HR INTERVIEW: MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL Positivity, Fun & Passion Gurmeet Singh (Area Director of HR - India, Maldives and Pakistan, Marriott International Inc.) talks to Divya Arya about how the company has achieved the status of best employer by promoting a people’s culture of passion, fun and positive attitudes |
 In school, he wanted to become a doctor so he took up Science. But as Mr. Gurmeet Singh (Area Director of HR - India, Maldives and Pakistan, Marriott International Inc.) grew older, he felt a strong inclination towards the services. He did his graduation from Officer Training Academy, Chennai and joined the Indian Army in The Brigade Of Guards as a Short Service Officer. After five years there, he felt the need to move on. While typically, ex-Army people get into Security, he got through the ITC interview as a Personnel Officer for its 75-room Hotel in Aurangabad. That is how his HR journey started; and in this exclusive interview, he tells us how the only HR experience he had was of treating and taking care of his troops well! Q. What is the HR vision at Marriott International Inc.? A. Mr. J.W. Marriott Sr. formed the company in 1927 saying, “If you take care of your associates, they will take care of the guests and the guests will come back and the business will take care of itself.” Till today, every Marriott hotel is driven by this principle. We ensure that there are ample growth opportunities for our people, and create an environment of fun and joy. It is a matter of great pride that our people look forward to coming to work everyday. We believe that they are the upholders of our brand - custodians who will sustain Marriott with great vitality and perpetuity. Q. What HR initiatives have you taken in this regard? A. We strive to position Marriott as an employer of choice. Our ‘people’s culture’ bonds the employees and a validation of this is that most of our employees have risen from the ranks and have spent substantial time with us. We are humbled with the recognitions we have received, and are proud to be amongst the top employers in India. Associate engagement is key and we ensure that their tenure at Marriott is something to remember forever. We regularly have activities like employee appreciation weeks, get-togethers and festive celebrations, etc. to bring our people together. It is heartening to see a strong sense of passion, consciously and carefully imbibed in our systems, run uniformly amongst our employees. For talent development, we allow our employees to hone their skills while we provide the required support. Constant and relevant training, and growth tracking ensure that they are given due recognition. |
 Q. How did you work towards being ranked 10th in Hewitt’s Best Employer survey in India 2009?A. It was due to our faith and trust in our people. Each department has a rigorous monthly meet to discuss feedback. To encourage open communication, the GM and Director of HR monthly get together with about 25 associates from various departments and have lunch with them at one of the hotel’s restaurants. To make new additions feel comfortable, we have ‘Koffee With The GM’. The department heads and their line managers conduct quarterly feedback sessions with their associates to set goals for the coming quarter. Effective internal communication becomes indispensable in an organisation that has a strong national footprint. ‘Daily Packet’, our internal newsletter, is printed every single day at Marriott hotels across the world! Associates begin their day with it. Although every Hotel has its own unique feedback forum, the idea of getting employee views and implementing them is the same; be it the Valentine Box at the Renaissance Mumbai Hotel & Convention Centre, the Query Book at Goa Marriott Resort or Reach Ramesh at the Hyderbad Marriott Hotel & Convention Centre. The Award of Excellence was established in 1987 as a lasting tribute to the company’s founder, J. Willard Marriott’s ideals of achievement, character, dedication, effort, and perseverance. We also periodically and worldwide conduct an online Associate Opinion Survey, especially designed to ensure a high level of consistency, respondent confidentiality, and data security. This helps us understand and improve unit performance through a number of dimensions that predict associate engagement (that is, leadership excellence, personal growth, quality of life at work, teamwork, and total rewards). Q. What has been the biggest HR challenge for you? A. The challenge today is to keep the workforce well informed about the market. The more you involve them, the less they speculate. We communicate with our employees on a regular basis on why things look different from last year, making them a part of decision making. Q. How is the work culture at Marriott? A. We are an extended family! The work culture is based on the principle that our people are our biggest strength. We treat them like our own which reflects on the service and quality of our business. We encourage a healthy work environment that stimulates people to work to their maximum. We take pride in making a conscious effort to promote our people. In short, it is passionate, positive and full of fun! |
