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First you hire someone , then you train them . Right ? David Bowd thinks that ’ s backward .
Earlier this year , the CEO of Salt Hotels was preparing to open his fourth location , in Asbury Park , New Jersey . But he didn ’ t run a cattle call . He and his team started Salt School instead .
“ This is an industry where it ’ s all about attitude and hard work ,” says Bowd , whose resume includes stints with boutique hoteliers like Ian Schrager and Andre Balazs .
The company invited local job-seekers to a free , 10-week , 25-
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hour introduction to hospitality , and the only requirement was explaining why they wanted to be included . The result : 380 applicants , from teens to 60-year-olds , for 160 spots – many with moving stories of seeking a break , a second chance , or to be a role model for their kids .
“ We set about calling in every favor we could with all the hotel friends we had ” to staff the Saturday morning sessions , Bowd says , which focused on topics like sales and marketing , F & B and revenue management . In one class , students
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role-played front desk scenarios – luggage delivered to the wrong room , complaints about loud neighbors . “ The purpose was to make decisions on the fly . It ’ s thinking creatively ,” Bowd says .
He watched students gravitate toward certain responsibilities . “ It was such a natural evolution of people moving toward areas that they felt comfort in and had a passion for ,” he remembers . It also fostered a healthy competition . “ You see who ’ s shy , who ’ s outgoing , and you are able to match people with their skill set
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much easier because you see them perform ,” he says .
In the end , 110 students graduated , and the hotel hired 67 ( three have been promoted ); 90 % were from Asbury Park . Other local companies have inquired about hiring the students , as well .
“ At the end I thought , why have we never done this before ? We just employed a whole workforce that we ’ ve already spent 10 weeks with ,” Bowd says . “ They know what our core values are , they know what to expect , they have a passion ,
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they ’ re all local . This is a no-brainer .”
It ’ s also a lot of hard work , he acknowledges , but with results that far exceeded traditional recruitment , using an approach that he would like to see larger companies use in the communities they enter .
The school moves next year to Topeka , Kansas , where Salt is working on a 109-room hotel . Former students will become staffers to help prepare for an early 2018 opening . “ I ’ ve opened many hotels , and this is the best way of doing it ,” Bowd says .
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