Advancing the cause of women’s empowerment, Chalet Hotels and Chalet Hotels proudly present Westin, an establishment fully staffed by women, as part of their shared commitment to promoting gender equality and diversity within the hospitality industry. An initiative much awaited, it makes a mark within the industry and sends a positive message, highlighting the fact that age-old problems no longer hold women back from performing their best in every field.
“The seeds of this were actually planted about six years back when I opened as a GMV, the JW Marriott in Calcutta. We had an all-women front office there and they did a beautiful job. Every aspect of the front office, right from picking up bags to opening doors, was done by these smart, wonderful women. It was a huge success story. I remember it giving us a feeling of immense pride to have an all-women front office team. Marriott, like many other companies in the world, is extremely focused on diversity and inclusion. It’s not just about the hotel and an all-women team, but it is more about a statement that you make out in the community, in the society as to what is it that can be done by a woman. Every aspect of hotel business can be done by a woman,” said Ranju Alex, the Area Manager, South Asia, Marriott International.
While the company is committed to bringing a diverse and inclusive environment, it was not easy to find employees for each and every department. “We did have challenges along the way. It’s very difficult to manage a culinary department. In a lot of hotels, women are in very quintessential sub-departments like bakery and gardemanger. But you will rarely find them in hot kitchens. But we had a training ground in Westin. We got a lot of freshers and they got onto the bandwagon of this dream. We trained them for a good seven or eight months in the other hotel, which is about a kilometre from this hotel. And then we got them over. It’s taken a lot of focus, a lot of spirit and of course, a lot of training and hard work to get where we did,” said Alex.
The hotel ensures that women who join the organisation feel safe, secure, comfortable and supported throughout their journey. Right from flexible work hours, transport facilities, and maternity benefits, the hotel also has a Women’s Access Network (WAN) which is a network of all the former women employees of the organisation, coming together to support and help each other. “We foster a culture of sisterhood and accessibility. The women here shoulder their responsibilities perfectly,” said Neha Bose, the General Manager of Westin. “I start my day at 7 am and end it at 10:30 pm. It is a tough job but the hotel makes sure we are comfortable,” said Parul Jaiswal, Assistant Food & Beverages Manager. She also mentioned that once in a while fun activities are organised that help them to shed the stress that comes with the job.
The women, lacking no shred of confidence, talked positively about their jobs and said that breaking stereotypes and changing perceptions are required in a place where women are considered less equal than others but here, things are different. “Women naturally tend to show a little more empathy towards others and that works in the favour of the hospitality industry. Around 46 per cent of the workforce in the industry is made by women. I don’t think representation is a problem,” concluded Yojana Das, Rooms Division Manager.