Retention Reimagined: Keeping the Best in Your Business

By: Briana Hitt, Vice President of Human Resources, Alexa Little, Director of Human Resources, & Cami Reid, Director of Employee Relations

Employee retention is the ultimate compliment. It means your staff feel valued, supported, and inspired to stick around. However, attracting top talent and getting them to stay can feel like grasping at straws in a high-pressure industry like ours. According to a report by Awardco, the average turnover rate in leisure and hospitality in 2023 was 79%. Ouch! Keeping amazing event professionals from slipping through your fingers starts with a daily commitment to creating a supportive culture—not a one-time initiative. Let’s break down how we keep our team thriving, one check-in, training session, and high-five at a time.

How to Set Up a Stellar Recognition Program in 4 Steps

People want to work for an organization with a compassionate and inclusive culture. At 360DG, we take pride in our strong sense of community and consider ourselves a family. We deeply appreciate each team member’s unique contributions, and our culture is a huge reason employees choose to build their careers with us. Consistent actions create a lasting impact, so recognition is a cornerstone of our retention strategy.

Step 1: Identify Values & Benefits that Build Community

Creating a recognition program starts with finding the cultural values that make your workplace unique. For us, that means focusing on work-life balance, playing as hard as we work, honoring achievements, supporting our communities, and encouraging our employees to reach for the stars.

• Bye-Bye Burnout 👋: Diamonds may be forged under pressure, but too much strain will dull anyone’s shine. Hospitality and event roles require frequent customer interaction, which presents unique challenges. Constant emotional labor can contribute to stress and fatigue. We pull out all the stops by providing industry-leading benefits such as competitive compensation, generous PTO, and mental health days so our overachievers always have room to pause.

• Teams Built on Trust: Family means knowing you can rely on each other no matter what. This is why we emphasize open communication and collaboration within departments. By speaking up and knowing their fellow team members have their backs, we ensure workloads are managed seamlessly, building stronger team connections and boosting trust and morale.

• All Work and No Play Isn’t Our Way: We wouldn’t be 360DG if we didn’t always make room for fun! We encourage leaders to organize inclusive and enjoyable team-building activities. These shared experiences foster camaraderie, strengthen relationships, and enhance organizational engagement, creating a more connected and motivated team. It works for our clients; why wouldn’t we do it ourselves?

• Doing Good Feels Good: Corporate and Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives are embedded in our culture. As part of our Super Trip, organized annually to incentivize outstanding performance, we incorporate CSR elements to give back to the destinations we know and love. These meaningful activities have included team-building projects such as assembling bicycles, creating reading corners, and supporting foundations that provide financial assistance to hotel employees in need. Check out this article for a few more examples of how our team gives back in their destinations. These activities strengthen our team bonds and leave a lasting, positive impact on the communities we serve.

Step 2: Create a Culture of Celebration

Feeling underappreciated is one of the quickest exit signs for those who always go the extra mile. So, ensuring a job well-done never goes unrewarded is crucial. We celebrate our employees’ hard work and dedication through initiatives like Round of Applause, a platform where team members and leaders can recognize and reward outstanding contributions. Every employee can give shout-outs to their peers to recognize them company-wide and make each other feel seen for their exceptional work. Employees can also gift each other points to be cashed out however they want (gift cards, electronics, etc.) so they can treat themselves in the way that brings them the most joy.

Our annual Super Trip is a special treat for those at the top of their game. This exclusive experience is for teams who surpass specific goals, showing them that doing great things yields great rewards. We bring high performers together to unwind, celebrate their success, and build camaraderie while enjoying a well-deserved break in a remarkable destination.

Step 3: Success Starts at the Top

Managing Partners Trevor Hanks and Shelly Archer have always led by example. By making it well-known that their doors are always open, they have fostered a culture of openness and accessibility. They actively encourage team members to reach out, share thoughts, voice concerns, or seek guidance. Even at the helm of 360DG, Trevor and Shelly remain deeply connected to the team, always ready to roll up their sleeves—whether it’s advancing a bus or lending a hand with linens. Their hands-on approach exemplifies true leadership and reinforces the values that define our organization.

Step 4: Let Your People Grow

Everyone with a green thumb knows that the quickest way to stifle a plant is not to give it a large enough pot. Humans also need a clear path for horizontal or vertical growth to ensure they flourish over time. That’s why we invest in training for staff at various levels, so they feel encouraged and supported as they move forward and upwards. Our employees are given the opportunity to take workshops and classes to grow their skills. We also equip our leaders with in-person training to give them the tools to effectively manage, inspire, and develop their teams with proactive empathy. These trainings emphasize strategic thinking and emotional intelligence, enabling executives to better address employee needs, resolve conflicts, and promote career growth opportunities. 

Give Your Rockstars a Rock-Solid Start

First impressions often set the stage for what’s to come, and onboarding at a new company is no different. That’s why we instituted 30-60-90 day check-ins to ensure new employees can reconnect with their General Managers throughout their first few months. Initial employee training is primarily handled by their department’s Director, so we recognize that it can be intimidating for new employees to approach their General Managers for feedback or day-to-day questions. Automatically including these GM check-ins on each new hire’s training schedule takes the pressure off the employee’s shoulders and allows them to feel supported as they navigate their new role at 360DG.

We also schedule weekly one-on-one meetings with Directors for new and existing staff to give them confirmed time to ask any questions they may have about their performance, future growth, and more. In a fast-paced and, at times, chaotic environment, scheduling these meetings regularly and ahead of time ensures that leaders prioritize the needs of their employees.

Happy, confident, and supported people make a company all it can be. At 360DG, we love our work family and take pride in every employee’s achievements. If you’d like to be the next star in our collective constellation, explore open positions here.