Golf is no different. In fact, the downturn in the global economy and the ensuing recession puts even greater emphasis on employing the best individuals, including golf club managers, head chefs, directors of golf, greenkeepers, golf professionals, sales and marketing executives, food
and beverage managers, etc. Differentiation and maximisation of revenue are the keys to success and can only be achieved by having the best team on board.
So why does the golf industry recruit so inefficiently?
Given its size, golf is a strangely insular business. Take the average golf club. The economic pressures to drive membership, green fees, food and beverage plus, for some, pro shop sales, means the role of the club manager is essential to the success of that business.
Yet how do most clubs recruit? Typically, they might put an advertisement in a local newspaper, but will also rely on personal networking and word of mouth. Don't get me wrong, this will identify candidates - but will they be the best? In my experience, no they won't.
Local newspaper advertisements, for example, may attract candidates, but often they will be people who are out of work or simply failing to meet expectations in their current environment. People who are performing well are less likely to respond. That's why ‘search' - which is when we research the market, identify ‘best of breed' candidates and then persuade them to join our clients' businesses - is such an effective approach and widely used in most large industries.
The club committee can also be a barrier to effective recruitment. This group of people may (or may not) include experienced business people who would insist on using professional search and recruitment firms to fill senior positions in their own organisations, but don't even raise the subject when it comes to finding a club manager, head professional or course manager at their golf club. Why is that?
The results of poor recruitment can be damaging. Take retail for example. The head pro might be responsible for the stocking and presentation of the shop, but he might not have sufficient training, particularly for a larger club. We analysed one business at a well known club where the shop was losing money. It was poorly laid out, much of the stock was redundant and the margins were poor - essentially, they had the wrong person driving this part of the business. Retail was an important part of that club's business, yet the failure of the shop was affecting the whole business.
Now, we were able to identify candidates with a strong retail background, and proven record of delivering exceptional yields. The trouble was, the club wasn't prepared to pay an appropriate salary, so wouldn't commit to recruiting the best candidate for the job.
And that highlights another problem with golf recruitment. Not only is golf still using old practices, it doesn't budget properly for recruitment.
By not allocating a budget, and neglecting the services of a specialist recruitment firm, managers are forced to handle the recruitment process themselves. Our research tells us that managers can spend up to 45% of their time dealing with recruitment and general HR issues. Employing the right person for each role will enable the club manager to spend more time driving revenue and building a successful operation.
For certain positions, I think golf should look to recruit from outside the industry. Sales and marketing is one area where fresh ideas could come in from other industries. I think someone with FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) experience could add real value to some golf businesses. We also have to bring in more women because they have a major contribution to make.
It's ironic that we should be talking about recruitment when many golf businesses are considering redundancies in 2009. However, it underlines the point that if you want your business to succeed, you have to have the best people. And to do that golf needs to become more professional in its approach to recruitment.
Colt Mackenzie McNair (CMM) is a specialist executive search firm offering recruitment solutions to the UK and European golf industry, including:
- Search - CMM identifies, ‘hunts' and attracts executives and senior managers who are ‘best of breed', not currently active in the job market
- Targeted search - CMM's innovative and value approach to search enables companies to quickly and efficiently have pre-qualified candidates identified for them
- Select - CMM has a significant database of golf industry professionals at all levels, for which it is free to sign up. From this database selected quality candidates who are looking to move jobs can be quickly identified
- Interim - CMM provides instant access to experienced executives and managers for golf businesses who need to quickly fill positions on a temporary basis or on a short-term contract to trouble shoot a specific problem or issue.
T: 01344 292299
