HR technology has been evolving at an exponential rate, with recent breakthrough solutions based on the management and optimization of hospitality’s greatest challenge, resource, and opportunity: people.

These new and emerging solutions also provide a level of customization that is transforming HR decision making and problem solving. In this session, Luke and Dave will share what they have learned in their work to integrate the most advanced and real-time HR solutions that are needed to support the growth at CAVA, one of the fastest-growing quick casual restaurant concepts in the U.S.

In this session HR leaders will gain insights on how Cornell Executive Education can help your organization engage, develop and retain your key talent in the hospitality industry and take your teams to the next level. Through our “One Cornell” approach we provide professional development resources from across our schools and academic network. An interactive panel, consisting of members from Hospitality Open and Custom programs, eCornell and ILR Human Resources programs, will discuss current offerings and feature interesting client case studies. Come hear how Cornell is working with our clients to combine faculty research with the most up to date industry best practices in order to address business and workplace challenges within organizations all over the globe.

Team members with a true commitment to and passion for hospitality have been the guarantors of the industry’s success for generations.  But with an extremely tight job market and a high turnover rate, the challenge of attracting and retaining such team members has never been greater. In this general session, hear from experts with ZipRecruiter, HCareers and SalesBoost on how and why you should adapt your culture and environment to align with the values and needs of a changing workforce in order to continue drawing and keeping the necessary talent. The growing obstacles to the hospitality sector’s career appeal and the unique characteristics of its workforce will be discussed from an analytics perspective prior to the panel engaging in a robust discussion leading to a set of action items and ideas for organizations of all sizes to implement.

Many hospitality companies have complex brands that are influenced by a wide array of sometimes competing factors – from the owner’s priorities, to the competitive conditions that are specific to a particular location. However, while trainers have dutifully attempted to account for the subtle yet important distinctions among the competing interests, most efforts fall short in developing the requisite knowledge and skills. In this session, Melissa and Finley will share their experiences in designing and implementing brand-focused training programs that help new and experienced employees alike become more brand savvy and thus, more effective.

Diversity goes beyond what we can see about an individual from the outside – it includes an individual’s “hidden diversity”. In this session, Denise and Holly will present an overview of their collaboration to create a “full inclusion culture” at The Breakers. They will address a number of specific programs and initiatives – such as gender change benefits and robust education for those who suffer from depression, mental disorders, anxiety, and stress – and discuss the respective implications for ensuring program success, including the foundations for facilitating a high-trust work environment that directly affects a company’s business success.

Finding sustainable sources of talent and making effective selection decisions remains one of the most critical HR tasks, and those who are seeking employment opportunities have a very strong upper hand. In this session, Greg and Jim will discuss data-driven methods that level the playing field and create innovative and robust solutions for finding and hiring the best employees.

This is a special opportunity to spend time with one of the most inspirational and insightful HR executives in the hospitality industry. Debbie Brown will reflect on her three and a half decades of HR leadership experience with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts (and other notable hospitality companies), and share her passion and experiences from working with tens of thousands of employees throughout her storied career.