It’s not often the boss leads an employee meeting dressed as Superman.
Not every boss is like J.D. Shafer.
“You put me in front of a captive audience and I’ll do anything to lift the seriousness of our meetings,” said Shafer, general manager of The Waterfront Beach Resort, A Hilton Hotel.
The resort ranks No. 18 in the large-companies category of the Business Journal’s Best Places to Work list this week.
The superhero-themed meeting for the hotel’s 251 workers was held to kick off the busy summer season.
Other managers were dressed as superheroes for starring roles in a video they produced onsite and showed at the meeting.
The theme was meant to encourage superhero service.
“Even though we don’t have one-on-one interaction with the guests, we wanted to show that we would do anything possible to satisfy the guests and exceed their expectations,” said Rhonda VanCooney, director of human resources.
The hotel backs up the fun with a slew of benefits and perks, all of which help to keep workers and recruit new ones.
One of its health plans give employees—many of them immigrants—the ability to get medical treatment in the U.S. or Mexico.
Recently, the resort added acupuncture and chiropractor services without added cost for employees to its health plan.
It pays for most of the employees’ healthcare benefits. It also offers vision and dental benefits, and a 401k that matches up to 4% of employees’ contributions.
There’s free breakfast in the employee cafeteria, called “the beach hut,” and discount dining in their off time.
Another perk: employees can use the resort as a venue for charity events.
Jennifer McLaughlin, director of marketing, helps out on the employee charity events, which are called “waterfront heroes for a cause.”
The resort, along Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach, has many longtime employees, including 12 who’ve been at the hotel since it opened in 1990.
“Our culture is years and years of a family unity environment,” Shafer said.
The family focus comes from the top—Newport Beach-based owner Robert Mayer Corp., a third-generation, family-owned developer.
Shafer spends time roaming the resort.
One of the keys to a vibrant workplace is hiring the right people, Shafer said.
“We hire on personality first and foremost,” he said.
Working at the hotel is like being on stage, he said.
“If you’re not happy doing what you’re doing, in some way, shape or form, it will come through,” he said. “When those personalities shine through, they in turn take care of the guests.”
