Kids, career and compensation… 5 minutes-talks with changing partners… What does Gen Y expects from its employers? Talk at the ITB Hospitality Day 2013 in Berlin.
Berlin. After such panel discussions, there is never one hundred percent satisfaction, but this year's dialogue between two students of the Ecole Hotelière de Lausanne and two employers had its own charm: at the 8th "ITB Hospitality Day" at ITB Berlin, the students Adrian Ruch and Katharina Jaeger, both in their early twenties, asked the Head of Human Resources at Starwood Hotels and the young co-owner of the luxury hotel Suvretta House in St. Moritz questions about their career opportunities and the market – in alternating pairs on the stage. The fully occupied auditorium awaited the results.
"Generation Y: Whatdoes this generation expect of its employers?" The two hospitality students presented themselves perfectly dressed, inperfect English and with concrete questions for Ingrid Eras and RetoCandrian. The first group of topics dealt with the preparation of one's own career. How should students start?
Dialogue between Katharina Jaeger and Ingrid Eras, Vice President People Development & Staffing Europe Middle East Africa at Starwood Hotels & Resorts: the Head of HR recommended investigating the culture of the desired business thoroughly andcomparingit with one's own needs. While the student criticised that a lot of thematerial from the internships during her studies was repeated in the businesses later, Ingrid Eras sees this as a chance to obtain a good overview of the various departments and then be able to focus on one's own special key areas.
Katharina Jaeger squeezes Ingrid Eras.
She replied to the statement that other industries like banks or the retail sector frequently recruit hospitality students today by retorting that the hotel industry also employs "non-hoteliers". For example, Starwood also searchesfor young trainees amongst IT students. Those who are not sure if they want to start their career in the hotel industry are also able to join later.
Is a bachelor graduation sufficient or does it have to be a masters, asked Katharina, a bachelor student herself. Answer: "There is no silver plate. Your career starts with your mindset, your attitude. A better education might help to advance your career faster within the business."
Not the payment but the hygiene factor counts
Dialogue switchto Adrian Ruch and RetoCandrian, member of the supervisory board of the Suvretta House in St. Moritz. Adrian wants to join a group's development team two years after his studies. "Everything is possible," answers theemployer who is only 34 years old himself, and already worked as an investment manager in Asia before he returned to the family business. Since this time, he knows: there are no limits for people who are ambitious and passionate. Candrian, an EHL graduate himself, is sure that his career would have been different had hestayed in the hotel industry. His advice: gain experience, concentrate on the tasks, and he adds: "People whodo not plan everything downto the last detail may be more successful."
Dialogue switchto Adrian Ruch and Ingrid Eras: the subject is about the low payment in the hotel industry. "Yes, in the hotel business, the starting salary can be low," admits the Head of HR. However, the payment has to be regarded as a mixture of money and benefits – and this compensates for a lot. In addition, besides the appropriate payment, the "hygiene factor" is important: according to her, a "well paid" job also contains criteria like atmosphere, career perspectives, and travel opportunities. A bank does not offer the atmosphere of a 4 or 5-star hotel. She herself accepted a two-thirds cut in salary when she decided to leave the well-paid expat life and return to the hotel industry, she explained. Therefore, she asked the Generation Y to be patient: hotel wages became better as soon as you climbed up the career ladder. The hotel industry is still a large, growing business worldwide that hires people – contrary to other industries.
Adrian Ruch questions Reto Candrian.
A work-life balance is not the aim
but integration
And how does a Head of HR react if hospitality students leave the industry, asked Adrian. She said that it would be a shame to do so just for 100 Euro more. However, she understands if a better career is waiting. In the hotel industry, job and payment therefore have to be regarded in a long-term perspective.
Dialogue switch to Katharina Jaeger and RetoCandrian: the subject is about life-long learning. The student wanted to know if RetoCandrian supports further training of the young employees. The employer answered cautiously: "Many young people only collect advanced training and certificates for their vitas."He is – at the head of a family business – willing to invest selectively in employees who are willing to stay for a longer period. Today, many employees have been working for more than 20 years in the hotel, some even for 45 years. Only staff that stays for a longer time, helps the business, according to Candrian. However, he also experiencedthat those young employees who had a good start in the Suvretta House, would return later.
Dialogue between all participants about work-life balance: this balance is not only important for the Gen Y but for all generations in all industries, emphasised the employers – police officers and nurses as well as hoteliers. On behalf of all parents, Katharina Jaeger insisted again on the issue of improving the situation for families. Head of HR Starwood's answer: the integration of family and private life in the hotel industry works, but not in the classical sense. People have to see the positive things and use them. Shopping on Mondays? Ingrid Eras likes that. Travelling with husband and Skype? This way, private life and professional life can be combined. However, much more flexibility will be demanded from the businesses, despite many good individual examples here, and RetoCandrian agreed to that. Therefore, Ingrid Eras does not like to dwell on the term "work-life balance", but would rather develop towards the term of "work-life integration".
Moderator Ruud Reuland measures time.photos: map
The conclusion of these dialogues, which were prepared with great sensitivity by the host Ruud Reuland, former Director of EcoleHotelière de Lausanne and consultant in matters of education today, was: the questions of the students were specific, the answers of the employers were more like pleas touting for understanding.
The spontaneous accessing of the ITB video shows that the subject is "hot": within two weeks, 200 hits were recorded for the "hot spot"concerning Generation Y and its questions to the employers. / map
Watch the YouTube video about this ITB Hospitality Day 2013 session in full length – Click here
