Early on Saturday 3 May, 19 candidates arrived at the hotel on Albert Embankment to take part in an assessment centre. You can see how they got on in this short film.
For most it was their first experience of an interview and they were focussed on the possibility of a paid summer job. during the four hour session they learned about the hospitality industry and took part in group activities and one-to-one interviews.
The candidates heard first-hand how the hotel’s senior managers started out in the industry. Almost all of them began their careers in entry level positions – HR Manager, June Harvey, was a waitress before moving into human resources; Head Concierge, Bradley Davies, started out as a porter when he was just sixteen.
Summer holiday jobs were on offer in five areas of the hotel – kitchen, reception, room service, meetings and events, and human resources. Meetings and Events Manager, Ian Jackson, said “all the candidates today were really strong.” They impressed the staff so much that 16 students have been invited back to an induction session or a trial shift.
Many thanks to the students from Dunraven, Elmgreen School, Lambeth Academy, Lilian Baylis Technology School and St Martins-in-the-Field who took part in the day and the film.
More about the hospitality industry
Did you know?
- The hospitality industry employs over two million people in the UK in more than 220,000 organisations. That’s seven per cent of the working population.
- Between now and 2020, 660,000 employees will be needed in the hospitality sector – 16 per cent of these will be managers and directors.
- The hotel provision in Lambeth is expected to grow by 45 per cent over the next few years – that’s three hotels currently being built with another ten hotels and three hotel extensions with planning permission.
If you want to know about hospitality as a career you can visit the Hospitality Guild website.
Do you have experience of working in the hospitality sector? Let us know below.
