Starwood signs UN Women’s Empowerment Principles, continues focus on women’s talent development
Singapore, March 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Celebrating International Women’s Day, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.’s Asia Pacific division announced that, building on its existing talent programs, it has introduced a strategic roadmap to empower female employees through a series of new initiatives. Additionally, Starwood Asia Pacific has signed the United Nations Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs), committing to advancing women’s rights and career advancement opportunities in the workplace and within the organization.
Mr. Stephan Ho, President of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Asia Pacific, emphasized: “Diversity and inclusion are core elements of Starwood’s business strategy. Their importance is further underscored during this annual celebration of International Women’s Day. By signing the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles, we further demonstrate that Starwood is a quality employer that treats all employees equally. We will continue our efforts to build a strong platform for the development of female talent and management.”
The UN Women’s Empowerment Principles consist of seven principles that guide businesses on how to uphold women’s rights in the workplace and organizational structure. These include establishing high-level corporate leadership for gender equality and enhancing education and training for female employees to support their career development.
Following extensive internal research globally, Starwood has decided to focus on cultivating more female leaders and deploying a comprehensive strategic roadmap to increase the number of female general managers worldwide. This strategic roadmap includes multiple initiatives, projects, and training programs aimed at nurturing and reserving talent for senior female positions. In addition, Starwood Asia Pacific has developed the “Starwood Career Care” integrated talent management and development program based on the region’s unique needs, which has achieved great success. Starwood will build on this momentum to further consolidate the results achieved. Since 2003, the program has successfully trained over 10,600 corporate employees at various levels, with a number of outstanding women emerging and being promoted to general manager positions, accounting for nearly 72% of all female general managers in the group today.
Starwood Asia Pacific will also strengthen and expand a range of mentoring programs in the region. The “Women’s Initiative Network” is one such example. This program pairs female employees in Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia with mentors for in-depth discussions about their career development.
Starwood China will hold a “Starwood Recruitment Day” on April 17, 2015, followed by the first-ever “Starwood Recruitment Month” across the entire Asia Pacific region in June 2015. Last year’s “Starwood Recruitment Day” was a great success, with over 120 hotels in the region collectively offering more than 25,000 job positions. The “Starwood Recruitment Month” will not only be a continuation of previous activities but will also bring new energy. In addition to recruitment, various events will be held to promote the core value of talent diversity and focus on the career planning and development of internal talent.
Ms. Claudia Al-Bala’a, Senior Vice President of Human Resources for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Asia Pacific, said: “Starwood’s rapid growth and success globally fundamentally stem from our exceptional employees. By signing the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles, we are not only aligning with our focus on developing female talent but also providing them with a springboard for advancement, paving the way for more women to join Starwood’s leadership.”
Guided by the strategy of creating conditions for the development of female talent, Starwood Asia Pacific responded to an initiative by Diageo and collaborated with other members of the Hospitality Industry Pipeline Coalition to release a white paper a week ago. In the report, Starwood describes how it has successfully addressed talent shortages through careful talent selection, improving employee quality, internal promotion, and leveraging Starwood’s diverse and inclusive corporate culture as talent development strategies. The report provides valuable resources for forward-looking analysis of the hospitality industry and the current state of the workplace.
Starwood remains one of the fastest-growing hotel companies in the Asia Pacific region. The region currently employs over 74,500 people, 42% of whom are women, with 38% holding senior positions. Starwood Asia Pacific currently operates 290 hotels in total, with 30 new hotels opened in the region in 2014 alone, spanning nine distinct brands.
About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading companies in the world’s hotel and leisure industry, with more than 1,200 properties in 100 countries and territories and over 180,000 hotel team members in its owned, managed, and franchised properties. As a globally recognized brand, Starwood is a comprehensive group that serves as owner, operator, and franchisor of hotels, resorts, and residences. Its well-known brands include: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le Méridien®, Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, Aloft®, and Element®. Starwood also owns the industry-leading and highly acclaimed SPG loyalty program, where members can earn and redeem points for free hotel stays, room upgrades, and flights with no blackout dates. Starwood also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., whose villa-style resorts and VIP privileges across Starwood brands deliver world-class vacation experiences. For more information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com/cn.eRidgeway®), Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, Aloft®, and Element®. Starwood boasts an industry-leading and highly acclaimed loyalty program — SPG, where members can earn points and redeem them for hotel stays, room upgrades, and flights, all without blackout dates. Starwood also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., whose villa-style resorts and VIP privileges across Starwood brands deliver a world-class vacation experience. For more information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com/cn.