Mimi Machakaire

AVANI Lesotho last Wednesday held a long-service award ceremony in honour of 30 employees that have served the hotel for between five and 35 years.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Avani Human Resources Manager, Lesekelo Makara, expressed his gratitude to the employees who have over the years ensured that the company grew to become one of the leading accommodation facilities in Lesotho.

“You have endured many challenges and continuously worked hard for this company. Through your commitment, you have contributed to what Avani is today, a well-respected and competitive accommodation facility,” Mr Makara said.

He said the organisation thought it wise to celebrate the employees’ hard work, determination and accomplishments in growing the company, their careers and improvements at personal level.

“The recipients of the five-year category awards should learn from those who have invested a lot in developing their careers to invest in this company. I encourage them to set targets of where they would like to be in the next five years and work towards achieving those targets through undertaking capacity development initiatives,” he said.

He further explained that, as an employer, Avani had certain expectations from all its employees, therefore it was important that they worked towards meeting the expectations.

“I will emphasise on the need for continuous growth and improvement for you all to be able to tackle the demands of this evolving sector.”

Also speaking at the ceremony, the Human Recourses Officer, Mpinane Mamosele Moleko said the human resources department was responsible of ensuring the wellbeing of all employees.

She said while conflicts at work are common, the human resources department was responsible of problem-solving or managing conflicts, to ensure they did not derail the objectives of the organisation.

“Working with others has been fulfilling for me because I have learnt a lot from others and have grown professionally. My advice for those who have just joined Avani and those who may wish to become part of this family, is to be a team player, committed and dedicated to becoming better in your career”, Ms Moleko said.

In an interview with one employee who has worked for Avani as a cashier supervisor for 35 years, Angelinah Nonoise, she said she was happy that her employer recognised her contribution.

“Through my years here, I have learnt a lot about the hotel business, particularly how to professionally deal with difficult clients without losing my tamper,” Ms Nonoise said.

She said through some inhouse trainings, she mastered the importance of team work, as all departments depended on each other for efficient delivery of services.

For 35 years, she has seen various transitions, remembering how difficult it was for some employees each time they were introduced to new technologies.

“There were some instances when some employees became frustrated and wanted to quit their jobs, but the management always encouraged us to learn new things and innovations for our growth and development of the hotel. The essence of family has been part of this organisation for many years, it has remained and helped us all to grow,” Ms Nonoise said.