Cultivating Talent, Teamwork and Positivity
Neil Genel, who joined M&R in 2022 as its first corporate recruiter, has been promoted to talent acquisition manager, responsible for attracting top talent for the company’s 32 hotels and two corporate offices in New York, Missouri, Indiana, Illinois and West Virginia.
Neil’s deep roots in hotel operations make him an adaptable and relatable leader. He began his hospitality career as a dishwasher and worked at all levels of operations, from housekeeping and guest services to assistant general manager. His passion for the industry led him to pursue a degree in hotel management, and he never looked back.
Neil utilizes employee-centered tools such as the Predictive Index, a behavior assessment that gathers data to inform management and hiring decisions. The tool, which is used with both existing employees and prospective hires, helps place the right people in the right positions based on their strengths and motivations and offers managers insight on how to better communicate with employees.
“My focus is to foster a collaborative atmosphere,” Neil said. “Because everyone has different styles and communication needs, Predictive Index profiles help create self-awareness and more effective communication between managers and direct reports. Setting up employees for success based on what drives them has been a tremendous help in matching the right candidates with the right jobs.”
M&R’s emphasis on attracting top talent became even more important following the COVID pandemic, which shaped the way employees want to be treated.
“We’ve seen a big shift since COVID-19,” he said. “Employees are looking to work for companies that value people. They are more conscious about working for a company that makes them feel like they belong, that emphasizes employee well-being, work-life balance and a culture where they feel heard. They want to feel like they are part of the team and that they contribute to the company’s success. They want an employer that will listen to their concerns and help them grow in their careers.”
M&R responded to this cultural shift starting with changing the department name and staff titles, Neil said. “We wanted to make sure we were staying relevant in terms of employee expectations. While benefits and salary are still very important in attracting employees, it is company culture that will get them to stay. Renaming the department to People & Culture is a game changer that communicates the importance of people as a valuable asset and shows where we are headed as a company.”
To drive recruiting efforts, Neil attends career fairs and develops business partnerships with leading hospitality schools, notably Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, that offer tuition discounts to employees.
“I love to see people grow,” he said. “M&R believes in promoting from within the organization whenever possible. The key is to offer employees a career path, not a dead-end job.”
Culture also plays a role in onboarding new employees. “We have successfully updated job descriptions, streamlined processes and conducted executive training to make sure everyone is on the same page,” Neil said. “We developed an opening training checklist and conduct 30- and 90-day employee check-ins to make sure they’re still feeling good about their jobs."
Compensation and benefits are still important, but Neil said the company no longer views them as the primary drivers: “People seek great employers and a great company culture. It’s a primary need that we see in recruiting, and the companies that do this will always be a couple of steps ahead.”
