The chain, which already employs more than 560 people, has four openings scheduled for this year and “plans to recruit another 50 new employees during this year.”
Hilton has a “ambitious growth strategy in Portugal” and, over the next three years, plans to open nine hotels and double its hotel network in Portugal. This year, the chain, which already employs more than 500 people, intends to open four new locations with an estimated investment of 60 million euros and to add 50 employees to its teams.
“As part of our ambitious growth strategy in Portugal, we plan to open nine additional hotels across the country over the next three years, more than doubling our current offering. We currently have over 560 employees in the teams of our eight hotels in Portugal, and we expect to hire many more for our upcoming openings,” David Kelly, senior vice president for Continental Europe at Hilton, explains to PP Work. However, the responsible party does not specify the expected number of new jobs or the anticipated investment.
“There are currently hundreds of vacancies in various functions throughout Europe and at the hotels we manage in Portugal (which account for roughly half of our portfolio), and we already have plans to hire another 50 new employees this year,” says the head of the hotel chain that, after the Tapestry Collection by Hilton, in Porto, has plans to open, still this year, the Hilton Garden Inn Evora, the Legacy Hotel Cascais, Curio Collection by Hilton and Doutor Hotel.
With these new openings in 2023, the chain, which already employs more than 560 people, will increase the number of positions in Portugal to eight, despite the market’s talent shortage. According to government statistics, there are at least 50,000 unfilled positions in the restaurant and lodging industries.
“There are many reasons to choose a career in hospitality, but at Hilton we provide the best working environment and a set of very attractive conditions and benefits – many opportunities for training, career development and advancement, to work and interact with people from different backgrounds, to explore and develop new skills and to travel,” says David Kelly, when asked what initiatives the chain was implementing to increase its appeal to talent.
The wellbeing of our employees and guests has always been and will continue to be our top priority. The manager continues, “Initiatives to support employee wellness include mental health and wellness programs, a new employee app, and various tools to assist our managers and leaders in assisting and supporting their teams.”
betting on instruction
The company – recognized by Best Workplaces Portugal as a Great Place to Work for the fourth year in a row – indicates that it offers a “set of attractive benefits” to its employees, such as the “Go Hilton” travel discount program, which can be enjoyed not only by employees but also by their families and friends, and access to various wellness programs.
“We provide everyone with diverse opportunities for career growth and development through the availability of a vast catalog of training through our Hilton University with diverse e-learning content in such important areas as leadership, communication, problem solving, and customer service to help them achieve their professional goals at all stages of their professional and career path,” he emphasizes.
The training also enables the chain to attract candidates without necessarily having industry experience. David Kelley explains, “Because of our industry-leading training methods, we are able to attract and hire candidates without prior hospitality experience.”
“We welcome graduates from hotel and business schools and invest in people who bring experience from other sectors because the most important thing to us is to find people who are motivated and passionate about what they do, willing to learn and work as a team, with a positive attitude, and who want to provide unforgettable experiences for our guests,” he adds.
Collaboration with hotel schools, participation in job fairs, and employee referrals are a few of the initiatives implemented to recruit talent. The Senior Vice President for Continental Europe of Hilton explains, “When we are recruiting, we invite our candidates to come to the hotels to meet the department heads and human resources team members, their future colleagues, and their workplace, as well as to get a feel for Hilton’s vision and values even before they begin their jobs.”
However, the company does not disclose the chain’s salary update policy, stating only that it offers “competitive salaries and benefits” and conducts “regular surveys of specific market salary levels, adjusting ours as necessary.”
The various departments in our hotels are also equipped with incentive programs that reward employees for achieving goals and allow them to increase their income.
Hilton operates hotels in more than 123 countries worldwide. In Continental Europe, it is planning more than 150 hotels.
