How investing in people is reaping dividends for Hilton
In March, Hilton was delighted to be placed in the top 10 of Great Places to Work UAE 2017 and to be officially recognised as the top hospitality company to work for in the UAE for the second year in a row. This followed our success at Great Place to Work lists for Saudi Arabia and Turkey last year.
I believe there are three key factors that make a company a great place to work: Offering a great environment, great careers and great rewards.
At Hilton, we are committed to providing an inspirational physical environment for our team members. In the back of house team member common areas, known as the Heart of House, we aim to create a great environment with excellent facilities and food and beverage offerings. The Heart of House is the energy behind our operation and we are elevating the team member experience to equal the care and consideration given to guests.
We create rewarding careers and meaningful opportunities for team members, and as a business spanning more than 100 countries there is a world of opportunities for career progression at Hilton. In addition, we offer our team members industry-leading learning and development opportunities, including access to Hilton University, an online platform offering over five million hours of training through 2,500 courses.
Finally, we offer team members world-class rewards and benefits. For example, last year we launched our Team Member Travel Program which allows all team members across the world discounted rates at our hotels. This has been a hugely successful initiative since its launch last year. In addition, we pride ourselves in creating a family-friendly environment and this month, we announced that we are introducing a minimum of 12 weeks’ fully-paid maternity leave for female team members in the Middle East and Africa.
Staff are at the heart of everything we do. They are the Heart of Hilton because their hard work, passion and commitment are at the core of all our success. The Great Place to Work recognitions are a testament to this, and the amazing culture we’ve built together, all centered on our company’s mission to be the most hospitable company in the world.
We currently welcome guests to 41 hotels in the Middle East and have plans to open an additional 75 hotels in the region in the coming years. As we expand our presence, it vital that we continue to be a great place to work by offering a great environment, great careers and great rewards.
About the author: Koray Genckul, Senior Director, HR Operations, MEA, Hilton is based in Hilton’s MEA Regional Office, Dubai – Genckul is responsible for human resources management across MEA, overseeing the recruitment, development and retention of team members. He has a wealth of experience in human resources specializing in talent acquisition, talent management and compensation and benefits.
