Author: Asam

Beginning in June, Gatsby Valet, a West Egg Group company, launched an exciting new service at three Toronto area Oxford Properties: Yorkdale Shopping Centre, Square One Mall, and Scarborough Town Centre.

In response to Ontario’s staged reopening plan, each of these shopping centres are now providing dedicated outdoor patio space for casual dining.

With the mall eateries open only for take-out only, Oxford Properties wanted to provide patrons with a safe space to sit and enjoy their takeout meal. Using reclaimed parking lot space, each property has set up a patio space equipped with tables, chairs, and umbrellas — allowing shopping centre visitors to extend and enjoy their mall visit. 

To assist in the oversight and management of these spaces operating seven days a week, Oxford Properties enlisted the help of guest experience experts, Gatsby Valet, to host the space. Staffed by 3-4 Gatsby Valet/TWEG employees daily at each location, responsibilities include: 

• Setup/teardown of patio umbrellas
• Host/hostessing (welcoming guests)
• Helping guests find seating
• Manage ingress and egress of the space
• Enforcing safety measures such as physical distancing and pedestrian traffic flow
• General maintenance
  
  

Gatsby Valet’s host services draw upon the operational structure and success of another related initiative, Ambassador services provided by The West Egg Group. This program was born out of the need for the screening of guests entering the shopping centres — a government mandate aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19. The West Egg Group Ambassadors are stationed at the doors to the shopping centres across the GTA and are tasked with asking each shopper a predetermined set of COVID screening questions. Based on their responses, the Ambassador will permit or deny their entry. 

We’ve all become accustomed to new kinds of screening processes. Whether you’re entering a medical facility for an appointment, patronizing a shopping centre, or planning a COVID-safe visit with friends, you’ve likely answered a distinct set of screening questions. 

When the pandemic began, The West Egg Group rose to the occasion, developing a professional and systematic screening system for a variety of our customers, allowing them to safely screen, then admit or deny entry to their facilities. 

We leveraged our expertise in both workforce management and the guest experience to implement Ambassador services at busy shopping centres across the Greater Toronto Area, including:

• Sherway Gardens Mall
• Fairview Mall
• Upper Canada Mall
• Fairview Park Mall (Kitchener)
• Yorkdale Shopping Centre 
• Scarborough Town Centre 
• Manulife building 
• Hillcrest Shopping Centre
• Eatons Centre

What do Ambassadors do?
While this role can easily be adapted to suit the unique needs of each customer and location, our The West Egg Group Ambassadors recently assumed the role of providing COVID screening.

Stationed at each shopping centre entrance, our teams would conduct a brief yet thorough screening of all employees and shoppers visiting the facility to ensure that no one was permitted entry who may pose a risk to the health and safety of those inside. These services allowed numerous businesses to reopen safely and in accordance with legislation that aligned with the rapidly evolving pandemic situation.   

Gatsby Valet also adapted their services to offer Door Ambassadors stationed outside of luxury businesses and real estate open houses in partnership with STACS. These individuals screen visitors using a set of questions aimed at ensuring that visitors do not pose a threat to the spread of COVID-19 before entering the space. Additionally, they assist in the management of ingress and egress to maintain a predetermined occupancy rate and issue reminders of physical distancing while on site.

Similarly, our sister company Carraway has also contributed to pandemic relief efforts with large-scale operations across Peel region where teams manage the flow of people at vaccination clinics.

The future of screening: COVID vaccine passports
Around the world, there has been much talk about vaccine passports that prove one’s vaccination status. The idea is that they would be used to grant individuals entry to businesses, facilities, onto modes of transportation, etc.

High-performing workforce managers have a few things in common — key habits that make them successful. These behaviours, done daily, contribute greatly to the successful oversight and management of teams across all industries.

We’ve summarized the top 7 attributes and behaviours of top workforce managers:

#7: Checking and rechecking the data

Every project starts with data. A workforce manager’s role is to ensure that they understand the project requirements, obligations to clients and customers, their workforce metrics, business forecasts, and more. And since these things are always in flux, keeping a close eye on the numbers makes all the difference. 

#6: Incorporating agility into planning
A one-size-fits-all plan just won’t work. A great manager will have multiple plan options based on varied forecasts of workforce demands. Being flexible and able to respond quickly to changing client and project needs is a must.

#5: Calculating the downtime

Every workforce has unproductive hours, whether they be sick days, breaks, training, scheduled or unscheduled time off. Factoring these unproductive activities into the overall plan is important for accurate projections and planning.

#4 Aligning with other departments
Acting in a silo is never good for business. Great managers are aware of the activities and plans within other departments and their impact on workforce management. They have open lines of communication with other managers and seek to understand the bigger picture beyond their immediate responsibilities.

Workplace wellness is another set of buzzwords being used a lot these days. And with all of today’s pandemic-related stress and uncertainty, it’s no wonder that it is top-of-mind among both employees and organizations. 

What is workplace wellness?

Workplace wellness is any workplace activity or organizational policy designed to support healthy behaviours and practices in the workplace with the goal of improving health outcomes. 

