a special report about trust at work that 80% of job seekers consider a lack of opportunity for personal empowerment (e.g., regular communication, employee diversity) to be a “deal-breaker” when looking at a potential job offer.

At Omni, empowering our associates (i.e., how we refer to our employees) isn’t just a recruitment buzzword. It’s woven into our culture and is a driving factor in our award-winning service excellence, continued business success, and positive employee feedback—evidenced by Omni’s inclusion in “Glassdoor’s Best-led Companies of 2024” list, informed by associate reviews and ratings.

All In: Omni’s Guiding Principle

Before I offer my insights about how empowering associates has brought significant results at Omni, let me briefly explain the evolution of our All In philosophy, born out of Omni’s name, which means “all” in Latin.

In 2021, the company was rebuilding. Having faced a roughly 90% reduction in staff—from about 22,000 to 1,800 associates—we were rapidly hiring tens of thousands of people who had never worked for Omni or any hospitality brand before.

A simple “this is the way we do it” approach to attracting and onboarding talent wouldn’t suffice. We had to speak to the next generation of Omni associates with a corporate culture and mission that resonated with them while staying true to our values.

In early 2022, we convened an internal branding committee of new and existing general managers and executives. Our All In philosophy—essentially, that everyone works together for the benefit of the company, and the company in turn supports its associates so they can deliver to our guests—emerged from those meetings, along with these four core values:

• Power of All: Empowers associates to provide exceptional service
• Heart for All: Encourages charitable acts within the hotels’ local communities and for Omni associates and their families in need
• All Together: Supports collaboration and fosters future leaders from within
• All for One: Affirms that success comes from serving the needs of Omni associates, guests, and owners

Living by these values and focusing on shared success has boosted associate empowerment and benefited the brand immensely. Here are four lessons from Omni that can be applied to any organization, particularly those in the service sector.

1. Creating Clarity for the Entire Organization

At the beginning of 2023, our president, Kurt Alexander, stated that elevating service was Omni’s top priority for the year. His message was abundantly clear: If you’re working on something that doesn’t improve the guest experience, don’t do it. This singular focus provided a simple filter for evaluating all ideas and motivated us to embrace the mandate fully.

As mentioned, one of Omni’s main challenges in 2022 was integrating thousands of new hires into the company while instilling a dedication to service excellence. It became evident early on that the existing Omni associate handbook and training needed to evolve to speak to a new generation.

In response, we spent six months developing an eight-module “Power of Engagement” training program, covering everything from resolving customer complaints to ensuring every guest’s stay is memorable. Our objective was to equip associates with the knowledge and skills to handle issues confidently, without needing to consult a manager every time—the epitome of employee empowerment.

After finalizing the program, in January 2023, we brought 80 hotel operations leaders to Omni headquarters in Dallas, Texas for a week of hands-on certification training. While we believed they were doing a fabulous job, we wanted to make sure the lessons stuck and that they had the tools to go back to their operations and bring the vision to life. I, along with our top operations leadership, sat in on the entire week, and every senior executive addressed the attendees. Our next goal was to have 85% of guest-facing associates certified in all eight modules by May of that year.

As we pursued these targets, our service scores started to climb. Medallia, the service feedback tool we’ve used since 2003, reported that at the end of 2023, our company score was 8.78 out of 10—Omni’s highest rating since 2018. Additionally, in the J.D. Power 2023 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study, Omni earned 708 points out of 1,000 in overall customer satisfaction, ranking fourth among “upper upscale” hotel brands. (For comparison, the top hotel in the category had 723 points.)

During this period, we also revamped our Select Guest loyalty program, including appointing loyalty ambassadors at every hotel. Icon members, our most frequent guests, now rate their satisfaction level with Omni hotels at an impressive nine out of 10. The cherry on top? Last year was the highest revenue year in the company’s history.

The impact of Omni’s “Power of Engagement” certification training has been profound. It didn’t just provide lip service to associate empowerment; it gave associates the expertise and self-assurance to excel in their roles. Additionally, the inclusive way the training was rolled out, with participation from all levels, fostered an All In mentality that directly drives our business success.

2. Empowering Associates to Empower Themselves

In mid-2020, Omni started a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) council to demonstrate our commitment to those values. Although well intentioned, the council initially encompassed too many broad themes and a lack of deliverables. Recognizing the importance of both representation and meaningful results, in 2023, we challenged the council to develop a clear mission and define measurable goals.

