Luxury Hotelier - June 2008 - (Page 28)

28| Insight Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne Value creation in talent development Hotel schools explore creative initiatives to attract and retain hospitality talent any hospitality employers now compete directly with non-hospitality employers for graduates and alumni of leading hospitality institutions. For the schools, it is a mixed blessing to see that increasing numbers of banks, consulting and placement agencies and other sectors are drawn increasingly to their campuses for recruitment. Although this is not a new situation, the level of awareness about the so-called “talent drain” or “flight” has grown in direct proportion to the industry’s development. While more than 65 percent of recent graduates at the Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne STEPHEN in Lausanne, Switzerland did FISCHER take jobs in areas related to hospitality management (and Stephen Fischer is perhaps another 10 percent a career services adviser at are still indirectly related), the Ecole hôtelière remaining third are launching de Lausanne, careers elsewhere. In Switzerland. partnership with educational institutions, ongoing efforts aim at reinforcing the timehonored link, while revisiting the roles and opening the way for innovative approaches to both attract and retain talent. Business and hospitality schools worldwide have long sought industry leaders to figure prominently on their advisory boards, and this brings at least indirect insight and benefit. At Johnson & Wales University, however, industry representatives form part of the curriculum M review and development boards. They are involved in a process called DACUM (Developing a Curriculum), in which competencies or tasks that must be performed by an employee in a given job or occupation are analyzed for use in curriculum development and assessment. Cornell University, EHL, Hotelschool the Hague, and the University of Washington State, to name just a few, all invite alumni to participate in forums, focus group discussions and recruitment career orientation panels or fairs, to underline the connections between preparation for and success in professional life. In collaboration with alumni and other industry professionals, EHL has been working on several initiatives focused on these issues, including a series of conferences that explore how best to coordinate efforts from the selection process through the career launch of future industry leaders. Some clear objectives have been identified and taken into account in the establishment of the school’s strategic axes. Students must have improved professional tools, including better interview and job search techniques, and a better understanding of their aptitudes and their opportunities. Hence, a renewed commitment in terms of professional development throughout their studies—from orientation to testing and counseling—has been launched. Recruiters are given opportunities to establish brand awareness and to interact with students and staff, in addition to their company presentations and interviews. EHL encourages alumni and other industry professionals to become involved in the screening and intake process, and this will add direct and valuable input. At EHL, a new relationship model, the “Company Culture Scheme,” is designed to allow employers to provide important elements of their training from the first year of studies onward, so that recruitment activities will form an integral part but no longer be the unique meeting points for industry reps and candidates. This may take the form of sponsored chairs or a series of workshops but would also allow partner organizations to observe students in their practice labs, on the job and in training groups; and to observe, add input and eventually pre-select candidates for more personalized discussions during the on-campus portions of their orientation programs. For example, if an intern is selected for a 16-week placement, the hotel might do the initial training, provide manuals and arrange intake interviews at the school, well in advance of the starting date, in order to “jump-start” the integration process. Having its own representatives available to answer questions and explain expectations would allow a more personalized understanding of the company and its culture and, hopefully, facilitate better morale and result in less time and energy needed for the initial integration on the job. As an interesting twist on the old saw, “know thy customer,” we may soon be able to say of selected employers that they know their colleagues, even before they show up for the first day of providing service excellence. Luxury Hotelier | June 2008 | www.LuxuryHotelier.com http://www.LuxuryHotelier.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Luxury Hotelier - June 2008

Luxury Hotelier - June 2008 Contents Editor's Letter Inform Journal Network Personalities Insight: Smith Travel Research/The Bench Properties Insight: Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne Inspire Deliver Protocols Insight: HotelWorld Innovate Development Indulge Advertisers Index Editorial Index Source Listing Dossier

Luxury Hotelier - June 2008

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