LAURENCE VANTHIER, DIRECTOR OF PEOPLE AND CULTURE, MANDARIN ORIENTAL JUMEIRA, DUBAI: "THE COLLEAGUE DEVELOPMENT CENTER IS REALLY FOCUSED ON LEADERSHIP LEARNING" (United Arab Emirates)
In a passionate exchange, the human resources expert explains the latest development programme set up by Mandarin Oriental Dubai. |
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LAURENCE VANTHIER, DIRECTOR OF PEOPLE AND CULTURE, MANDARIN ORIENTAL JUMEIRA, DUBAI: "THE COLLEAGUE DEVELOPMENT CENTER IS REALLY FOCUSED ON LEADERSHIP LEARNING" (United Arab Emirates)
In a passionate exchange, the human resources expert explains the latest development programme set up by Mandarin Oriental Dubai. |
Category: Middle East - United Arab Emirates - Careers
- Interviews and portraits
- Career - Interviews - Industry leaders
Interview made by Sonia Taourghi on 2024-11-29
 Laurence Vanthier, Director of People and Culture, Mandarin Oriental Jumeira, Dubai
Photo credit © Mandarin Oriental Jumeira, Dubai
And yet there's a lot to be said for Laurence's career path, which began at Le Martinez in Cannes, continued in Europe and took her, 10 years ago, to the Middle East, first to Qatar, then to Dubai.
But her passion for professional development is contagious. With more than 30 years of experience, Laurence Vanthier is keen to focus on mentoring and passing on knowledge. She mentions, in particular, her work with the “Rising Fans” programme, a vital programme of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, in which she devotes time to personally guiding young talent.
Her perspective on professional dynamics is particularly nuanced. She desires to pass on knowledge, which is echoed in the new programme specific to the Dubai property, the ‘Colleague Development Center’, devised by her colleague Ella Hellowell, the hotel's Director of Learning and Development.
Laurence's approach to professional development is perfectly illustrated by her enthusiasm for this innovative programme at Mandarin Oriental Jumeira, specially designed for frontline employees. Launched in June 2024, it offers unique leadership training to 15 carefully selected participants, filling a crucial need for professional development for operational staff.
Journal des Palaces: What is the Colleague Development Center?
Laurence Vanthier: Ella Hellowell is an expert in her field. She joined the group 12 years ago and, since 2018, Mandarin Oriental Dubai. She worked with a team of members from four departments at Mandarin Oriental Dubai, and together, they set up this new six-month programme, the Colleague Development Center.
Unlike the group's other training programmes for employees at supervisor level and above, the CDC is designed for frontline roles such as waiters, chambermaids, cooks and clerks.
Training for this type of job, which has little or no interaction with customers, is generally very operational and focuses on skills rather than interpersonal skills. The CDC programme is geared towards learning leadership skills, with the crucial point being that eligible employees are not supervisors but want to learn to become one later.
The only conditions for participating in this programme are to have been with the company for six months and pass a series of motivational interviews. The idea was to have a few participants at a time. For the first intake, we selected 15 people. This allows us to serve the candidates better and help them learn in good conditions.
The programme, launched last June, comprises five stages, known as ‘Rooms’. We are currently in the fourth stage, and next January, a ceremony will award the certificates.
What are the selection stages?
We focus on the candidates' personalities and motivations. They must make a video presentation explaining their interest in the programme.
But what really matters is what we learn about them through this process. Some have expressed a keen interest but have never submitted a video. This stage is already revealing. The really motivated candidates have taken the necessary steps by making videos as requested and presenting their strengths and motivation as professionally as possible.
So, there was a first natural selection, and that was revealing. They must participate in the programme because they want to, not because they must.
As far as the more practical criteria are concerned, all the staff speak English very well - especially in the customer-facing roles - so language wasn't an issue.
What are the practical aspects of this programme?
First and foremost, this programme will introduce and springboard the participants. There's no magic key; you must want to do it. The idea is not for them to become supervisors at the end of the programme but to have the resources to prepare for it daily and to aspire to it in the future.
For them, it's an open door to an aspect of the job they were unaware of: many testify to their new knowledge and awareness of what management entails. Individual contributors can have a simplistic and often erroneous image of the supervisor. With the programme, they exchange views with supervisors from different departments, ask questions, observe their day-to-day work, and realise the responsibilities involved.
As part of the themed modules, for example, they are grouped together for a day, and a supervisor will lead a series of contents linked to his or her discipline: sales, communication and marketing, recruitment, F&B, etc. These speakers are called ‘coaches’ because their real vocation is not only to offer an insight into their worlds but also to share concrete advice on how to progress along this path: what are the responsibilities of a sales supervisor? How do you become an F&B manager? What career steps should be considered?
Another aspect of the programme is visibility and connections. We recently added a report on the programme that they will have to present to the executive committee. The presentation should last 15 to 20 minutes and explain their career path and detail their learning. This is not only an opportunity for them to speak publicly but, above all, to talk to members of management with whom they don't have much contact and to get themselves noticed. It's also a way of building a network.
What they get out of the programme continues after the certificate.
How do you plan to develop the programme?
This is a pilot programme, and we'll see how it develops, but for the moment, we're measuring its success by the participants' satisfaction. They haven't dropped out; they're assiduous and enjoy doing the assigned exercises. This shows that the selection was well done and that they are interested in the programme.
We plan to have two classes next year. Thus, by the end of 2025, 50 to 60 people will have participated in this programme, which is around 10% of our total workforce. We'd be delighted to achieve that.
We anticipated we would have to make a few adjustments, but for the moment, it's working well. The rhythm is there, and the coaches are really committed.
I'm delighted that this programme has come to fruition at the Mandarin Oriental Dubai. Today, I'm passionate about sharing my knowledge and supporting talent development. That starts with solid recruitment: laying the foundations and helping careers grow. I love it!
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