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A Director of HR’s Experience during a Hotel Transition

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Today, I invited Ms. Britney Bubrowski, the Director of Human Resources (HR) at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Syracuse to speak in my Hospitality Human Resource Management class. She shared with us her experience in the time when the hotel went through a transition from a Renaissance Hotel (a Marriott brand) to a Crowne Plaza Hotel (an IHG brand).

Usually, executives will leave a company either voluntarily or involuntarily when there is a shift of ownership, CEO, a brand, or a management company. In Britney’s case, she is among the two executives who stayed. According to Britney, she stayed because she, as the Director of HR, connected with employees. HR is the “go-to” department when employees have concerns about their career or the future of the company. It is important for her to stay during the transition process so that those who worry about their future can find a “trustful” person to talk to. 
Personally, I believe that Britney’s positive attitude towards changes also help her secure the position under new leadership. Changing from a Renaissance Hotel to a Crowne Plaza Hotel means way more than just switching the logo --- from payroll and standardized operation procedures to organizational culture, everything is different. If Britney were not flexible or had a negative attitude towards changes, she would not have survived the transition.
If you were in the class today, what are your takeaways from Britney’s experience? If you were not in the class, how important are flexibility and the ability of adopting new ideas in a person’s career?
References:
The picture of the Crowne Plaza Syracuse was downloaded from Hotel-Rates.com.
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Comments

  1. Kristine LeeOctober 17, 2011 at 8:58 PM

    I generally agree with the idea that one has to be flexible in order to overcome the changes of a company. Being able to adapt and assimilate to the changes and reconstruction of a company has its advantages and disadvantages but I believe that the employers of the company should deal with it, in a way that would use the opportunity to bring a positive change to the company. The fact that Britney stayed with the company and was able to adapt to the changes of the hotel is definitely something everyone in the hospitality industry should practice, no matter what the situation is. She mentioned in class how you cannot always be so structured and have a rigid schedule, which I agree with and, is in fact true, especially in the hospitality industry because not everything will go the way you expect things to go. There will always be be issues that pop out of no where and as employers, manager, supervisors, etc.. one must be able to accommodate to the situation and solve it in a calm, collective manner.

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  2. Sara Hwang HPM 314October 18, 2011 at 11:13 AM

    I think Ms. Burbrowski had a fast jump start in the Human Resources department. She had the experience of the interviewing process for her future boss of HR Director. Luckily she was the one to be asked to be HR (Director change to Manager) Manager. Also, she went online to get her graduate degree in Human Resources as she worked after college. She had an experience of going through the transition from one hotel brand to another hotel brand change. The owners decided not to close down the hotel as most hotels do not. Staying and securing her position allowed a comfort for the employees, which is a positive factor.

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  3. Samara SchlossmanNovember 14, 2011 at 1:22 PM

    I felt that Ms Burbrowski presentation in class was informative and perfect to hear for students in an HR class pursuing a career in the hospitality industry. I agree with her in the fact that one has to be extremely flexible in a job and be able to adapt to changes and different ideas very quickly. Her story about transitioning from under one management to another, while staying positive and secure in her position was inspiring. It sounded like she went through some difficult times and was constantly put in the position to make executive decisions by herself, but she always stayed calm and on top of her responsibilities. She was a young woman with the drive to succeed and I think her presentation to us was exactly what we needed to hear as young students about to enter the real world.

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