Brigade Hospitality: Employees As Internal Customers

Brigade Hospitality Services Ltd. (BHSL) is a multidisciplinary hospitality and life style group. It is is a wholly owned subsidiary of Brigade Enterprises. Formally registered in June 2004, B rigade Hospitality  pioneered the concept of professionally managed and branded serviced apartments under the brand name, Brigade Homestead.

The company has since extended its operations across multiple domains of the hospitality industry, such as lifestyle membership clubs like Signature Club Resort, Woodrose, Augusta, Galaxy and Regent Clubs, the two MLR Convention centres and more recently, The Northern Terrace, a venue for banqueting located at the World Trade Centre.

The company is also involved in institutional catering, banquets, outdoor catering and event management under a sub-brand, Celebrations Catering & Events.  

Young though Brigade Hospitality is, its values are old and inspired by the best practices of  the parent company, Brigade Enterprises. Brigade Enterprises began operations in 1986. The group is also influenced by the   principles and best practices of International Hotel Partners, who manage its properties and has been a source of  “mutual learning and growth”.

People philosophy
Brigade Hospitality CEO, Vineet Verma, has played a key role in building the group’s image over a short span of time. “At Brigade Hospitality, we always put our people first,” says Verma. “Treating all employees with respect, care and concern is our top priority. This is a top down approach. As a hospitality company, how we treat our team members (our internal customers), get clearly translated to our guests (external customers),” he points out.

 The cementing force within the Brigade Hospitality workforce is apparently a “family-like bonding”, which makes the company’s work environment special.

THE WORK CULTURE
Brigade Hospitality encourages a work culture that allows all views to be heard. All employees are free to share their ideas and take a shot at innovation. No idea is dismissed as “foolish”, nor is any member of the staff ridiculed for speaking up.

The company believes in treating all its team members as internal customers. “Our first priority is towards them and their welfare. We believe that a happy employee certainly makes for a happy customer. Happiness is best spread inside out,” says Verma, elaborating on the company’s people philosophy..

“We envision our company to be way ahead and far more progressive in terms of gender diversity, lack of  bias and equal opportunity for all to grow within the system, based strictly on merit,” he says.

On an average employee retention at Brigade Hospitality is for a period of five years. “We take pride in the fact that employees choose to stay with us for several years,” says Verma. He says more than 20 per cent of Brigade Hospitality’s team members have completed ten years and more in the organisation. “We are a people-centric company with humane values, constantly in action,” says Verma proudly.

Employee Testimonial
The company aspires to be the ‘most preferred’ hospitality company in India and an ‘employer of choice’. The dream, say company sources “works as a catalyst” in spurring the venture ahead.
Employees attached with  the group take pride in their association with it. “Professional growth is a priority,” muses an employee, “a supportive work culture and challenging work gives opportunities for constant growth through innovation and development.”  The testimonial vindicates Brigade Hospitality’s claims of being an “employee centric” organisation.