The Hotel Victory Therme Erding has two top places in the annual survey of the FAZ Institute, a company of the publishing group Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, received: It is in second place nationwide among Germany’s most sought-after employers in the hotel industry and in fifth place among the training champions 2022. The Victory achieved 98.7 points as an employer, only surpassed by the Seetel Hotels in first place, as well as 97, 6 out of 100 points as a training company. Around 20,000 companies from various sectors are evaluated according to various criteria in the annual study by the FAZ Institute, with the self-assessment of the respective companies only playing a small role. The Institute’s own research counts far more. “We had no influence on the rating,” said hotel manager Jens Bernitzky. But it is due to the outstanding corporate culture and the working environment.
Just last year, the Hotel Victory and the associated restaurant “Empire” received two prestigious awards. For the third time in a row, the hotel was voted the best luxury spa hotel in Western Europe. There was an even higher award for the hotel’s restaurant “Empire”: It was world winner in the luxury spa restaurant category.
Over 90 percent occupancy
There is a lot of work behind such awards, plus the fact that the hotel, with an occupancy rate of well over 90 percent, is also very strenuous for the employees. And last but not least, the hotel industry, like the catering industry, was a loser in the pandemic: There was high fluctuation in the industry and some hotels even had to switch to restricted operations due to the lack of staff.
The Hotel Victory, named after Admiral Nelson’s flagship, stayed the course even in times of crisis. The core of almost 150 employees is stable, as of September 1, the hotel is again training 18 trainees and “every year around 1300 applications come in,” said hotel director Bernitzky. The secret of success: Solid economic growth, secure jobs, flexible working hours, various working time models, clear salary structures and short decision-making processes in which the employees are involved.
Mentor system for new employees
There is also a “whole bouquet of flowers”, as Bernitzky calls it: Anyone who comes to the company as a trainee or new employee is accepted into the mentoring system. You get a permanent contact person who familiarizes you with the hotel. You can also spend a night at the hotel with a partner of your choice and also get a free dinner for two. All that is desired is that you fill out the feedback questionnaire afterwards.
In addition, the Victory offers two residential buildings for employees who come from far away or who are unable to find an apartment in Erding. The hotel supports environmentally friendly mobility with e-bike leasing, other benefits include free admission to the thermal baths and discounts in more than 500 hotels. “We also make sure that the working hours fit, that days off can be taken consecutively and the weekend shifts are distributed fairly,” emphasized Bernitzky. And when changes or improvements are pending, “we don’t decide without thinking about it, but explain it to the teams and get feedback from them.”
Attractive and secure jobs
“We motivate our employees to do quality work,” said the hotel manager. And in view of the reputation that the company has, one can also choose the employees. “The guests also see this positively. We have 94 percent positive ratings on rating portals such as Holiday-Check.”
Hotel owner Jörg Wund also sees himself confirmed: “With our unique spa hotel in the design of a ship, we have not only created an experience for our guests, but also attractive and secure jobs, which are also characterized by development opportunities.”