Co-op students. First, best stop for recruiting workers
July 3, 2009
The Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria, a 477 room hotel and one of 120 Fairmont hotels worldwide, hires co-op students from the Hotel and Restaurant Management (HMGT) program at Camosun on a regular basis; optimally two every year. Over the years many of these students have gone on to work for Fairmont hotels after graduation and now hold management positions.
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| Kate Zuyderduyn (l), Empress HR Advisor and HMGT grad and Catherine Cliff (r), former Empress HR Manager and HMGT grad |
Glen Merx, Human Resources Advisor, Recruitment, at the Fairmont Empress appreciates having a strong relationship with Camosun College. “Hiring is easier as a result of the building of relationships with Camosun. Having Rebecca Wilson-Mah, former HR Manager at the Fairmont Empress, as a contact who really understands the Fairmont culture is very helpful – she knows which students would fit,” says Merx.
The Co-op connection
The connection with HMGT co-op students begins when Merx visits the class in the fall of their first year to talk about the hotel business; the students are invited to come to the hotel for a tour in January for a more in depth view; and, when the students are preparing to apply for co-op work terms, Merx participates in mock interviews.
In these tough economic times, not all employers are able to offer co-op positions to students; however, there are other ways to help prepare students for the workforce. The Fairmont Empress, along with several other local hotels, hosted and participated in mock interviews with co-op students. Merx points out the advantages of participating in these interviews and getting to know the students, stating that it is helpful to have already met some of the students who subsequently apply for a position with the Fairmont Empress.
Co-op students are placed in entry level positions according to their previous experience and have a two week training period giving them the opportunity to learn the Fairmont culture, mission statement, values, history and standards. Merx believes in open communication and encourages students to come up with ideas and implement these ideas with supervision. “Students bring educational background and can often offer suggestions for improvements. They have a fresh outlook which is highly valuable,” says Merx.
Strong relationship
The strong relationship between Camosun and the Fairmont Empress was demonstrated in the fall of 2007, when Jennifer Woppenkamp, Food and Beverage Manager, intrigued by the number of fellow graduates of the Camosun HMGT program working at the Empress, arranged with the hotel to host an event to gather everyone together. 17 former Camosun HMGT students currently working at the hotel attended this event. Many Camosun grads who have now moved on continue their careers with Fairmont Hotels outside Victoria, in fact, worldwide.
Since her graduation from the HMGT program in 2001, Catherine Cliff has spent eight years working for Fairmont Hotels. Cliff’s co-op work terms provided her with diverse experience, as she spent her first work term in a well established boutique style hotel in England and her second in a brand new 400+ room hotel at Whistler. Working internationally paired with the challenges of a brand new hotel prepared Cliff very well for a career in hospitality, and upon her graduation in 2001, Cliff was hired at the Fairmont Empress as a reservation agent. Cliff quickly moved on to the HR department, experiencing several different roles and ultimately leading to a transfer to Cairo in January 2008. There, Cliff helped facilitate the opening of the Fairmont Nile City. In the last year, Cliff has travelled with Fairmont as part of a recruitment task force throughout the Middle East, Africa, Sri Lanka and India in search of talented colleagues for the hotels. Cliff feels very fortunate to have had such an amazing opportunity with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and looks forward to many more years with the company. “I know my experience at Camosun has contributed greatly to my success – when I’m recruiting new colleagues for our hotels, I always look out for Camosun grads as I know the instruction they are getting is useful and remains relevant in this ever-changing industry.”
