It is a happy feeling for anyone who has won anything and the case was no exception for 21- year old Olivene Henry who won a plot of land valued at $400,000 in the SuperClubs People Development Programme raffle last week Thursday. Olivene was among 20 outstanding employees who were chosen to enter a raffle for a plot of land.
“I feel so good as I have never won anything before in my life,” said Olivene. She recalled that she was sceptical about entering the raffle as she thought she would never win. However, this feeling was to change as she picked the lucky number from the jar to claim her prize.
Olivene has been employed at Breezes Runaway Bay since 1993 in the position of human resources secretary. After leaving college, Olivene was employed to Breezes as a trainee an within three months she become the secretary.
Regarding the incentives that SuperClubs has for its staff Olivene said “they motivate the staff to give of their best. “You have to put something in to get something out of it,” she said.
Olivene says she plans on building a two bedroom house on the lot within the next three years. She now resides with her aunt. She has no immediate plans to get married or to start a family.
The SuperClubs People Development Programme is geared at motivating the staff. This programme sees SuperClubs allocating a total of $400 million towards their Super Splash party which is held every other month at a cost of 20 million per year. There is also a Super Scholarship programme which started ten years ago.
Every month the top performers from among the clerical and supervisory staff at all SuperClubs properties in Jamaica have a chance to win a housing lot in the drawing.
SuperClubs vice president for development and special projects Joe Issa, told the Sunday Herald that the hotel group is the only one that does not rotate permanent stuff. “Regardless of the slow periods employees are always guaranteed their full-time employment,” he said.
At present, there are 58 persons on scholarship for this year who have been attending one of four universities abroad. Another ten scholarships will be available within this month.
“What we are doing is revolutionising the industry as it relates to both Jamaica and the Caribbean… nobody has ever gone this far to do so much for the people who make the business work”, said Mr. Issa.
To qualify for the scholarship programme, employees have to be outstanding and by employed to the company for a period of one year. Not only are these employees given scholarships at university level but at other levels.
According to Vice President of Human Resources, Noel Brown, the SuperClubs’ turnover rate is the lowest in the industry. For some hotels the turnover rate is 30 per cent while the rate at SuperClubs is 5 per cent.
“Since we have started this programme we cannot cope with the number of applications that we have been getting,” he said.
The SuperClubs group is currently celebrating its 20th anniversary.
Source: The Observer
