Over 70 hotels from across the country gathered at the Irish Hotels Federation’s inaugural Quality Employer Awards, which took place last week at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Athlone.
The awards recognise hotel teams that have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to excellence in people development and HR best practices through their participation in the IHF’s Quality Employer Programme.
The Connacht Hotel was awarded Quality Employer Advanced Level Certification in recognition of achievements in HR best practices and people management.
HR Manager for the Connacht Hospitality Group Jacquiline O Dowd said, this recognition reflects the dedication, passion, and professionalism of our entire team, who truly make The Connacht Hotel a great place to work and build a career.”Chair of the awards judging panel Dr Donagh Davern, Munster Technological University (MTU ), said: “The judging panel were delighted to see evidence of a people-centric approach and the progress made in elevating the employer brand of the hotel profession. All of the finalists showed an outstanding commitment to employee onboarding, engagement, performance management, learning, career development, community involvement, flexibility, diversity, inclusion and the cultivation of a positive people culture in their organisations.
Congratulating the over 70 hotels that recently certified as IHF Quality Employers, Mr Magner added: “It is an honour to be among so many inspiring HR leaders to celebrate the very best of people development across our hotels and guesthouse sector. Each and every property that participates in our Quality Employer Programme is striving for the same goal - to make their hotel a wonderful place to work and build a career. The importance of this cannot be overstated; our people are the beating heart of our industry.”
“And what an amazing profession we have – with over 67,000 livelihoods directly supported by hotels and guesthouses and over 270,000 supported by our wider tourism industry. As we can all attest, empowered and supported people make such a vital contribution to our sector – they are the defining characteristic of any successful hotel.
The IHF’s Quality Employer Programme provides member hotels and guesthouses with the tools and resources to enhance their HR practices and excel in people development. QEP Certification recognises workplaces that demonstrate excellence in their employment practices, promoting their commitment to operating as a Quality Employer.
