Page 44 - Gondwana Value Creation Report 2020

HOW WE MAKE AN IMPACT Age range of Gondwana employees Our investment in training reflects a true commitment to our people The Gondwana Hospitality Training and Leadership Academy (the Academy)

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Learning and development
The Academy began in 2015 to provide a platform of growth for our people.
It was developed to enhance both the company’s quality of service to guests and the professional development of our employees. Of the first class (2015), 30% are now in senior positions, including collections
– we aim to directly train at least 70% of employees annually. We
managers. We believe that investing in our employees yields much higher returns than expanding our business, and we continued financing the Academy despite our lower revenue.
71.5% of Gondwana’s employees are between 19 and 39 years old, an age range where many people choose to start families. This results in
believe that the return on investment is enormous, easily outpacing
The Academy builds a foundation for engaged employees to live the Gondwana Way. We believe employees develop optimally when given the opportunity to discover their own worth and position. Therefore,
a high rate of annual maternity leave and employees resigning due to family commitments.
that of new lodges or ventures. As such, we continued developing
besides industry knowledge and skills, courses also include self-development, communication skills and methods to manage behaviour in a company setting.
and supporting leadership but also worked on Covid-19-related
To support these employees, we have a policy whereby female lodge employees’ children can live at the lodges with childminders for the
Until 2020, the Kalahari Farmhouse at Stampriet was closed to guests from January to March to host the Academy, with on-site training provided either at head office or at lodges as the need arises. For
training, incorporating wellness support and team building.
first two years of their lives. Furthermore, Gondwana provides food, accommodation and transport to and from the lodge for childminders,
logistical reasons we began moving the training away from Kalahari Farmhouse to more accessible or regional centres such as Damara Mopane Lodge, Namushasha River Lodge, Etosha Safari Lodge and Camp,
and employees pay them a monthly salary.
and the Moonraker Homestead facility outside Windhoek.
Courses offered:
Covid-19-related training HR administration online courses Cooking
Age range – number of employees Employee profile by job category Gondwana’s Learning and Development Team quickly realised the
7 extent of additional knowledge employees needed. It developed Service and bar Go4Gold management development
74 – number of employees a multi-pronged approach to disseminate information quickly and
4 46 effectively, and implemented the following programmes as soon as Guest relations
34 HR management SAGE online courses
regional travel was allowed:
221 350 ○ Covid-19 awareness training with OSH-Med International.
153 This taught general facts about Covid-19, its history and Occupational safety and health training Housekeeping
methods of spreading, as well as preventative measures
including masks and hygiene.
○ Covid-19 workplace preparedness training with Tour Gondwana disciplinary approach INNkeeper training
577 Guides Association Namibia (TAN) and Sole of Hospitality.
This included preparation for guides, and compliance The GO1000 Development programme
with international hygiene standards and guidelines in Food and beverage workshop for senior managers
hospitality.
247
○ Training on Covid-19’s broader impact with an external Values and business ethics with Namibia2Go, Covid-19 training
409 trainer and coach. This assisted teams to organise more Safari2Go and external tour guides
19 – 29 effectively and balance their inter-personal relationships,
30 – 39 focused on their mental wellbeing during lockdown, and People Team management course Gondwana’s 10-day leadership programme
40 – 49 Executive directors (2019: 4) included reflections and learnings from the lockdown.
50 – 59 Senior management (2019: 34) Tourplan training Guiding education
60+
Middle management (2019: 32) “The real impact of the
Specialised/skilled/senior supervisory (2019: 133)
Skilled (2019: 169) training became evident Courses offered throughout the year ○ The GO1000 Development programme, is a one-year ○ A refresher of our INNkeeper system, including updates, was
Semi-skilled (2019: 673) programme through which we strengthen the Gondwana brand. offered to guest relations teams.
when one of our colleagues Fortunately, Namibia’s lockdown came about in March, after which The programme develops Gondwana’s future leaders and ○ Tourplan roll out and training were under way.
most of the courses had been completed.
teaches them their role in the 1 000-year vision. This leadership
in the Zambezi region came ○ Various five-day courses for hospitality concluded in March 2020. development programme with individual coaching was ○ Learning culture and adult learning workshops were held at
Gondwana’s head office.
facilitated by a team of external leadership development experts,
Courses covered housekeeping, guest relations and people management.
We inject our DNA into Gondwanians through our to thank the trainers after a ○ Two leadership programmes of 10 days were facilitated for ○ Gondwana People Management for Lodge Management was ○ Service, bar and management teams received on-site beverage
and was attended by 16 employees.
sales training.
37 team leaders with follow-up coaching.
Hospitality Training and Leadership Academy. session, stating that now he ○ The first food and beverages workshop with 37 participants offered at Kalahari Farmhouse. The course focuses on creating ○ The People Team hosted a virtual five-week disciplinary
workshop over Microsoft Teams to guide management teams
a learning environment, adult learning, delegation, people
understood that the safety (lodge management and head of kitchen departments) was management, guidance in disciplinary actions, and a health and through the various steps in the Gondwana disciplinary
arranged before lockdown at Damara Mopane Lodge. This
process. This included a refresher on our Code of Conduct,
lifestyle module, offered by an external trainer.
replaced the maintenance practical at the lodge.
protocols were not only ○ Go4Gold is a 12-month management and leadership programme ○ The cooking academy at Kalahari Farmhouse was replaced investigative steps and techniques, and how to prepare and
execute a fair and successful disciplinary process.
to protect the guest, but for 12 selected participants. Every two months the group meets by engaging with three local chefs who trained and supported ○ Environmental awareness training was provided to
kitchen teams at all the various lodges.
for five working days on intense course content with direct
himself, his colleagues and application in the workplace. ○ External guide trainers presented guide education and 123 employees and 16 conservancy members.
refresher courses, tailored for Gondwana’s guides.
family as well.” ○ As a continued support initiative, the Go4Gold facilitation team
continued to provide coaching to the 2019 Go4Gold participants.
42 VALUE CREATION REPORT 2020 GONDWANA COLLECTION NAMIBIA 43