Finding The "Fit" That’s Perfect for You

We kicked off the spring recruiting season last week and surprisingly so many of the students we met wanted to know why Hyatt was my company of choice after college. Although I could have easily told them I chose Hyatt because of the great benefits, potential career growth, or industry reputation, I honestly chose Hyatt for two different reasons. The first reason was the Hyatt Recruiters I met while attending the National Society of Minorities in Hospitality (NSMH) national conference. These individuals conveyed such passion for both the industry and Hyatt as a company. They seemed to truly love their jobs. While interacting with them, I found myself thinking, “I want what they have”, I want to be just as ecstatic about the company I work for and if they feel this way about Hyatt then that’s where I have to be! The second reason, I chose Hyatt may seem like a small detail, but ultimately it solidified my feeling that Hyatt was the perfect fit for me. At the NSMH national conference, I interviewed with several different hotel companies. During my interview with a particular company, the recruiter discussed the company’s culture and their practice of calling people by their proper title and last name. For example if I were hired with this company, the staff in the hotel would call me Miss Goodwin and I would refer to my peers as Mr., Mrs., or Miss accordingly. I was 22 years old at the time and really not comfortable with being called Miss Goodwin. Honestly, I’m 33 years old now and still not comfortable being called Miss Goodwin. “Miss Goodwin” is just too formal and seems like a foreign person to me. I have no idea who Miss Goodwin is, then again, I take that back, I do know who she is…..Miss Goodwin is my mother! Hyatt’s mission is “to provide authentic hospitality”, in order for me to be authentic, to be my authentic self; I need to be Ronisha, not Miss Goodwin. I don’t want that barrier between me and those I work with or the guests that I serve. Hyatt encourages me to be my authentic self and this small component of Hyatt’s culture and our value of mutual respect on all levels, ultimately is what made the difference for me. My advice to students, really to all job-seekers, is to pay close attention to a company’s recruiter or hiring manager, this person represents the company and its culture. Determine if the recruiter’s body language, tone of voice, and spoken words convey to you both pride and satisfaction with their organization. When you interact with them, ask yourself if you would want to work alongside them? Would you choose them as a member of your team? Do you feel comfortable when you’re speaking to them? Do the words they say align with or contradict the company’s public image or information given on their website? Does the company’s mission, goals, and values, align with your own? More importantly, do they make you feel welcome to join their organization? No matter where I am or where my fellow College Recruiters, Brook and Heidi, are, we are always more than willing and excited to tell you about the company we all work for and love. We welcome the opportunity to answer your questions about our organization and hope that you’ll feel comfortable to call us by our first names!