Love exists in all forms, even among colleagues at work. As we celebrate Valentine’s Day this month, we take a look at the supportive, affirming work culture at Traders Hotel Kuala Lumpur where everyone is part of one big family.
She’s no more than three feet tall, but when Noridah Abdul Talib walks into a room she commands everyone’s attention. The thirty-three year old is a nonsense executive in the Human Resources department at Traders Hotels Kuala Lumpur, but she is just as coy with her supervisors, calling them nicknames like “mummy”
Idah, as she is affectionately known in the hotel, is a little person. She came to work at Traders seven years ago at the age of 26, after moving from Johor (where she grew up) to Kuala Lumpur. After Form 6, she was on the hunt for a job but could only find work as a seamstress in Kampung Melayu, with help from the Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Orang Kerdil.
“I was making RM200 a month and that was not enough to support myself,” she shared.
“Then a friend told me Traders was hiring staff, so I decided I would go and try out. I took the train and came for an interview even though my parents didn’t think it was a good idea.”
Idah reveals that in school she always felt “weird”, ostracised and alone. Coming to KL took a lot of guts, but she took the leap, and joining Traders Hotel changed everything for her.
She remembers when she first joined, she found support in unlikely places.
“The boys from engineering made me a box to stand on in case I needed to reach for things that were placed on the higher shelves. I still keep that box with me and use it all the time, like when I have to photocopy something,” she shared.
Debica Singamani, director of Human Resources, describes Idah as one of her most reliable staff. “Idah is one of our top performers. She had zero MCs last year. She’s very reliable and disciplined. And she has a way of inspiring people to get the job done,” Debica said, sharing how one of Idah’s tasks is to organise events to keep the team happy and relays how they recently had to work 12-hour days for seven days of activities in conjunction with International Housekeeping Week.
“We had things like mattress rolling contests, laser tag and karaoke for the 18 employees in housekeeping,” Idah rattled off. “Another one of my duties is when there’s a Code 5 – when a staff member is injured – I will assist them and get them the attention they need.”
Idah is one of the 10 People With Disabilities (PWD makeup 2.2% of the staff) that Traders Hotel employs. There’s also Ni Foong, who has Down syndrome and sorts out amenities daily, Kong Wei his supervisor, and Faizah who is is hearing and speech impaired, who works in laundry and also mends uniforms, among others.
All of them (and their families) are grateful for the opportunity afforded to them to earn their keep. And they look sincerely happy and confident in their jobs.
Debica said: “There are limits of course when they perform a job, but they are all very dedicated and put in extraordinary efforts … at the end of the day, everyone is inspired”.
This hasn’t happened by accident. The management of Traders Hotel has worked hard to promote a culture that is inclusive, inspiring and loving.
Behind the walls of the hotel, you’ll find a whole “other” world is alive and kicking. During these interviews, we were given a “backstage pass” to witness what transpires behind the scenes, or at the “back of house” -where the staff dresses up for work, sleeps between shifts, has meals, rests and relaxes.
The walls here are adorned with posters and clippings that promote the core values of Traders Hotel – honesty, humility, sincerity, selflessness,courtesy and respect.
There are fun lists and walls of fame featuring inspiring leaders of the week, and workers who have earned merit in the jobs. It is a loving environment, with lots of smiles.
Like other organisations, health and fitness are important, and tournaments for Futsal and bowling add to the team spirit and camaraderie shared by everyone. There’s free WiFi, computers and TVs for those who need a break from the daily grind.
Walk into the staff cafeteria and you’ll find cheerful banter between colleagues who congregate for meals, all provided for free by the hotel. The chefs on duty here know everyone by name, and one can even request for his or her favourite dish. If you’re lucky the chef may just indulge you. And it’s not just your average mixed rice either, these main meals are delicious and varied, pastas and local delights, with soups, salads, desserts and coffee (the frothy sort too!)
Free meals aren’t the only thing that the staff enjoys. All Traderians (yep!that’s what they are called) get free haircuts. Once a fortnight a couple of hairstylists from the Peekaboo Hair Salon downtown station themselves at Traders so the staff can get their hair trimmed and blowdried for free. Traderians save on haircuts (which cost a bomb these days) and everyone always looks professional and well groomed. Win-win.
General manager Christian Nannucci feels that happy employees are most likely to stay with a company. “The longer they stay with us, the more proficient they become and that has an huge impact on productivity and efficiency,” he reasoned.
Work-Life balance, flexibility and embracing cultural diversity are all essentials for today’s task force,Nannucci added.
“They want to feel part of a purpose, having fun is a must as well as being understood. In Traders Kuala Lumpur we have created an environment which promotes just that – fun and a vibrant day to day work life – breaking the boundaries of a traditional working environment.”
Both Nannucci and Debica explained how the hotel never misses out on dinners and celebrations during festivals, as well as monthly birthday parties for the staff.
The team spirit that is cultivated has benefited the hotel, no doubt.
Muhamad Rizuan Zainal Abiddin, 29, told us how after six years of working service at the Gobo restaurant in Traders, he left to sail the high seas, and work on a cruise ship.
“After a year I was back here again,” he said. “At Traders Hotel, we are part of a family. Life is simple here and there are better benefits. When it comes to our job description – no matter which department one is working in – we are not treated like small potatoes.
Everyone helps each other, and we speak the ‘same language’. The division heads are eager to help when there’s a problem, to share their experiences and help us grow.
“One of the reasons I came back was also because here there was career progression. I was able to work my way up the ladder to team leader.”
Darrel Hor Mun Wai, 33, started off in front office and has learnt all the ropes from concierge to club manager, and is now in executive housekeeping. The tattooed and tunnel sporting young man has been on the job for 12 years and enjoys his work tremendously, as well as the fact that he is able to express his individuality and creativity.
What’s not to like? He said: “There’s growth, progress, you are surrounded by great people, the environment is supportive… This place helped me improve my skill set and knowledge. The leaders here have always pushed me to be a better person. And the culture of the place is one where we share a bond. There are no boundaries. We’re like a family.”
Nannucci emphasised that these efforts have been carefully mapped out: “We celebrate our successes and when faced with challenges, we take them as opportunities to get together to brainstorm on how we can improve.
“Teamwork is our spirit … the traditional organisation modus-operandi is fargone, today our working environment promotes interaction between staff, and specially with their leaders, directly, and with open communication.
It’s no wonder then that someone like Idah, has gone from being scared and alone, to someone who has gained so much experience on the job, is fully independent (she is flying home to JB for the holidays!) and is part of a larger, extended family of colleagues. What’s more is that she is genuinely excited about coming to work everyday! Love, love, love!
