About The GAIA Hotel
The GAIA Hotel Bandung is a relatively new luxury hotel, established just three years ago. Embracing the modern village concept, the hotel spans nearly 2.3 hectares and consists of four towers. Its architecture, combined with a semi-outdoor concept, offers guests a visually stunning experience. Each room is equipped with a balcony, allowing guests to relax while enjoying the fresh air. To ensure top-quality service, The GAIA Hotel currently employs around 500 staff members.
Business challenges in the HR Management
Managing a large workforce, especially in the hospitality industry, comes with unique challenges. Rony Triawan, HR Director of The GAIA Hotel, shared his experience with us.
According to Rony, one of the biggest challenges his team faced was managing employee shifts.
“One of the main challenges in our HR systems is handling varied work shifts. Many HR platforms cannot accommodate complex shift requirements, as they only provide basic 9-5 shift templates.”
Many payroll systems only support the standard 9–5 work schedule and lack flexibility to manage diverse shifts. In the hospitality industry, however, employees must be available 24/7 to ensure smooth operations. Additionally, some staff members work in mobile roles and are not always stationed in a fixed location, making workforce management even more complex.
Beyond shift management, the HR team also struggled with time-consuming manual administration tasks, such as bureaucratic processes and form submissions. For instance, employees had to fill out physical leave request forms, get approval from multiple parties, and wait before their leave could be granted. This cumbersome process not only slowed down workflow but also added extra workload for the HR team.
Before implementing Mekari Talenta, The GAIA Hotel had tried various other HR systems. However, they failed to address the hotel’s main challenges, including:
- Manual leave request procedures
- Inefficient performance appraisal processes
- Inflexible shift management
Mekari Talenta as the solution
In 2022, Rony and the HR team sought a more comprehensive HR system with a wider range of features, ultimately choosing Mekari Talenta.
“Throughout the Talenta implementation journey, we received great support from the beginning up until now. The first year involved some adjustments, but over time, we became more familiar with the system.”
Since adopting Mekari Talenta, The GAIA Hotel’s HR team has experienced significant improvements in operational efficiency. Processes that once required extensive time and effort are now faster, automated, and fully integrated into a single system. From payroll management and leave requests to employee performance evaluation, everything is now streamlined—allowing the HR team to focus more on talent development and enhancing service quality at the hotel.
Results experienced by The GAIA Hotel
After implementing Mekari Talenta, The GAIA Hotel experienced significant improvements in HR management:
More flexible shift management
The hospitality industry faces unique scheduling challenges due to its 24-hour operations. With Mekari Talenta, the HR team can easily set up and manage flexible shift schedules based on the hotel’s operational needs. The system enables automatic shift adjustments without requiring repetitive manual inputs, reducing scheduling errors and ensuring the workforce is always well-prepared.
Payroll processing 3x faster
Previously, payroll processing at The GAIA Hotel took up to three working days. With Mekari Talenta, the process now only takes one day and can be sent directly to the bank. The system’s real-time attendance integration speeds up payroll calculations, eliminating the need for manual data entry.
“Before, payroll processing took two to three days because it was done manually. With Talenta’s payroll system, it now takes just one day.”
Employees can submit leave requests via mobile
Before using Mekari Talenta, leave requests were handled manually via email to specific departments, which often caused delays and miscommunication. With the Talenta mobile app, this process has become much more convenient. Employees can now submit leave requests directly from their phones without going through a lengthy approval process.
Integrated performance appraisal
Mekari Talenta’s performance appraisal feature enables periodic employee evaluations with more accurate and integrated data. HR can track individual progress and link it to company KPIs. Performance evaluations, which were previously done manually using multiple forms, are now faster and more efficient—especially during mid-year and year-end reviews.
Mekari Talenta through The GAIA Hotel’s perspective
With the many challenges faced by the hospitality industry, The GAIA Hotel Bandung has now embraced the benefits of HR digitalization through Mekari Talenta. Administrative processes that were once manual and time-consuming are now faster, more efficient, and fully integrated into a single system. From shift management to payroll and performance evaluations, everything is handled more effectively, allowing the HR team to focus on employee development strategies.