Airport Experience® News - Conference Issue 2024

Left: More than 20% of the current staff at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport are eligible to retire, according to Kevin Russell, deputy chief of talent. The airport recently implemented a retention program to shore up experienced talent.

and educational engagement, the PHX team also prioritizes its internal employee development and retention, says Makovsky, adding that “succession planning must start at the top as leadership is essential to the success of employees and the organization as a whole.” PHX has maintained a robust portfolio of hiring, training and mentorship metrics, including “setting goals for DEI training significantly above established requirements,” he adds. “It should also be mentioned that the aviation department has implemented comprehensive training programs that raise awareness about cultural differences, foster understanding, and promote an inclusive environment for everyone,” says Makovsky. “By actively encouraging diversity, the airport has cultivated a rich tapestry of talents, skills, and perspectives that enrich the workplace and contribute significantly to the airport’s success.” The emphasis and care on hiring and training has paid off for PHX. After making successful hiring a key metric for the airport’s middle managers, it brought vacancy rates down by nearly 7% in one year. For other airports, a “dual-prong” executive staffing program is the answer. Kelly Dawsey, vice president and chief human resources officer with the Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP), says that their senior-level staff “are a combination of talent that has gained years of experience in the aviation industry coupled with talent that has limited aviation experience but brings a broad private industry and public sector background to compliment the aviation know how.” This combination “allows the executive team to be visionary with a goal of staying ahead of the curve,” she says.

Cross-Training Strategy For C-suite positions in particular, it helps if an executive candidate is versatile. At SLC, Wyatt and his team employ an “informal but pretty intentional” focus on cross-training that involves routinely checking in with directors and department heads to ensure that executives are well rounded in their experience: “Somebody who’s in terminal operations is now in airfield operations and vice-versa to allow for that kind of cross-training,” Wyatt says. SLC executives also gather on a quarterly basis to address needs and gaps. “It really gives me a chance to see people who I’m just not going to encounter on a day-to-day basis and get to know them a little bit and then get some input from their department or division director as well about who they are, how they’re doing…,” he says. Makovksy agrees that cross-training is key to creating an airport workforce ready to step into a wide variety of positions. “Many divisions have taken steps to give employees opportunities to shadow others and to cross-train on various functions, and every leader in the organization is expected to identify and cultivate talent through individual development plans to support every employee’s professional growth,” he says. The evidence of effectiveness is clear, adds Makovsky. “Three of the four executives in the director’s office have held long and tenured careers starting at entry-level positions with the city of Phoenix,” he says. Makovsky also actively works to connect staff to training from industry organizations like the American Association of Airport Executives , Airports Council International –

Above: Succession planning must start at the top, says Aviation Director Chad Makovsky. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is devising innovative recruitment strategies to boost talent acquisition efforts.

North America and Arizona Airports Association . Partnerships like the airport’s with AAAE, “are open to all staff,” says Makovsky, so that they “can get a broader understanding of the airport environment and exposure to areas that they might not traditionally be involved in.” Russell says that at AUS, cross-training is focused on ensuring efficient operations and customer experience. “We are running a lean staff, and on high passenger traffic days [the airport employs an ‘all hands on deck’ philosophy where individuals throughout the department volunteer at the terminal to ensure operations run smoothly with passenger traffic, baggage flow and airport cleanliness,” he says. Dawsey says the broadness of responsibilities at an airport can make cross-training difficult but GSP still makes it a priority, “either via a structured program or simply exposure to other areas strengthens the airport and the resources in the end.” Training staff on the holistic operations of the airport, “gives a line of sight to employees of their daily importance to the bottom-line operations,” says Dawsey. GSP also keeps its eye on potential future leaders, she adds. “Employees, via career pathing, have the opportunity each and

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AX NEWS MARCH 2024