Heyward Group was engaged by the Head of Operations for the Hotels Management Division of a private real estate and leisure investment firm headquartered in London, with properties across the UK, USA, Europe, and the Caribbean.
The client identified that their hotel middle managers lacked the necessary skills to meet the expectations of emerging talent, and that General Managers felt insufficiently supported by their teams. Young professionals increasingly seek employers who not only recognise hard work and loyalty but also offer tangible rewards, perks, and clear advancement opportunities. Attracting younger candidates to the hospitality sector has become challenging, as they now prioritise work-life balance. These candidates are also motivated to work under personable leaders who can teach them and provide valuable experience.
The role of General Managers has become progressively more complex and demanding. Success now requires them to be versatile leaders—capable of managing daily operations, focusing on guest satisfaction, driving the investment performance of their properties, and developing their staff.
Additionally, the client’s employer branding and market visibility were low, which made it difficult to attract qualified, talented candidates.
The challenge that was set for Heyward Group was to
Heyward Group established an ambitious Graduate Program in close collaboration with multiple departments across the organisation, including General Managers and Learning and Development teams, to ensure its successful implementation. The program specifically targeted university graduates specialising in hospitality.
A series of workshops was implemented to onboard new graduates and assess their skills through Harrison Assessments behavioural profiling exercises. Participants gained exposure to a range of hotel market sectors, including city, country, and resort properties.
The program consisted of an 18-month curriculum featuring three-month placements at various properties, providing hands-on experience in rooms division, food and beverage, human resources, revenue management, finance, sales, and marketing. Rotations were designed to help participants appreciate the unique characteristics of each property type.
An online training component supported ongoing development, structured around six key areas of hotel operations. A key assignment, aligned with specific learning objectives, required graduates to complete and present a capstone project at the conclusion of the 18-month program.
The programme was implemented successfully across multiple dimensions. The Client succeeded in attracting and recruiting high-calibre graduates. This initiative promoted collaboration among hotels, fostering the development of top talent for future management roles.
Graduates expanded their professional networks by working across the hotel portfolio and gained exposure to diverse managerial approaches and challenging commercial environments.
