Above: Leanne Cooke, Housekeeping Manager, Quest Nowra

Quest Nowra has only been around for two years, but their support of the Awards has been incredible from the moment they opened their doors in 2015. Quest Nowra also actively involves their employees in their submission process, ensuring that when they won Outstanding New Business last year, the entire team knew they had played a role in the win. There is a strong focus on staff development and promotion from within, and that is exactly how Leanne Cook, Housekeeping Manager, stepped into her current role where she looks after the housekeeping team. We talk with Leanne and go inside Quest Nowra.

What do you love about working for Quest Nowra?

I love the team that I work with, including Housekeeping and Reception. They are the heart and soul of our hotel. I also love the responsibility that I have within my role to organise the housekeeping crew and ensure that we can be very proud of the cleanliness we provide for our guests.

 

Describe Quest Nowra in three words.

Warm, friendly, inviting.

 

What is life like at Quest Nowra?

I start my day at 7.00am so I can get things ready for my team to come in by 9.00am. I start by doing the run sheets so we know which guests are checking out and in that day, ordering our linen, cleaning our foyer area and stocking the housekeeping trolleys. Once the team begin their work I keep on top of which rooms have checked out and help the team work as efficiently as possible so they can all finish and head home as early as possible. My team all like to break for lunch together which is a great chance for everyone to debrief on any issues but also a nice chance for them to interact socially. I finish the day about 3.00pm after checking on what we can expect for the following day and performing other administrative tasks such as timesheets and rosters.

 

How do you think Quest Nowra differs from other accommodation providers?

We offer fully self-contained, serviced apartments which means people have all the comforts they need to stay with us long-term, such as kitchens to cook meals and clothes washing and drying facilities in their apartment. We are also the newest accommodation facility in the area which is a great source of pride for many of our staff.

 

Our Awards theme this year is cultivate, which is all about fostering growth. How does Quest Nowra foster the growth of its employees?

Both general staff and management undergo regular and ongoing training to keep up to date with the current standards, new processes and technologies. We have a culture of promoting within where possible so there are always stepping stones and opportunities for growth. I started as a member of the housekeeping team and have progressed to my current position and the same can be said for a number of our team on Reception. We also love to recognise a job well done and often nominate our staff for awards.

 

What do you love about attending the Business Awards?

I have personally attended a number of Shoalhaven Business Awards evenings as I was previously involved in another business in the area before my work with Quest. It’s always really interesting to learn more about what other businesses are doing and what makes them a success. It’s also a really great opportunity to celebrate with our team and take a moment to think about what we have achieved during the past year. And I don’t mind drinking the champagne!

 

Quest Nowra has also won Awards, what’s it like to work for an Award winning business?

It makes me feel very proud to work here. It’s great to know that all the little things you and the team do each day are being noticed and appreciated.

 

Quest Nowra is sponsoring the Employee of the Year Award. What would it mean to you to win Employee of the Year?

I would be overwhelmed – it would be amazing!

 

Who is a local employee (of any business) that you think does an incredible job and should be recognised?

Definitely Joe from SUEZ who comes to collect the rubbish from our hotel. He is efficient and always very helpful. It’s such a pleasure to work with Joe.

 

Tell us, what’s James like as a boss??

James has really brought me out of my shell and given me the confidence to run the housekeeping team (which I think do an amazing job). He never doubted me and pushed me to have a go when I was doubting myself. He treats everyone in the team the same, regardless of their position. He takes the time to get around and have a chat with everyone and loves to shout the team out for dinner. He also looks for ways to reward us for doing our jobs in a way that is meaningful to us personally, such as a gift he knows we would like, showing he genuinely cares about us as people and not just about getting the job done.

 

Leanne, thank you so much for taking time out to talk with us – Quest Nowra is always immaculate so we know you must work hard! And thank you for giving us some insight into life inside Quest Nowra.

And thank you to Quest Nowra for sponsoring the Employee of the Year Award.

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