Marriott hotel seeks staff who share its values

The newly opened Courtyard By Marriott Hong Kong Sha Tin Hotel is looking to fill several of its front-line operation positions. There are openings for front office, food and beverage and housekeeping.

Patrick Chan, the hotel’s HR manager, seeks candidates committed to serving. “Our Courtyard brand consists of three service values: ownership, smarts and energy. We value candidates with a great sense of belonging, who will feel proud to work with us, are willing to create personalised service that exceeds guest’ expectations, with the energetic personality to launch our service,” he says.

The hotel is looking for an “At your service supervisor”, responsible for providing guests with a great experience during their stay.

“The supervisor has to be presentable and able to project a smile in their voice while speaking, and have excellent customer sense. He or she needs good communication and interpersonal skills, and should be able to build good relationship with staff and guests. The position suits candidates with three years’ experience in hotels with at least one year at supervisory level,” says Chan.

The housekeeping department seeks a supervisor who can respond to guests’ inquiries and provide staff training. “The supervisor needs to know how to handle complaints and be a patient trainer. Candidates with more than three years’ experience are welcome,” says Chan.

He says employees can expect a caring environment, free of hierarchy. “The culture of the brand is putting our people first... we care about the people who work with us. Our management structure is simple, without too many layers, meaning associates can easily contact management for discussions and suggestions. We value every suggestion that keeps us moving and successful,” he says.

Ringo Ng, director of rooms, is excited by the chance to work at a brand new hotel. “I worked in a number of five-star hotels in Hong Kong before joining Marriott. The new hotel enables me to create a success story from scratch. Every practice that I have implemented, I am able to see how it affects the operation. This is a new step in my career,” he says.

As one of the largest hotel groups globally, Marriott offers various training opportunities for staff – from junior associates to managers – to widen their horizons.

Ng says the training was beneficial for his job. “I have received a lot of core training for management essentials, for my role as well as how to handle and nurture my team. You will never see such major resources invested in staff as you do at a big company like Marriott International,” he says.

Chan says the hotel was able to make use of the Marriott brand’s huge network to nurture staff. “They can meet colleagues from our sister properties during the training to expand their networking while enhancing their knowledge and skills. Apart from the training programmes, we encourage associates to join the cross-training programme among different departments within the hotel or at our sister properties among different brands,” he says.

Regarding career advancement, the hotel is keen for employees enjoy long careers within Marriott International. “We support them in finding the most suitable position. As a leading lodging company with more than 3,700 hotels in 74 countries and territories, we have the basis to provide strong support for the development and growth of our staff,” says Chan.

Having served at the front desk of other Marriott-branded hotels, Carol Lee – the new assistant front office manager at Courtyard Sha Tin – is also thrilled at being part of the new hotel, which is positioned as business-traveller accommodation.

 “It is a dynamic hotel that helps guests make the most of their time on the road. This is a new branch of Marriott International for me. It’s been exciting to learn a new style of working, targeting a different clientele to other Marriott brands I have worked in before,” she says.

Lee adds that the experience has been very educational. “My new colleagues bring different experiences to daily operations, which I can learn from. I also get a lot out of the training provided by the hotel. I regularly receive management training. The instruction has been very comprehensive so far. The trainer is very knowledgeable about the brand and about our target customers,” she says.

Working for a well-established international brand like Marriott, Lee is confident about her future. “I hope to continue to move upwards within the brand. The hotel provides many opportunities for staff to be promoted internally. There are lots of opportunities for career advancement with the brand,” she says.