Human Resources Director at Delaware North

Marco Galer- Reick

Marco Galer-Reick is currently Human Resources Director with Delaware North, a global leader in hospitality and food service. He has spent his career in HR within a number of businesses in the UK hospitality industry, such as Sisban and QOOT; he held HR Director positions at Black Sheep Coffee, LEON and Bill’s Restaurants.

Could you briefly describe your role within your organization and the process you use to put any solutions or strategies into action?

I oversee the function of HR at Delaware North and am also a member of the APAC team. Employees are the main part of any organization. We all run the company together regardless of departmental functions to achieve a common goal. I may be an expert in my field, but we should run a business that is successful, productive, and profitable. People are the most expensive part of our business, so they are a top priority for us in terms of getting it right. So, I approach with business strategies and goals in mind, looking at how we can make a business successful through our people. As an HR Director, it’s my job to make it easy for everyone else to do their jobs well.

What are the current challenges and trends that you have seen in the industry lately? 

Finding top talent continues to be a challenge in the UK and many other developed countries worldwide as the majority of the workforce has decreased and retired early. Due to this, we are currently witnessing an exponential increase in wages. So, on the one hand, you have a limited labor pool, and on the other, you have increased labor prices. This makes you rethink your entire perspective on productivity, business models, etc., because when the workforce is lacking, it becomes a problem that affects all departments of the company. Businesses must collaborate across departments to determine how to best address labor shortages by altering procedures and boosting productivity. However, every crisis also presents an opportunity. In this case, there is one because it has brought corporate departments closer together to address the challenges that the post-pandemic labor market entails.

There is also a trend, driven by the pandemic and the entry of gen Zers into the labor market, towards greater individuality, flexibility, and personalization. The COVID-19 pandemic placed flexible work arrangements, especially remote work, in the spotlight.

"Businesses must collaborate across departments to determine how to best address labor shortages by altering procedures and boosting productivity."

Younger generations have grown up in a world that is far more personalized, where information is readily available at the fingertips at any time, and as employers, we should keep up with that. As a result, this is a positive trend but also a challenge because it means that employers must adapt.

What are some of your most recent projects, and what technological and procedural features did you use to make your project successful?

Our company employs thousands of casual and gig workers, and they are frequently overlooked when it comes to training and development because they are juggling four or five jobs. So, they are not well invested in other organizations. However, whether it’s a casual worker or a full-time employee — they are our frontline. We want to ensure that they are invested in our company, understand Our Products, and become confident in their work. Thanks to technology, there are new ways to engage a workforce that is transient and only comes in on occasion. We're now introducing a Gamified training app which is very engaging and on-trend in terms of how young people prefer to work and train. And it's entertaining along the way. As a result, the learners voluntarily repeat their training modules in order to improve their scores. Most people go through a training program once to pass, and they may go through it again if they fail. But if you gamify it and add some engagement and fun to it, you'll find that people go over the work-related content over and over again because it's so much fun. As a result, they retain significantly more information and thus have the ability to provide better customer service, do their job better, and so on. 

Is there anything that keeps you awake at night?

The constant change in workplaces is what keeps me awake at night. Workplaces have had to change and continue to change in recent years. Even in the best of circumstances, most people dislike change. And managing change is a difficult process. It takes a lot of intent, a lot of planning, and good communication. 

However, a large proportion of our workforce is experiencing change fatigue, which could be dangerous as it will require additional changes. I mentioned earlier Gen Z currently accounts for approximately 20% of the labor market and will account for approximately 20% by 2030. Not only have they grown up with technology, but a part of their being and world is not real. And education systems and employers must adapt to the different mindsets of young people, which is difficult. We must engage young people with purpose to ensure that we keep up with the development that the entry of Generation Zers into the workforce brings. So, whatever happens next will be unique. Even the way we pay people will be different in the coming five years. Real-time pay is already on the rise. Then, Gamification and automation are some really good stuff. However, it keeps me awake at night because I sense that there is a younger generation with expectations that we must meet and make sure that they are happy, positive, stay, and engaged with us. This is a new challenge for us.

How do you envision the future of the HR industry?

I believe having Gamification is important to have fun at work as well. This is something that people have been talking about for years. I see that now coming to fruition. The other is real-time payment. The ability to pay people on the day and allow them to deposit money earned on their shift on the day will be light years ahead of where we are now. So, automation helped us to overcome labor shortages. That implies if we embrace technology properly, it can be very exciting. It is the employer's responsibility to ensure technology is implemented to engage people, especially Gen Zers, in the workplace. I don't want people to join our company and then experience culture shock because the pace of technology in the workplace isn't what they're used to. People who are accustomed to having all of the information they require at their fingertips require us to step up our game. That is a challenge, but it excites me that we must keep up with social media because it will help us improve.

What advice would you like to impart to professionals in the field?

My advice is to understand the business in which you work if you want to contribute to its success as an HR professional. And this leads to collaboration with other departments, ensuring that you listen to operators and finance professionals and understand their world. So, understanding what other people do and how they do it is the most important part. As a result, seek first to understand, then to be understood.