PEOPLE FIRST – DEBBIE CROSS, GLOBAL SVP, TALENT & CULTURE, RAFFLES AND FAIRMONT HOTELS & RESORTS: “WE EMPOWER OUR COLLEAGUES TO SHOWCASE THEIR QUALITIES”
How to attract, recruit, and retain talent in the luxury hospitality industry? To answer the human resources challenges of a highly competitive job market, hotel groups have implemented new recruitment tools, career development programs, and innovative communication strategies. |
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PEOPLE FIRST – DEBBIE CROSS, GLOBAL SVP, TALENT & CULTURE, RAFFLES AND FAIRMONT HOTELS & RESORTS: “WE EMPOWER OUR COLLEAGUES TO SHOWCASE THEIR QUALITIES”
How to attract, recruit, and retain talent in the luxury hospitality industry? To answer the human resources challenges of a highly competitive job market, hotel groups have implemented new recruitment tools, career development programs, and innovative communication strategies. |
Category: Worldwide - Careers
- Interviews and portraits
- Career - Interviews - Industry leaders
Interview made by Sonia Taourghi on 2025-02-18
 Debbie Cross, Global SVP, Talent & Culture Raffles and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts
Photo credit © Raffles Hotels & Resorts Journal des Palaces: Can you tell us more about your recruitment process?
Debbie Cross: As leaders in luxury hospitality, we strongly believe that our colleagues are our greatest assets as they deliver exceptional service to our guests, so we emphasise our recruitment and selection process. In today’s talent competition, and with increasing candidates’ expectations, delivering an outstanding recruitment process is essential.
Our process reflects the unique DNA of Raffles Hotels & Resorts and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts’ culture and values. First and foremost, we commit to transparency with every job posted online and priority given to our internal talent to be considered for a promotion or internal move. Throughout the process, we base our decisions strictly on objective criteria relating to the candidate’s capabilities, skills, and motivation, specifically focusing on attitude and luxury mindset. Throughout the entire process, we strive to maintain open communication and provide timely updates, ensuring every candidate receives a response.
How do you integrate new talent?
We align our candidate and colleague experience with the same level of care and attention we give our guests’ journey with us, from pre-arrival to post-check-out. Integrating new talent into our hotels requires a delicately crafted approach that balances operational training with fostering a sense of belonging, empowerment, and connection to the DNA of our brands.
We have a comprehensive orientation that goes beyond administration to include brand and service culture immersion, in addition to departmental, role, and systems training. We have embedded regular touchpoints in our talent management process to always stay connected, including quarterly check-ins with the manager and employee, for example.
What kind of career development program do you offer your collaborators?
We have many programs for our talent throughout the various stages of their careers to develop and flourish. Starting with internships where students can get a sense of the world of hospitality and pursue their careers in our industry.
We offer manager-in-training programs at our hotels worldwide, providing a fast track for top talent graduates to quickly take on managerial roles with the foresight of becoming future General Managers.
We also have leadership programs designed at all levels for high-potential talent to foster their leadership skills and prepare them for their next role.
What internal mobility opportunities do you offer to your collaborators?
Having the right talent, in the right role, at the right time and place, is fundamental to creating the best guest experience and our overall business success. At Raffles and Fairmont, we aim to support and empower each other in the best possible way, and we always give priority to our internal talent over hiring external candidates.
We have a defined Raffles & Fairmont internal mobility program which encourages colleagues to explore new career opportunities across our brands, enhancing their professional journeys and offering growth opportunities. Through communication tools and an online application system, recruiters can easily see who an employee is to give priority review.
What would be your best advice to have a successful career in luxury hospitality?
A successful career in luxury hospitality requires more than just technical skills, it demands a curated blend of passion, dedication, and a genuine desire to create exceptional experiences. Develop a true passion for making people feel valued and cared for. Activate your emotional intelligence to understand and respond to the emotions of others. In luxury, the smallest details matter, we look for people with strong attention to detail who strive for perfection in everything they do. Finally, be proactive and take initiative to make a positive impact on guests, fellow colleagues, and stakeholders, always with the aim of pushing the industry forward and being a leader in luxury.
What human qualities are you looking for in talents?
Absolute passion for guests! We are looking for people who are dedicated to luxury service. Also, those that have demonstrated a focus on consistently delivering operational excellence. and high-quality work. And finally, the eagerness to invent and innovate, to continually improve our processes to stand out against our competitors. These qualities may take shape in different forms based on the role, but we empower our colleagues to showcase these qualities in their daily interactions.Which labels did you earn as a quality workplace?Our hotels around the world have been individually recognised for their commitment to the growth and development of our people, to our diversity and equity efforts, and to an environment of engagement and empowerment.
What are the key CSR measures you have in place?
Raffles and Fairmont are both part of Accor, which has some of the hospitality sector’s most ambitious sustainability commitments and is committed to positively impacting the communities in which we operate. Our Raffles and Fairmont hotels stand as vibrant hearts of a destination, and we believe in empowering and encouraging our hotel teams to give back to their local communities, as it’s important that our hotels are able to see and feel the impact of their actions.
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