The Fota Collection, comprising the luxurious five-star Fota Island Resort and four-star Kingsley Hotel in Cork, Ireland, employs nearly 700 people across both properties. When Charlie Dineen, MCIPD, took over as HR Director, he recognised the need for a data-driven approach to manage their largest expenditure: payroll. Alkimii People emerged as the perfect solution, enabling The Fota Collection to optimise costs, improve employee engagement, and enhance overall operational efficiency.

About The Fota Collection
The Fota Collection stands as a beacon of luxury hospitality in Cork, Ireland. With a healthy mix of corporate and leisure clientele, both properties deliver exceptional standards of service amidst stylish and unique surroundings. The Kingsley Hotel, a four-star city hotel, and Fota Island Resort, a five-star resort property, each have their distinct character but share a commitment to providing memorable luxury experiences.

The Challenge of Data-Driven Decision Making
As Charlie Dineen stepped into his role as HR Director, he faced a significant challenge: making informed, data-driven decisions about payroll management, which accounted for 40-50% of their revenue expenditure. The existing system, a combination of basic time management software and Excel spreadsheets, lacked the precision and timeliness needed for effective decision-making, “I felt we needed more data in relation to the management of our payroll and more information to make better choices. Retrospective analysis is not efficient, and that's where Alkimii came in with an efficient solution.”

Why The Fota Collection Chose Alkimii
Charlie first encountered Alkimii at a seminar, where he recognised it as the solution he had been seeking. The key reasons for choosing Alkimii included:

1. Ability to manage their largest expenditure (40-50% of revenue) more effectively.
2. The solution offered a way to input and process payroll information more precisely.
3. Automated processes that allowed for better allocation of resources, freeing up time for strategic activities.
4. The system enabled timely decisions on payroll, moving away from retrospective analysis.
5. The system's scalability allowed for implementation across The Fota Collection properties.

The HR Director highlights: “The primary selling point was its ability to manage what was our biggest expenditure.”

Transforming Payroll Management and Beyond
The implementation of Alkimii People has had a profound impact on The Fota Collection's operations. Charlie reports significant improvements in several areas:

1. Cost Optimisation: While not necessarily spending less, The Fota Collection is now able to allocate resources more effectively.

“Alkimii enabled us to make savings. Those savings let us get involved in other projects. We're spending more time on employee engagement and improving the employee experience because we now have room in our payroll budgets to focus on higher-end activities. We may still be spending similar percentages, but we're doing much more.” Stated Charlie

2. Employee Engagement: Charlie attributes much of the company’s improvement in employee engagement to the streamlined employee experience in onboarding and communication facilitated by Alkimii.
3. Time Savings: The digital onboarding process has dramatically reduced administrative workload.

“I can't even remember now, and it sounds crazy looking back, at the printer on a Friday overheating with contracts coming through. I've forgotten how much time I used to spend signing and approving contracts.” Noted the HR Director

4. Improved Communication and Compliance: The Alkimii app improved team communication, especially for team members without email, while ensuring compliance with secure internal messaging.

The Results
The implementation of Alkimii has yielded significant results for The Fota Collection:

• Improved Payroll Management: More efficient and accurate payroll processes, leading to better cost control.
• Employee Engagement: An 8% improvement in employee engagement figures across both properties year-on-year.
• Streamlined Onboarding: Significant time savings in the onboarding process, with digital contracts replacing paper-based systems.
• Better Communication: The in-app comunication features enhanced team collaboration and streamlined information sharing.
• Increased Compliance: Secure internal communications platform, reducing reliance on non-compliant messaging apps.
• Strategic Business Growth: The system saved time, allowing the team to focus more on guests, improving service quality.

"Alkimii has enabled us to deliver a higher quality of service to our guests because we're spending more time with them. We have more time to improve the employee experience, which improves retention and the quality of service across the board." Noted the HR Director

• Industry Recognition: Both properties registered as best places to work in hospitality.

"Both properties are registered as being the best place to work in hospitality. And I don't believe we would have been able to do those things unless we had Alkimii as a tool." Stated Charlie

• Time Savings: More time for HR to focus on strategic initiatives rather than administrative tasks.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Improved ability to make informed decisions based on real-time data.

Charlie Dineen summed up the impact:“The system does exactly what it says on the tin, and it's up to us to utilise that. Where I see frustration with other service providers is with customer service and issue resolution, Alkimii has a well-developed team in that space. They are on it!”

He adds:
"Alkimii is listening to their customers, I love that. They have gone through huge development yet they are still listening.”

Contact details

Kate Moynihan
Director of Sales

 01 531 1177
 kate@alkimii.com
Web www.alkimii.com