Hilton is focused on creating the best, most inclusive home away from home for our Team Members, and we view recruitment as our first act of inclusion.
As there continues to be a need to recruit talent to meet the influx of demand, Hilton is launching its new global recruitment marketing campaign, “Every Job Makes the Stay.” Featuring Team Members, the campaign aims to enhance our brand as an employer of choice and show what makes working at Hilton so special.
Laura Fuentes, Hilton’s Chief Human Resources Officer, shared her perspective on the launch of the new campaign and why a career in hospitality at Hilton is worth pursuing.
Over the past three years, the hospitality industry has been one that faced labor shortages, yet now leisure and hospitality companies are among the fastest-growing employers. How has Hilton changed its approach to attracting new candidates?
"When the pandemic hit, we had to make heartbreaking decisions that sent a signal to the job market. Now that we’ve recovered, are stronger than ever, and have reestablished our position in the hiring market, we’re launching our new campaign, “Every Job Makes the Stay,” to show potential candidates that Hilton is a trusted, amazing employer where you can come for a job and stay for a career.
To support this effort, last year Hilton’s HR and Marketing teams partnered to launch our first global employer brand campaign, "Find Your Thing". The campaign produced positive results, with more than 560 million impressions and a 13% increase in visitors to our Careers website – but we saw there was still an opportunity to increase awareness and differentiate us as an employer. With “Every Job Makes the Stay,” we have another powerful tool to recruit top talent."What is the goal of “Every Job Makes the Stay,” and what makes it different from other recruitment efforts?
"When people think of job opportunities, particularly front line and hourly positions, other industries may come to mind first. “Every Job Makes the Stay” aims to disrupt this thinking and emphasize why a job in hospitality, and specifically at Hilton, brings unimaginable career opportunities. Hilton is an exceptional workplace, and we want candidates to understand what it’s really like to have a job here. Our goal is to break through the sea of sameness in recruitment marketing, so we sought to differentiate how we tell our story. Everything in our new campaign – from the messaging to the visuals – was thoughtfully designed to grab attention and drive consideration of Hilton as an employer. It also intentionally ties to our marketing platform, “Hilton. For the Stay,” to leverage the power of our marketing engine and broad awareness of the platform."Why did Hilton choose to include Team Members in the campaign?
"As a business of people serving people, we built this campaign as we always do – with our Team Members at the core. This campaign was inspired by our Team Members and mirrors how they talk about their jobs. At Hilton, we are guided by our purpose to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality by dreaming big and spreading hope at our hotels and in our communities. Our purpose engages, inspires, and connects our more than 430,000 Team Members around the world to deliver on the next 100 years of hospitality. It gives them deeper meaning and helps make work the best part of their lives.
We chose to feature our Team Members rather than hired actors because they can speak authentically to their experiences working at Hilton. We also wanted to show the breadth and variety of jobs available within our business and how our Team Members make the stay in fun and dynamic ways. They are the backbone of our business, and so they are among the best ambassadors to help us find talent for our growing teams."
How have the last several years changed what employees are looking for when applying for a job?
"The pandemic led to a lot of soul-searching, revealing what we as humans ultimately seek: a fully human experience at work. This is what we're trying to solve for and build to tap into the transcend needs of the workforce. Our goal is to meet these fundamental needs, so our Team Members operate in an environment that allows work to fit into their lives – and not the other way around. At Hilton, we want to be known as the land of great opportunity. Team Members want a workplace where they can come for a job and stay for a career, a place that affords them the opportunity to explore passions, be curious, and try new things. Our hotels offer so many ways to grow careers – and that doesn’t always have to be the traditional shot up the ladder. Careers at Hilton take all different paths to get Team Members where they want to go. We are also continuously innovating our benefits packages and programs that we know are meaningful for job seekers, including flexibility of shifts, flexibility of when they are paid, career mobility, debt-free education, and the Go Hilton travel program. The key is to create a culture that cultivates and nurtures our people so they can learn, grow, and thrive in their careers. We are honored to see our efforts paying off. Already this year, we have been recognized for our workplace culture by Great Place to Work in more than 20 countries, including topping the list in seven countries, and once again being recognized as the highest ranked hospitality company when we were named #2 on the Fortune Best Company to Work For list in the U.S."
What is one of the most important considerations Hilton makes when considering whether to hire a prospective Team Member?
"For our teams, we are looking for people who will be cultural contributors, not necessarily those who are a cultural fit. If you seek only a cultural fit in hiring, then you're looking to perpetuate the people you already have there. We encourage our hiring managers to think about what is missing on their teams when they are looking to recruit a new Team Member.
We will always look for and celebrate alignment to our values and find people who are as passionate about them as we are. If someone is bought in and isn’t excited by our purpose to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality or our values [hospitality, integrity, leadership, teamwork, ownership and now], then this isn't the right place for them – and that's okay."
