our franchisees and counterparts , allowing us to get to know them better at a personal level and understand how they conduct business . |
HOTELS : It ’ s 2024 : When will “ Women in Hospitality ” features cease being written because the industry has reached a point where sex doesn ’ t matter ? Laura Fuentes , chief human resources officer , Hilton : There is always more |
work to be done when it comes to bias and stereotypes . It ’ s important to remember that all humans want the same fundamental things in life , regardless of age , gender , geography or background . We all want to feel a part of something , to learn , to know we matter , to care for our loved ones or to achieve major milestones
Laura Fuentes
|
and goals . For women , it ’ s important for all of us to be able to see ourselves working for a company that allows us to be our full , authentic selves . With time , we will continue to see more improvements , but I would also argue that spotlights or opportunities that highlight women and elevate their voices , create channels for women and other groups to see what they can achieve . Roquefort , Accor : Features like this continue to be important , allowing us to highlight the success stories of women in leadership roles , to inspire others and demonstrate the value of diverse perspectives in driving innovation and growth . The idea that these types of features would become obsolete would mean that the industry has evolved to a point where gender disparity is not part of the conversation . One piece of advice is to seek out companies aligned with your personal beliefs and core values . Throughout any career , inevitably , there will be some challenges , but a company that supports your values will also support your empowerment and elevate your professional path . Sisson , Hyatt : In an ideal world , we wouldn ’ t need “ Women in Hospitality ” features at all because gender inequity wouldn ’ t exist . Each day , women are shaping our industry for the better ; their diverse stories and perspectives should continue to be shared and shouted from the rooftops . Williams , Impulsify : This is a big one for me . There is |
so much focus on women-led panels at industry events and every March to give a voice with all good intent , but I can tell you this : Despite building one of the coolest guest-facing technology solutions in the industry , I am still usually only approached to speak on panels or contribute to articles that focus on what it ’ s like to be a woman in a male-led industry . It is beyond rare that anyone asks for my input on the integration challenges new technologies face trying to interface with legacy PMS systems or how we are tackling unattended retail sales of alcohol from an age verification and TIPS compliance standpoint . That ’ s super frustrating .
Jen Rausch
Rausch , Sonesta : I hope “ Women in Hospitality ” features never go away ! The dialogue should continue to shift from hiring women , to promoting women , to celebrating what women bring to the table . Women represent a huge number of our guests and decision-makers ; having that voice present while organizational decisions are made is important to the health of a hospitality company .
|
||
52 hotelsmag . com May / June 2024 |