HR Asia — January 2018

F E A T U R E

By Brendan Toomey

THRIVING

AT WORK:

ATTRACTING AND

RETAINING

MILLENNIAL TALENT

THROUGH

WORKPLACE

WELLBEING

I

n some parts of Asia Pacifi c, there is still a stigma attached
to working in the hotel industry, which can be pronounced
among the older generation. For example, in markets like
Sri Lanka and India, parents of young women might have
misgivings about their daughters working in the hospitality industry.
The hospitality industry is a diverse and exciting environment
and we have to grow and sustain our talent pool across a
wide range of functions and capabilities within a multinational,
multicultural setting. The region’s diversity presents several
challenges and opportunities – and it really depends on which
market you’re looking at, and specifi cally, which age group.
Hilton has recognised the challenges these misconceptions
pose and has taken a lead in making changes. The key is driving
home the message that there is an incredibly broad spectrum of job
opportunities in the industry.
Most people do not see beyond the frontline staff, but, the
reality is that we employ over 60,000 team members globally, in
front offi ce and F B operations to managerial roles for functions
like fi nance, engineering, marketing and branding.
We recognise that team members are the core of all our
success. Which is why we place great emphasis not just on
recruitment, but also on fl e[ible training and development, as we
believe this approach will help to unlock meaningful opportunities
for our team members at each stage of their careers.
As we are a business of people serving people, we
recognise the team member” experience is just as important as
the guest experience.
We want to be the most hospitable company in the world,
creating heartfelt experiences for guests, meaningful opportunities
for team members, high value for owners and a positive impact in
our communities. Hence, creating a great place to work is critical in
ensuring everyone has a clear commitment and is fully engaged in
their daily lives.

THRIVING IN BODY, MIND AND SPIRIT
Thrive@Hilton, which has recently been rolled out globally, is an
employee value proposition that enables team members to grow
and fl ourish in ³Body ́, ³Mind ́ and ³Spirit ́.
We’ve always been committed to our team’s wellbeing and
performance. This evolvement of our employee value proposition
represents how we take this to the next level, allowing team
members to thrive in all they do, so that they can be their best
selves every day.
By listening closely to team members’ feedback and working
with e[perts at Thrive *lobal, we’ve created the benefi ts and
programs that matter most to them, including fl e[ibility and
strengthening our Team Member Travel Program.

To help team members thrive in Body, we have made

intentional steps to improve our Heart of House areas, creating

ownable space for Team Members that refl ect our values.

For example, Hilton Singapore’s Team Member Café has a

pool table and views that look out to Orchard Road’s lush greenery,

giving team members the space to relax and enjoy their meals in a

well-designed environment.

To thrive in Mind, we encourage mindfulness in the workplace

• be it at meetings, in emails, or time spent out of offi ce to
  recharge. We’ve also recently announced the winners of our Thrive
  Sabbatical program, providing team members with the opportunity
  to enrich the lives of others, or to accomplish a personal goal.
  We believe that having team members thrive at work and at
  home isn’t just thoughtful business, it is smart business that leads
  to sustainable high-performance.
  We have observed that happy team members correlated
  positively with guest satisfaction scores, as well as growth in our
  most loyal customer base. This confi rms our belief that when team
  members thrive, so do we!
  Hilton takes pride in being more than just a place to work. We
  have fostered a culture of excellence, innovation and hospitality. Of
  course, the fact that the Asia Pacifi c region is so diverse means that
  we do have to take into account certain nuances, so the specifi c ini-
  tiatives might look different when rolled out in the various markets.
  Some of the different ways in which specifi c properties have
  enabled their team members to thrive in Body, ranging from the
  Hilton Nagoya team climbing Mount Fuji, to a meditation class held
  in the Sydney regional offi ce.
  The “Thrive in Mind” activities also vary across markets, where
  the APAC HR Team took part in a pottery class, while the Hilton
  Mumbai team held a pot-breaking activity.
  However, what these different activities have in common is
  that they all further the same idea of “Thriving in Body, Mind and

n some parts of Asia Pacifi c, there is still a stigma attached
to working in the hotel industry, which can be pronounced
among the older generation. For example, in markets like
Sri Lanka and India, parents of young women might have
misgivings about their daughters working in the hospitality industry.
The hospitality industry is a diverse and exciting environment
and we have to grow and sustain our talent pool across a
wide range of functions and capabilities within a multinational,
multicultural setting. The region’s diversity presents several
challenges and opportunities – and it really depends on which
market you’re looking at, and specifi cally, which age group.
Hilton has recognised the challenges these misconceptions
pose and has taken a lead in making changes. The key is driving