Human resources

People are at the core of delivering a Tsogo Sun experience, both front and back-of-house.

At the guest level, Tsogo Sun does not sell a system or manufacture a physical product for resale. Every aspect of the business, from the gamer’s experience at the roulette wheel to the dining experience in the restaurants, to the check in and check out at the front desk, requires an interaction with people of the group. A pool of qualified, trained and talented people is required to deliver these experiences, supported by empowered management and relevant support services.

At the corporate level the group is reliant on executives and managers who can identify and manage both risks and opportunities and implement appropriate responses. These individuals, both senior and junior, need to apply long-term thinking and avoid quick and unsustainable fixes.

In order to attract and retain the appropriate talent pool, the group needs to ensure that all aspects of the employee’s experience, including but not limited to remuneration and incentivisation, is properly structured.

Key performance indicators

2014 performance

Human capital management

We believe that the sustainable growth of our group depends as much on our people as it does on our operational expertise. Our employment policies are designed to empower and develop employees, and create an environment in which each employee can perform and grow to his or her fullest potential regardless of ethnic background, gender or disability. We also strive to attract and retain the highest calibre staff while at the same time redressing historical imbalances, where they may exist.

Based on independent research by the Corporate Research Foundation Institute, Tsogo Sun has been certified as a Best Employer for several consecutive years for its outstanding HR policies and working conditions, excellent reputation, impressive training and development opportunities and highly engaged workforce.

Job creation and employee stability

The group contributes approximately 13 000 direct jobs and approximately 20 000 combined direct and indirect jobs (including contract staff employed by third-party service providers) within the communities in which our operations are situated in South Africa.

Staff resignations at 8.7% remain low for the hospitality industry and are testimony to the favourable employee engagement and values- based leadership process within the group.

Employee development

Although training spend for the year at R101 million, which is at 4.1% of payroll, has decreased from the prior year, spend on training disabled employees has increased, as has the number of learnerships undertaken by the group and the provision of executive and management development programmes. The group spent R77 million on training and development initiatives provided to its black staff during the year, which is 3.1% of payroll in accordance with the DTI’s BBBEE targets.

All training and development activities within the organisation have been integrated through the new Tsogo Sun Academy in order to enhance their impact and results, further demonstrating our commitment to investing in the education, training and development of our employees which we recognise as being critical for our long-term sustainability and growth.

During the year Tsogo Sun became an accredited training provider for both gaming and hospitality qualifications and the Academy’s recent focus has been on integrating training to maximise resources and expertise across the group. Following business needs analyses and talent searches, specific interventions have been identified, developed and implemented to build the skills, knowledge and ability of employees. These include formal qualifications, business school programmes, and customised and in-house courses. Annual celebrations of learning across the business have seen more than 500 employees receive certificates. Learnerships, work integrated learning and unemployed graduate programmes have also supported government initiatives.

Employee engagement

Tsogo Sun has implemented a single engagement programme, reflecting the values, culture and behaviours common to our integrated hotels and gaming business. More than 2 500 employees across the broader group were engaged, either face-to-face or online, in order to obtain their views on what they believe should be the basis for a new value system for the group. In October 2013, the group’s new organisational values were introduced – called livingTSOGO.

The livingTSOGO values:
Teamwork
Service
Opportunity
Growth
Ownership

livingTSOGO is simple and straightforward – from the concept of attaching values to our company name to the values themselves. The values have been well received by the organisation with employees participating enthusiastically in the different components designed to bring them to life.

The components (some of which are presently being implemented across the group) include: the introduction of touch screen technology at all company properties enabling employees to ‘touch’ every aspect of livingTSOGO; livingTSOGO World which is the group’s new induction programme; and livingTSOGO Moments which is the recognition and reward programme.