Hospitality, Education and Purposeful Gen Z

In the second episode of the new season of Accor’s industry leading podcast, Heart of Hospitality, Duncan O’Rourke, host and CEO Accor Northern Europe, speaks to Dr Inès Blal, the Executive Dean and Managing Director Haute Ecole & Academia SA, part of the EHL Group. They exchange on the fundamentals of education in hospitality, the importance of purpose and authenticity when attracting young talents into the industry, and how being part of a team creates everlasting memories.

The first woman and youngest person to hold the position of Dean since the creation of the school in 1893, Dr Inès Blal assumed the deanship in August 2017. Inès holds a PhD in Strategic Management in Hospitality and Tourism from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, an MBA in Hospitality Administration from EHL, and a bachelor’s degree in International Business from the INSEEC Group. Ines describes EHL as being “at the crossroad of hospitality and education”.

Ines’ message to hotel GMs around the world was clear, “make sure that you know that you have people that are passionate about the industry and everything that it brings, and make sure that you deliver to them the context and the structure, to be able to live that passion.”

In the podcast, the hospitality leaders discuss the work of EHL, the highly valuable and sough-after ‘soft’ skills of the hospitality sector, and the importance of developing the incredible and unique human capital in the sector.

“Our role at EHL is human development – to guide and tutor talents to help them understand what they are looking for,” explains Ines. “Every person will have their own personal intrinsic motivation, each one of them will have a purpose and we help them define their own measurement for success and to co-create their professional vision.”

On the topic of Gen Z, Duncan and Ines discussed the shifting priorities and aspirations of the emerging generation as they start their professional lives. “This new generation, they really look for a purpose. If they're going to work, they want that work to mean something. And it is super inspiring. They want to work for people and businesses with authenticity, that are walking the talk.”

Commenting on the episode, Duncan O’Rourke, Heart of Hospitality host and CEO Accor Northern Europe said: “Together, the hospitality sector and world-renowned hospitality and business schools, of the calibre of EHL, nurture talents. We help define professional careers, celebrate the diversity of each individual and help shape the career and impact they could each have professionally. Students from EHL are sought after by some of the biggest businesses in the world, both in and out of hospitality. This is because of the incredibly valuable, powerful and transferable skills that thrive in the hospitality sector. Lifelong ‘soft skills’, coupled with creativity, innovation, management and care, are the backbone of this sector and skills to be cherished.”

Ines added: “Working in a hotel at the start of my career my colleagues and I had to deliver a banquette for 1000 people, and I was doing the service, moving between the elegant atmosphere at the dinner table and the pace of the kitchen. It was a team effort, intense, focused and sometimes so quiet because everybody was concentrating so hard on delivering the next dish perfectly. And I thought, wow, this is so exciting. I still have goosebumps thinking about it and it was 25 years ago. The collaboration, management, effort and preparation ensured a stunning result. It was just fantastic. We felt so proud about delivering that service in such intense circumstances. And for me, that's the summary of hospitality – togetherness, you truly feel that you are part of something.”

The Heart of Hospitality podcast is part of a pan-European industry platform of the same name, built to tell stories of the sector and its people. Accor is inviting stories from across the industry to be shared via #HeartOfHospitality

To listen to the full episode, visit https://heart-of-hospitality.com/podcast/ or find the podcast on Spotify and other leading Podcast platforms.

For more information and more stories from hospitality, visit https://heart-of-hospitality.com/

About Accor, a world-leading hospitality group

Accor is a world leading hospitality group offering experiences across more than 110 countries in 5,700 properties, 10,000 food & beverage venues, wellness facilities or flexible workspaces. The Group has one of the industry's most diverse hospitality ecosystems, encompassing more than 45 hotel brands from luxury to economy, as well as Lifestyle with Ennismore. Accor is committed to taking positive action in terms of business ethics & integrity, responsible tourism, sustainable development, community outreach, and diversity & inclusion. Founded in 1967, Accor SA is headquartered in France and publicly listed on the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange (ISIN code: FR0000120404) and on the OTC Market (Ticker: ACCYY) in the United States. For more information visit group.accor.com or follow us on X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok.