INTERVIEW - VALÉRIE GUÉRY, HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR OF THE PARIS SOCIETY GROUP, BRINGING MODERNITY TO HOSPITALITY
“Meeting different people all the time, working in magical places, in large teams that are very united around real values, that's a pretty good career promise!” |
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INTERVIEW - VALÉRIE GUÉRY, HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR OF THE PARIS SOCIETY GROUP, BRINGING MODERNITY TO HOSPITALITY
“Meeting different people all the time, working in magical places, in large teams that are very united around real values, that's a pretty good career promise!” |
Category: Worldwide - Careers
- Interviews and portraits
- Career - Interviews
Interview made by Vanessa Guerrier-Buisine on 2023-04-26
Valérie Guéry took over as head of human resources at the Paris Society group in August 2022. In this group with modern values, she can easily express all the creativity that drives her in her relationship with work and with others.
With a background in the retail and luxury sectors, Valérie Guéry is passionate about developing her teams. She brings to the Paris Society group a vision of human resources management and a deep-rooted professionalism, which combine perfectly with her personality.
In the midst of a strategic review, Paris Society's human resources department is benefiting from the spontaneity and open-mindedness of this accomplished professional. Reinventing the codes of hospitality is one of Paris Society's missions, and the arrival of Valérie Guéry is fully in line with this strategy.
Moreover, her experience in international human resources development at Givenchy serves perfectly the group's ambition to develop internationally.
The Journal des Palaces wanted to find out more about Paris Society's human resources strategy, and met Valérie Guéry for this purpose.Journal des Palaces : Could you present the Paris Society group, its pillars, its philosophy, its establishments, in a few words?With a catalogue of more than sixty venues, the Paris Society group, founded in 2008 by Laurent de Gourcuff, is a key player in the hospitality industry in France, with a historic turnover of more than 225 million euros by 2022.
Today, Paris Society has more than 3,000 employees and develops its activities around 5 complementary poles, creating synergies between exceptional places and know-how: - CLUBS, our institutions that make Parisian nights move;
- TABLES, our exceptional restaurants, laboratories of a new art of dining;
- PLACES, our unique portfolio of event venues;
- HOTELS, the result of all our know-how to transform every everyday getaway into an unforgettable experience;
- CONSULTING.
“We are building the future of Paris Society on these five pillars, by further accelerating the development of our high-end restaurant division, by continuing to acquire the most beautiful places in the capital to create exceptional addresses, and finally, by exporting our most renowned brands and our know-how internationally. Hospitality is a value of the future, and we intend to embody it” said Laurent de Gourcuff, Chairman of the Paris Society Group.What are the greatest challenges you face in your role as HR Director?Make the catering professions attractive professions with a real understanding of possible career paths.
To have a sufficient pool to fill all our open positions, to integrate, motivate and train the group's 3,000 employees.
To ensure that everyone embodies our houses and our values daily.What is the Paris Society's recruitment strategy? How do you work on your employer's brand?Finding people who are passionate about these jobs and developing them… An induction programme, monitoring during the trial period, HR development, regular meetings with the HR development team, regular managerial briefings as well, getting to know each employee and monitoring them is one of our objectives this year.How do you create a sense of belonging to the brand with over 3,000 employees?We have to create a feeling of belonging to each establishment and then to the group.
This is achieved through onboarding mornings, special follow-up with local HR throughout the employee's career, being available for everyone is also one of our missions, and creating links through meetings and special moments during the year between the different entities.
The feeling of belonging is also created naturally when we allow everyone to put themselves on stage in an inspiring environment.
Everyone is an actor in the stories we tell our guests.
Our employees don't wear a uniform, but a wardrobe designed specifically for them by stylists whose mission is to enhance the unique experiences we provide to our employees and guests.What have you put in place to attract talent?We organize a lot of job dating with operational staff in the restaurant and kitchen, in the hotel industry, a lot of communication on the networks and a real employee experience. Integrating talent, training them, monitoring them and showing them all the possibilities for group mobility.*
We also try to attract our existing talent to rekindle the flames that fade with time, to offer everyone new career cycles by changing companies, moving from one business unit to another, or by living the international experience.How do you deal with the shortage of qualified candidates?Relations with schools are essential for recruiting today, but we also have to show that our businesses are exciting to attract the next generation.
We also train young people who do not come from this field to join us and are currently working with several schools on customized training projects for the Paris Society.What profile characteristics do you pay particular attention to that make the difference in your eyes?Personality, soft skills, commitment, and desire are as important to me today as academic training.Which positions are particularly open?We are recruiting in all areas of the business, from the kitchen to restaurant managers, bar staff, hosts and hostesses, and in all areas of the hotel business with the upcoming opening of the Abbaye des Vaux de Cernay.What benefits are offered to the group's employees?Our priorities are training and employee development.
Join the Paris Society and benefit from a career path in France or abroad.Do you highlight the group's commitments within the framework of your CSR approach to retain your employees? Do you involve them in solidarity or committed actions?This year we have started our CSR approach. We are going to start proposing actions with the employees and involve them upstream so that they are actors of this approach.How do you integrate new employees into the group?For the head office, an integration course with all the key contacts and people for the restaurants, integration mornings every 15 days.
As soon as there is an opening, the new employees follow a training course lasting more than 3 weeks.Do you offer specific support for your middle managers? Are training courses (leadership, management, etc.) or specific support offered to these employees?Yes, we have launched a training programme with playlists dedicated to management, leadership and cross-functional management for all our managers with NUMA in digital.
The sessions started a month ago, and we will train more than 120 employees this year.What are the solutions you see to encourage young people to opt for a career in the luxury hotel industry?To make young people understand that hospitality jobs will always exist, that human beings need to get together, spend good times surrounded by their loved ones and have fun, and that these jobs in the hotel, event, and catering industries are exciting.
Meeting different people all the time, working in magical places, in large teams that are very united around real values, that's a pretty good career promise!
Every day is different, you start in the kitchen, continue your career in the dining room and then in management, travel to take part in openings all over the world…What advice would you give to a young person who wants to work in the luxury hotel sector?I would say that everything is possible and that the taste for effort and challenge are the keys to success.
Give to the guest, do your best, be generous with others and that's it. These jobs are demanding, but they pay off well.
Everyone starts on the same footing and the selection criterion is WORK, not where you come from, or what you have studied or your academic background. Everyone has a chance! Then you have to prove yourself!
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