Looking for a sure-fire way to do a little damage to your brand? Follow these two simple steps: One, make the decision to fire a very important yet modestly paid sector of your workforce. Two, outsource their positions to a third-party vendor who will bring in contractors to do their jobs at a lower cost. But — and this is critical — before you fire them, trick your workers into training the people who will replace them. How to pull this neat trick off? Tell them they are training vacation replacements. There you go. Simple as that. And don't thank me; thank your friends at Hyatt hotels who, according to an article in the Boston Globe, have apparently executed this very strategy at three Boston area properties.
