J.B. Prevot - Graduate Testimonial

Hotel/Hotels/Location of your graduate programme: The Samuel Hotel

Stream: Human Resources

Can you tell us about the Dalata Graduate programme and your experience with this programme?

During twelve months I’ve been working with an HR Manager while being trained on the side by the central office team. It was an intense year; you learn a lot and you are being challenged a lot, but the outcome is truly worth it.

What is the most interesting project you have been involved in since you joined? The most interesting project for me during the programme was the budget presentation. I’ve been asked to present the HR KPI’s and stats to the board of direction, when I was about 7-8 months in the company. That was an amazing experience, and I was delighted to be trusted and supported to do it.

What is your favourite part of your job?

My favourite part of the programme was the level of initiative and freedom that was given to me as a Graduate. I was working with all departments and helping them finding new ideas. We would try one idea after the other, see if the results were good or not and either keep it or move on. You might think that hotels are quite linear in their ways of work but it’s actually changing all the time and that requires a lot of creativity and teamwork.

What prompted you to apply for the Dalata Graduate Programme?

I wanted to join the Dalata Hotel Group for a while before actually joining the Programme, unfortunately this was during COVID, so it was very challenging. Once the COVID situation got better, I started to apply for junior HR roles within the group, alongside the Graduate Programme which was successful.

What was your experience of the Dalata Graduate recruitment process?

All aspects of the recruitments process were great. People were extremely friendly and understanding. I was amazed by the level of equality and fairness all along, and the genuine interest and open mind regarding my profile considering I am foreign and had an atypical profile.

Have you any tips for someone else thinking of applying to the Dalata Graduate Programme?

I think the programme is what genuinely boosted my career, I was definitely not expecting to be where I am now, when I joined the programme. I was in a way taking a step back by becoming a graduate, but I definitely don’t regret it because what I got in return was ten times greater than where I’d be without the programme. If someone was to join the programme, all I could tell them would be to be themselves, and to give their best to achieve their goals because the Dalata Hotel Group will be supporting them the entire time, beyond expectations.

Could you please provide a brief overview of your journey since completing the graduate programme, including your current job title?

After the programme I joined a sister property as Assistant HR Manager, before going back to my first hotel as HR Manager a few months later. This happened extremely fast and was due to a concurrence of events, but I was delighted to go back to my first hotel and to be welcomed back by the hotel’s General Manager and the rest of the team. I have been there since and I’m very happy with my current team and situation. I am now teaching and training the new generations of HR Graduates in order to help them achieving their goals and it’s really amazing.