With its roots in Arabian hospitality and an increasing presence around the world, Jumeirah has set the bar in luxury over the last 20 years. The striking Burj Al Arab Jumeirah is a manifest symbol of this, and the brand’s international hotels, residencies, restaurants, workspaces, and wellness centers, echo the sentiment around the globe, as Director of Talent Acquisition, Kerry Robbins, explains.
“Jumeirah Group is a luxury hospitality company. We have 25 hotels across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, and we also have a water park, Wild Wadi, as part of our brand as well.”
5-Star talent
Based on the highest standards of hospitality excellence, Jumeirah’s unique brand of luxury requires the very best talent from Les Roches to make it happen. “As part of a leading luxury brand, we need the top talent to lead us forward and we believe that partnering with Les Roches helps us to do that”, Kerry said.
“I think the students are our future leaders, and they have a great entrepreneurial spirit, they’re confident, they’re thinking outside of the box, and they’re really problem-solving in terms of the way that they think about things and keeping up with future trends.”
Pathways to Jumeirah
With over 20 properties around the world, from the waterways of Madinat Jumeirah to the city streets of Frankfurt, the luxury hotel brand places a strong focus on the expertise each employee and intern brings to the table. “Now, we’ve had around 60 students joining us on internships and a good portion of those are from Les Roches”, Kerry commented.
“We offer a few things to Les Roches students at the careers fairs, one of those things is supporting them on the two internships that they do as part of their course. They then have two main pathways to join Jumeirah on a more permanent level once they graduate. The first is on our Graduate Management Programme and the second pathway is our direct hire position.”
Global expansion
After becoming a member of Dubai Holding in 2004, a new phase of growth and expansion has taken the brand worldwide, with Kerry heading up Talent Acquisition. “We are expanding globally now, so we also have opportunities in Europe: Spain, Germany, and London”, she commented.
“As we move into Asia, we have hotels in the Maldives and China as well and some more openings coming up in the next couple of years.”
Defining a Jumeirah employee
From the guest experience to articulating the brand story, Kerry is clear on what it takes to represent Jumeirah. “Service for us in Jumeirah is going beyond the guest’s expectations, so when I meet someone I want to understand what luxury service means to them and whether they have the ability to empathize with our guests. Empathy is really important”, she said.
“More and more guests come to us where they are wanting an experience, so not just to stay in a hotel. So being able to carve and craft those experiences for our guests is essential. We’re wanting to inspire our guests and tell the story of our brand and our hotels, so that’s something that’s increasingly important as well.”
[quote]“Just take a chance, take a risk”[/quote]
Kerry had motivational advice for anyone looking to build a career in hospitality. “There’s a quote that I heard which was ‘say yes and figure it out later’, so kind of going back to the learning every day and don’t worry if you’re not qualified to do something. Just take a chance, take a risk. Nothing bad ever came from saying ‘yes’ and getting involved.”
Thank you to Kerry for taking us inside one of the most luxurious hospitality brands in the world, and sharing how Les Roches students are helping Jumeirah deliver excellence.
Discover why more leading companies in hospitality – and beyond – choose to recruit their talent from Les Roches:
