Alan Simpson has worked in the hospitality industry for nearly 20 years. His earlier career includes working in the UK, and later in 1996 working with Walt Disney World Co. in Orlando (US) as a Disney Trainer. After joining Jumeirah in 2004 Alan managed the Training and Consultancy department at the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management, later moving on to Regional Training at the Training Centre. In January 2010 Alan took over the Jumeirah Management Recruitment Team which concentrates on recruitment using a direct hire model through different channels, including social media. In his current position with Jumeirah, Alan is responsible for talent management and resourcing. Here's how our interview with Alan Simpson went.
1. How do you like living and working in the UAE? I love it. Living here is great and allows you to have a great lifestyle with great weather. I don’t miss scraping ice off my car like I did when I lived in the UK. Working here is amazing, with the diversity of the colleagues I work with and learning about the different cultures. 2. What is your average day at work like? I start my day very early at around 5.30am in the gym at Madinat Jumeirah. This allows me to focus on the day ahead. I get into the office around 7.30am and check the social networks. Social networking is a big part of our recruitment strategy, so I like to check what has come in overnight every day. Depending on what I am working on, I may have interviews scheduled which I prefer to do in the morning. I deal with a lot of inquiries to work for us so I answer all of those and encourage jobseekers to apply through our career page. I work closely with the HR Directors and Managers, as well as our Jumeirah Leadership Team, to make sure we are aligned with what the business needs are. 3. What is the most important thing Jumeirah Group looks for in new hires? Passion for hospitality and looking after our guests and customers. With a diverse portfolio ranging from water parks, education, restaurants and of course luxurious hotels and residences, we have so many different roles in our company but we all have one purpose: to give our guests a reason to return, and for our business partners to enjoy doing business with us. We can have the most luxurious hotels in the world and the best restaurants and waterpark, but if those who work here don’t have a passion for hospitality in their heart, our guests won’t come back. 4. What is the biggest challenge you face in hiring talent? Each and every one of the 10,000 applicants we receive per month who wish to work with us are important to us and we need to reply to each one of those applications. Among those 10,000 we need to find the one that can deliver a unique guest or customer experience. There lies the challenge. We are lucky at Jumeirah as we have an amazing In-house Recruitment Team who look through those applications and speak to those candidates who have passed the questions that we attach to every role we advertise. 5. What is your advice to someone looking to start their career in the hospitality industry? Having credibility will help you go a long way in hospitality. Standing in front of a team in a pre-shift meeting, understanding what they are going through on a busy Thursday night or sitting in your office in sales and marketing and understanding that every campaign you launch has an effect on the teams in the hotels and resorts. I urge people starting their careers to work in operations, in Food &Beverage or Rooms and Housekeeping and live the life on the shop floor, then move into the support functions when you have gained some experience. 6. What has been the highlight of your career? Before a recent recruitment trip to the Philippines, we had done a lot of prework to make sure we had the best candidates. We didn’t want to interview hundreds of candidates but a pre-selected group of 50 who were the right fit culturally for Jumeirah and also has the passion for hospitality. We interviewed in the Philippines over the following two days, and then asked all of the candidates to meet back at the interview location at the end of the day. We sat them down and gave them the news that they had all been hired. The reaction was amazing, screams, shouting, cheering and most of all the thanks we got for hiring them. I will never forget the look on their faces…amazing! 7. What do you read to keep abreast of industry developments? I read online blogs and magazines on the Internet, and friends who work in hospitality in Europe send me articles so they keep me up to speed. 8. How do you think the Middle East has evolved when it comes to HR policies and practices? Jumeirah have always been leaders in HR policies and best practices, that’s why I have stayed with the Group for so long as they are fair in everything they do. The Middle East is like any other region of the world when it comes to HR; it is always challenging and I keep learning how to do things better.