With Nydia Hoskins—our newly appointed Vice President of People and Culture—leading the effort, the DEI council began an intense collaboration to develop a cohesive and compelling platform. Today, their primary focus is supporting individuals “in the corners” and on the margins, making Omni a place where everyone can achieve their career dreams. Every associate should feel valued and encouraged to develop their skills, abilities, and passions. Recently, the council was renamed the All In Ambassadors, anchored in accountability, belonging, culture, and development.

One example of the positive impact the group is making is in Omni’s long-standing relationship with McKinsey & Company. McKinsey’s “Connected Leaders Academy” training program offers no-cost courses for racially diverse—including those of Black, Hispanic and Latino, and Asian descent—early professionals, mid-career managers, and senior executives. The Ambassadors have dramatically expanded the search to identify more employees within the company to participate in these academies. Currently, we have 30 people attending either leadership academy at any given time, and the Ambassadors track their progress to ensure they receive the necessary support throughout their development.

This organic evolution of Omni’s DEI efforts and associate-led empowerment has resonated internally and externally. The All In Ambassadors’ newsletter, which is sent out monthly, has the highest open rate of all internal emails. Additionally, Omni’s diversity and inclusion rating on Glassdoor, a 4.4 out of 5, surpasses many other leading hospitality brands.

3. Growing the Garden

Another recent initiative from the Ambassadors is a new mentoring program called ASCEND, which stands for “advocacy through strategy, coaching, executive exposure, networking, and discussion.” Led by Lexy Coley, Omni’s Corporate Director of Talent Development, and Renee Simeone, Omni’s Talent Development Manager, the program aims to identify up-and-coming hidden talent and provide direct access to Omni’s senior leadership.

Over nine months, these high-potential associates (mentees) are paired with hotel general managers and corporate executives (mentors) to develop their skills and knowledge while also developing personalized Omni career roadmaps. A remarkable 12 out of the first 80 ASCEND mentees received promotions just five months into the program, exceeding all expectations. This initiative embodies my concept of “growing the garden,” and the importance of nurturing leaders from within Omni. I say that if we’re going to grow talent, we must grow the garden.

But we don’t just cultivate existing talent—we also lay the groundwork for Omni’s future leaders. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we launched a successful summer internship program for college students, including weekly educational sessions plus perks like virtual happy hours and free stays at Omni hotels. Those who complete the program are guaranteed a job with us upon graduation. This initiative has seen tremendous growth—from 70 interns in the first year to nearly 200 in the summer of 2023—giving participants a head start in their Omni careers.

4. Taking Care of Our People

At Omni, we like to say we are a family, and we extend that to our associates and their families in times of need. In 2005, after Hurricane Katrina forced our three hotels in New Orleans, Louisiana, to close, we established the Omni Hotels Charitable Foundation, which provides Omni Circle grants—not loans—to associates in need.

To date, the foundation has awarded approximately $7 million in grants, helping thousands of associates—and I still personally review every application. Associates can donate to the Omni Circle fund through paycheck contributions. Often, those who have benefited from grants choose to give back once they are back on their feet. This demonstrates how our All In spirit unites us as a company and empowers our associates to help others, particularly those within the Omni family.

This commitment to associate well-being extends beyond financial assistance. We recognize that feeling welcome and supported fosters engagement and a sense of belonging. Case in point: We take special care of our new international workers, many of whom are from Latin America and have never been to the US. To smooth the transition for these employees and to help them get acclimated to living and working in the US, we provide housing on the hotel properties or assist them in finding nearby apartments, register them at the Social Security office, take them to buy essentials, and do whatever they need to settle in. Each international associate is paired with a property mentor or buddy, and we organize outings for them, such as picnics or sporting events. As a practical matter, all written communications are translated into Spanish.

Similarly, we encourage our staff to enjoy our hotels’ amenities and experiences—from spa treatments to horseback rides—at a steep discount, if not for free. This improves the associates’ quality of life and helps them gain a better understanding of the guest experience. So, if a guest at, say, Omni Mount Washington Resort in New Hampshire asks an associate, “How’s the zipline in the winter?,” they can knowledgeably say, “Flying through the trees for three hours in a sleeping bag is really fun.” (I’ve done it, and it is!)

Final Thoughts

I look at business like a volleyball game—everyone has to dive for the ball. That’s why I advocate for associates to push each other and to bring forward our best efforts—because it benefits the entire company. 

Our holistic approach, built on teamwork and mutual respect, has not only elevated the guest experience, but also created an environment where every associate is encouraged to show up as their whole, authentic self and make a difference. Guided by our All In philosophy, Omni’s success story is a testament to the transformative power of employee empowerment.