Who’s Gary Dodds? With a career in HR management spanning more than two decades, Gary has largely contributed to management practices in the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and North America. In his current position, Gary has played an instrumental part in turning business directions into effective HR goals, delivering an international best practice HR strategy at Marriott International Inc. and The Ritz-Carlton Hotel group. As an innate diplomat, with an exemplary work ethic and a strong emphasis on achieving results, Gary exercises considerable influence through his exceptional people skills, his strategic thinking ability, and his attention to detail. Here’s how our interview with Gary went: 1. How do you like living and working in the UAE? I find Dubai a great place to live and work in. It’s a modern city that puts people first and constantly invests in ensuring that it remains the economic powerhouse of the region. 2. What is your average day at work like? I work closely with the Middle East and Africa teams, be it with the senior leadership team, or directly with my own team of specialists. We work together to support our General Managers and their HR Directors and executive teams. These tasks run an entire gamut, ranging from strategic meetings on our Vision 2020 initiatives, working with our talent acquisition team, to reviewing the Aon Hewitt global competitor salary and benefits survey. From guiding a general manager on a labour relations issue, to reviewing the hiring contract of a general manager, visiting a hotel in pre-opening and reviewing their on-boarding progress for new hires, or taking part in a conference call to review the new Voyage Graduate Program virtual campus, my daily responsibilities are very diverse and far-reaching. 3. What is the most important thing you look for in new hires? Integrity, honesty, a passion for the industry and what they do, proved leadership, and a solid career path endowed with multi-cultural experiences. 4. What is the biggest challenge you face in hiring talent? Talent acquisition is our key focus for the next 5 years. The challenge here is marketing to, and finding sufficient talent, which is the key to supporting business growth. 5. What is your advice to someone looking to start their career in the hospitality industry? Ask yourself these questions: Do I feel passionate about the industry? Am I willing to work the extra hours? Am I willing to use my education and personality to succeed in this field? If your answer to all of these questions is “yes”, then you are 100% ready to embark in a career in the hospitality industry. 6. What has been the highlight of your career? Wherever I am “now” is a culmination of lifetime experiences. I’ve had the opportunity to live and work in Europe, the Middle East & Africa, Asia Pacific, and North America. When asked which country did I most enjoy living and working in, my wife and I always answer quite genuinely the same each time; “the one we’re in.” And right now, I love what I do. I absolutely enjoy working for Marriott and The Ritz-Carlton Hotels Companies, and I love Dubai. 7. What do you read to keep abreast of industry developments? I read a whole spectrum of industry and non-industry related resources, both online and offline, that are about the industry in general, and the HR profession in particular. 8. How do you think the Middle East has evolved when it comes to HR policies and practices? The Middle East is part of the modern world and successfully adopts international best practices, in order to conform to local laws and customs. Two years ago, I founded the Middle East & Africa HR Counsel with a vision to bring together the heads of HR of all major hotel groups in the region. The Council now has more than ten hotels. Members meet quarterly to exchange ideas pertinent to the HR industry in the region. 9. As part of a company that has been voted as one of the Top Companies to Work for by GPTW what advice would you like to share with our community of Bayt.com Employers? The Marriott culture, which covers all brands – from The Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott luxury portfolio, down to our limited service brands – puts our employees first. Mr. Marriott famously said “put your employees first and they will take care of your customers.” When our employee satisfaction scores go up, our guest satisfaction scores also do, which leads to repeat business, revenue growth, profits, and good return on investment. Living and breathing this culture is the key. Treating people with dignity and respect and ensuring that your leaders at all levels do that too are all components of a winning culture. We’re probably the only global hotel company which is a public company that has 6 family members in key positions, including Mr. Marriott as Chairman and his children, all in key management positions. Family values are what make us different because we can truly say that we act as a family, and few other global organizations can say that.
