Dimitris Manikis, President for Europe, Middle East, Eurasia and Africa (EMEA) at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, gives his thoughts on how to address talent shortages across hospitality and offers valuable tips for those starting out in the industry ahead of his appearance at the International Hospitality Investment Forum (IHIF) in Berlin on 3-5 May.
Hospitality Insights: With people at the core of hospitality, how do you view the current shortages in talent and what is your company doing to address them?
Dimitris Manikis: Working in hospitality is a fulfilling and lasting career and one that provides many interesting opportunities to work your way from the very bottom to the top. Like in many other industries, within hospitality, shortages in talent have posed a real challenge. Many people often see hospitality as a stepping stone to a career in a different industry, which makes it difficult to grow and retain talent. I would like to change this perception and help young people see the real value of hospitality as a long-term career choice.
I think it is important that the industry works collectively to make hospitality careers appealing to the younger generation. We have a dream job, and it is our duty to inspire the younger generation. The reality of retaining talent is about an overall attractive package. Companies need to be flexible and provide excitement for people to stay and find their purpose.
We will need to start from the beginning, from the education sector, the hotel schools, the universities and even at internship roles when young graduates form their opinions about their careers in hospitality.
At Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, we are committed to helping our hotel partners attract, motivate, and retain talented team members who align with our core values. With this in mind, we recently introduced a talent engagement programme, which equips hotels and owners with all the tools needed to support and engage with their teams to demonstrate the great potential of a career in hospitality. Ultimately, we work in an industry which unites people - for us, it’s about creating a sense of family and belonging.
Hospitality Insights: What would be your recommendation to someone new starting a career in hospitality?
Manikis: In my early years, I had the luck of meeting some truly incredible people who acted as my compass in the hospitality industry, and they taught me the lessons which have shaped my business character and attitude. Also, never forget to always take time out to reflect and recharge. This is an industry where you have to love people to be successful.
Hospitality Insights: How are you developing, implementing, and measuring ESG policies to ensure their effectiveness?
Manikis: We are committed to protecting the environment we live and work in at Wyndham as part of our strategic vision for a value-driven culture. In terms of initiatives, Wyndham Green is our global sustainability programme designed to help our hotels reduce their environmental impact. We have seen incredibly strong engagement in the Wyndham Green programme which we measure using our internal Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report, the latest version of which is due to be published at the end of April. The report includes our focus on diversity, equity and inclusion, human rights protection, community support and sustainability. Recently, we have seen a significantly increased engagement with the Wyndham Green programme across the EMEA region. In the UK for example, one of our key franchise partners Welcome Break, have had all 31 of their properties register and become certified; this dedication to adopting best sustainability practices at our partner properties can be seen across EMEA.
We are also proud to be part of the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, the leading global network in responsible hospitality. The Sustainable Hospitality Alliance recently launched the Pathway to Net Positive Hospitality for the Planet. The vision of the Pathway is that ever hotel around the world can, and must, aim for net positive environmental impacts, whatever their starting point. To achieve this goal, the Pathway provides a practical, four-stage guidance framework as a free resource that supports all parts of the hospitality value chain to progress in a cohesive, strategic manner. We have a collective responsibility to collaborate as an industry and move quickly to reduce our environmental impact. We believe we can make great progress through an active participation with organisations like the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance.
Hospitality Insights: What are your looking forward to with regards to your participation to IHIF?
Manikis: Not only am I looking forward to connecting with people in person but also discussing the challenges and the enormous opportunities which we see in hospitality today. I will be joining the panel titled The People Issue: Addressing the Talent Shortage, about the talent issue hospitality is facing following the pandemic, a topic that I am very passionate about. Together with Mark Essex from KPMG, Andrea Belfanti from ISHC, Chris Mumford from Cervus Leadership Consulting and Laura Benoumechiara of Louvre Hotels Group, I am looking forward to a fruitful discussion on how the sector can make itself more appealing as a career choice to people, including what is needed from the industry in terms of education, training, and other in-work benefits.
Join Dimitris Manikis at IHIF on 5th May in the session ‘The People Issue : Addressing the Talent Shortage’. For more information on the IHIF conference programme click here