As winners of this year’s Debbie Marriott Harrison TakeCare Award of Excellence, the Lagos Marriott Hotel Ikeja is passionate about putting people first and making an impact on their associates’ physical, mental and financial wellness.

Director of Human Resources Kudirat Adejuwon explains why TakeCare is their top priority, “TakeCare gives us a way to care for our associates and helps them better understand what their potential is moving forward.”

Three years ago, the hotel opened as one of the first Marriott hotels in Nigeria — a market unfamiliar with the Marriott culture. The hotel leadership team knew they had a challenge ahead — create awareness about Marriott’s commitment to associates’ wellness as well as identify Wellness Champions who can be responsible for planning and organizing activities.

The Human Resources team and TakeCare Champions work together to create a consistent and engaging calendar of activities for associates that address all aspects of associate wellness. Highlights include:

• Physical Wellness: The associate cafeteria has a ten-day cycle of nutritious food, all representing various Nigerian tribes. Coffee breaks for associates now include fruits, vegetables and other nutrient-rich foods. The hotel also organizes monthly health checks for associates and regular fitness activities, including inter-department table tennis and football competitions.
• Mental Wellness: Caring about the way associates manage stress is a high priority. The hotel has formal trainings on coping with stress at work, along with informal opportunities like learning relaxation techniques and participating in social events.
• Financial Wellness: The Nigerian economy is challenging. The HR team and TakeCare Champions recognized many associates needed more education on how to manage money. They collaborated with a local financial firm to provide regular learning opportunities about budgeting, investments, retirement planning, and how to weather financial emergencies.
   

The hotel also organized a Wellness and Financial Empowerment Event, a comprehensive opportunity to highlight all three of the TakeCare principles. This interactive event included opportunities for associates to hear from motivational speakers, mental health experts and financial advisors. Associates were treated to nutritious treats and participated in Q&A sessions to ask specific questions related to their wellbeing.

The TakeCare program has been transformative to the way the hotel operates and cares for their associates. As a result, key engagement scores have soared. Associate satisfaction scores are at 96%, quality of life scores at 92%, and teambuilding metrics rose from 89% to 96% in 2023.

Hotel revenue has increased by 29% since they’ve implemented TakeCare principles. General Manager Aditya Chacko says, “A happy and healthy team translates into an exceptional guest experience. When we impact the quality of life for our associates, we impact the quality of service they can provide.”