Being Recognized As a Great Place to Work
It was a great event because I could hear, on a panel, all the things companies are doing to care for their hourly workers. Most of us on the panel were in the service business and we all said, the hourly worker is the face of our company. The hourly worker is the person who interacts with the customer and our customer service depends on whether those hourly workers are well trained, enjoy their work and enjoy working with customers. It’s a very important thing for us to have the right people in the right job at the hourly level.
Our terrific associates are the cornerstone of our success. Their hard work and dedication to provide great service keeps our guests coming back again and again. And, to show appreciation for all they do, we work hard to ensure that our associates have a healthy work environment and are well cared for.
When my folks first founded our company with a nine stool A&W root beer stand, they ran their business under the principle that if you take care of your associates, they will take care of the customer and the customer will come back again and again. One of my parents’ main objectives was making sure their workforce was always in good health, and they started the first healthcare system in our industry back in 1935 by hiring a doctor whose full time job was taking care of our employees.
Today, we operate by the same principle and provide all of our full time hourly associates with comprehensive health care coverage. Even during the recession of the past few years, when many of our hourly associates had to work reduced hours, we worked to ensure they could still maintain coverage for themselves and their families.
We also strive to provide our associates with a workplace where they feel valued and have opportunities to grow. For example, Christine Dowling Lopez came to the U.S. seven years ago and began working at our JW Marriott hotel in Washington, D.C. She was an executive assistant in the banquets department. Today, she is an event supervisor and is in charge of a team that puts on many meetings and events, large and small. You can learn more about Christine and her career with Marriott by watching the video below.
Today’s event was a wonderful way to honor our associates around the world who take care of our guests every day and make Marriott a leader in the lodging industry. I thank each and every one of them for all they do.
I’m Bill Marriott and thanks for helping me keep Marriott on the move.
Being Recognized As a Great Place to Work
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