Village Hotels Partners with Attensi to Provide Game-Based Training

Hotelier Village Hotels said it has partnered with Attensi to deliver open pathway game-based training. The new initiative allows employees to receive cross-department training and develop the skills needed to work within different areas of the business.

Delivered through a mobile-first app, the training replicates the internal environment of Village Hotels. This allows users to engage in true to life scenarios that they are likely to encounter in their day-to-day roles.

The training offers an employee pathway for progression by ensuring that employees are trained across multiple business functions and skills. This means staff have the skills to work in different areas of the business, from the bar to the kitchen - crucial in a time of staff scarcity.

Lindsay Southward, Village’s Director of Operations and People, said: “We looked at the way we were delivering training at Village and decided we needed to find a way to engage employees in a more intuitive way.”

The mobile-first training allows hospitality staff to access training anywhere, anytime, allowing staff to learn in bursts at regular intervals, helping knowledge stick. Following the app’s launch, 52% of playthroughs happened in the evening during staff’s free time.

Sarah Flynn, Village’s Human Resource Project Manager, said: “It’s a fun, interactive way of training. It’s a bit like watching a Netflix series - you know you should be going to bed, but you’ve got to finish it. You’ve got to battle, and you’ve got to get that top score – it’s addictive.”

Attensi developed the training to engage with the team’s competitive side. Staff at Village commented on their determination to beat not only their own scores but also their colleagues. Village has now introduced live battle days to help encourage this positive competitive engagement. 97% of users said they preferred game-based training compared to other methods, such as e-learning and videos.

Jamie Watson, Attensi’s UK Head of Hospitality and Leisure said: “Village has given itself a real competitive edge by upskilling the team to be agile enough to work across departments. Not only are their staff highly engaged in their daily roles, but they are also looking ahead to career progression at Village.”