When interviewing prospective employees, managers at The Inn at Little Washington look for people who make them feel comfortable. If they can do that, they are people pleasers who fit perfectly with the corporate culture owner Patrick O'Connell seeks to cultivate.
"We are looking for people who smile easily, who are comfortable with themselves and make us comfortable when interviewing them," said Chris Castle, who carries the title of Ringmaster at The Inn at Little Washington.
It's Not Experience, but Attitude
"We are looking for people with an insatiable desire to please people. .They must elevate the guest experience, which could be undone by one unthoughtful, unkind person."
Castle doesn't demand experience in a high-end restaurant or inn but asks about a prospect's former employer. Criticism of a prior employer can be a deal killer, whereas looking to grow from a limiting past is a positive.
In addition to wanting to please others, Castle looks for people who can multi-task and who will respond positively to mentoring by accepting correction and direction without being defensive.
"We want people who think 'Whatever I know it's not enough, and I need you to teach me'," Castle said. He looks for people who he thinks will respond well to mentoring and won't think twice about giving the right of way to a guest, as if it's second nature.
Multi-tasking is important for any restaurant server, but ironically, experience is not necessary. The attitude is most important as Castle looks for what he calls "an impressive impression."
"I've seen people with two out of these three qualities who cannot succeed here."
Culture, the Foundation
Corporate culture is often considered to be implied or described as something that's developed organically. That doesn't mean it can't be clearly defined in a mission statement. But it must be nurtured by people, according to Castle.
The Inn provides a fascinating example of how a corporate culture is imbibed in an institution that is considered one of the best in its class worldwide, yet located in a village where cell phone service is virtually non-existent and a GPS app is almost useless.
About the Inn
The Inn at Little Washington, nestled in the first American town to be named after our first president, enjoys an unassailable reputation: "the first establishment in the Mobil Travel Guide's history ever to receive 5 stars for its restaurant and 5 stars for is accommodation, and is the first inn ever to receive AAA's highest accolade, the 5 Diamond Award, for both food and accommodation," according to its website. But The Inn continually seeks to grow and improve upon those lofty achievements.
Most corporate cultures are embodied in one person and here that is founder and owner Patrick O'Connell, who started The Inn and restaurant in an old garage in 1978. While demanding of his people and possessing strong opinions, he encourages feedback and ideas from the staff. And each one wants to impress him with their ideas, according to Castle. "There is almost a competition among staff to see who can have his or her idea embraced by O'Connell," Castle said.
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...The Inn continually seeks to grow and improve upon those lofty achievements.
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Living the Mission
A new hire gets a peer mentor, a server mentors a server, for example. That helps instill the peer pressure that is part of The Inn's culture, Castle said. And when they see someone correcting another in a respectful way, we publicly praise it, he said.
The mission is to please guests by making their experience "exquisite," which makes clear for staff what must be done to fulfill its mission.
The Customer Experience
Castle said the word "no" is banned at The Inn. If it's at all possible they will do what the guest asks. If not possible, they replace "no" with the word "actually." If asked for chamomile tea, the answer might be, "Actually, we have fresh mint in the garden; and I'll be happy to pick some and make you mint tea."
Castle tells employees never to guess when answering a guest's question. "Please allow me to check" is the preferred response. "Accuracy and efficiency go hand in hand," Castle said. "We never want to betray our guests' trust."