Wellness, or well-being, as promoted within the workplace often includes activities such as: 

• Physical and mental health education
• Campaigns promoting an active lifestyle
• Nutritional programs
• On-site fitness programs or facilities
• Access to information and physical resources
  …and more

Why do workplaces focus on wellness? 

A happy, healthy workforce is proven to be a more effective one. Employees who have a strong sense of well-being are often:

• More productive 
• More likely to stay in their jobs
• More likely to recommend their organization as a good place to work
• More engaged in their work/organization
• Healthier, with improved disease management and prevention

All of these reasons contribute to lower healthcare costs for the employer as well. While all of the above is good for business, more and more organizations today are invested in wellness because they care about the well-being of their people. 

Plus, a greater focus on having a top-notch employer brand has also made organizations keen to develop employee benefits outside of the usual earnings and time off to help attract and retain top talent. Organizations want to be

Many managers are struggling with finding ways to keep their remote employees engaged and productive. People leaders today want to get the most out of their teams while still supporting the well-being of their people, given all of the pressures of today’s work environment. 

We’ve assembled a list of what we consider HR essentials: tips and techniques to support managers as they work to support their teams.

Schedule check-ins
Being physically apart doesn’t have to mean that you’re disconnected from your team members. Schedule regular check-ins at intervals that make sense for you and your people. Ask your employees what they’re comfortable with. For some, a brief daily check-in may be preferred. For others, weekly or biweekly catch-ups will suffice. Each individual has different and evolving needs. 

During your virtual meetings, set aside time to talk about non-work related matters. Ask them how they’re doing, how they’re feeling, and what you can do to support them. Listening and taking action on what you hear is important too — employees will continue to be more communicative and forthcoming if they see that you take their needs seriously and are quick to address any concerns. And, it’s always good to humanize the face behind the screen. Share a bit about yourself and how you’re feeling about work and pandemic life. Being relatable is a key characteristic to being a great leader. 

Help with home distractions
Many of us can relate to the challenge of trying to be heads-down with work while children, dogs, cats, etc. run wild in the background. 

Some of your team members may also be operating with limited technology or a poorly constructed work space. If you have the budget to do so, consider extending a home office allowance to your remote employees so that they can invest in an ergonomic chair, desk, and other necessary supplies to make their space work for them. 

There are endless approaches to workforce training, coaching, and leadership. But what truly works? 

For staff performing new employee onboarding, internal trainers teaching or reinforcing new skills and practices, and for people leaders looking to get the most from their teams, there are 5 simple steps to ensuring success:

Step #1: Read it
Reading helps many learners take-in and process new information.

Be sure to present new ideas, concepts, and processes in a visual way, such as using paper or a whiteboard to write it down or draw/map it out. Then, ask learners to rewrite what they see to help reinforce their learning. 

Step #2: See it
Some people need to see it to believe it — and to learn and retain it. 

Many learners benefit from watching a video that demonstrates the desired action or behaviour you are presenting. This helps them to visualize what it looks like and how it impacts them/their role at work.

Step #3 Try it:
Next, introduce your teams to the new process, action, or behaviour by allowing them to act it out at their own pace. This will help to reinforce the learning and allow them to demonstrate their understanding. It’s also an opportunity for learners to become comfortable with something new in a safe, controlled environment. 

As experts in both workforce management and the guest experience, The West Egg Group was pleased to implement its Ambassador services at busy shopping centres across the Greater Toronto Area.

The program, now at nine locations, has most recently expanded to Upper Canada Mall and Hillcrest Mall. 

What is the Ambassador service?
The program was born out of the need for the screening of guests entering the shopping centres — a government mandate aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19.

What does an Ambassador do?
Our Ambassadors are stationed at the doors to the shopping centres and are tasked with asking each shopper a predetermined set of COVID screening questions. Based on their responses, the Ambassador will permit or deny their entry. 

In addition to screening questions and enforcing COVID-19 safety protocols, they also assist with wayfinding — helping shoppers following the mall arrows to ensure a safe distance from other shoppers. 

Our Ambassadors are at the frontlines
We’re proud of the work our Ambassadors do with the public at the frontlines. With changing business operations rules, stores reopening, and a growing consumer demand for in-store shopping, the work that they do is paramount to ensuring the health and safety of retail employees and shopping mall guests. 

Before you can rally your workforce behind your organization’s purpose, you have to create it. And that can be more difficult than you think. 

Sure, you know what products or services you’re offering, but what is at the heart of what you do? What problems does your organization solve and what sets it apart? 

Here is a guideline on how to define your organization’s mission and vision, and create simple statements that employees can rally around.

The purpose of a mission statement
A mission statement describes the present. The who, what, and why of your business. In short, it describes why the business exists to internal and external audiences (i.e. employees and customers).

How to write a mission statement

Consider addressing three key elements within your mission statement: what your company does, how it’s done, and why. And, try to address what sets you apart.  

Examples:
Instagram: to capture and share the world’s moments

Tesla: to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.

How does a vision statement differ?
This statement is future-focused. It helps employees and other stakeholders understand the meaning and purpose of your business. It outlines the desired long-term goals and resulting effects of your organization’s efforts. It’s essentially what you want your business to be and to achieve.