International hotel group Kempinski is identifying and nurturing its next generation of high potential managers with the help of a talent management solution from Cezanne Software.
Developing the talents of employees has always been a high priority for Kempinski, but the top management team recognised a more strategic and sophisticated approach would be required to support the group’s ambitious growth plans. The luxury hotel specialist already employs 17,000 people across the globe and is part-way through a period of expansion which will see it double in size by 2015.
In the fast-moving hospitality industry, employee turnover is typically high and particularly in the top tiers of management, good people are at a premium. The business needs to make sure it is retaining the best people and developing a pipeline of talented managers who will fulfil the organisation’s resourcing needs and business growth going forward.
“Kempinski is a rapidly growing company and we need to foster innovative and multi-cultural people management,” says Reto Wittwer, President and CEO.
“We believe our people are the key to our success as they are the ones, after all, delivering our brand promise to our guests. In the hospitality business, looking after people is of strategic importance.”
Maximising the potential of existing employees is particularly important, given Kempinski’s strong emphasis on a values-driven approach to leadership. It has a distinctive management style, quite unlike that found in other leading hotel chains, and needs people who are a good cultural fit and have the ‘Kempinski DNA’.
Henrike Gosemann, Kempinski’s VP Talent Development points out that one of the key advantages of Cezanne’s talent management system is that it enables the business to see the wider impact of any promotions or transfers it may be considering. “We are able to see a succession tree, so while we might have found the right candidate for one hotel, we might see that moving them out of their current role could create a bigger gap. This insight allows us reconsider and look elsewhere,” she explains.
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Julie Windsor, Operations Director at Cezanne Software says: “Cezanne Software worked closely with Kempinski to understand its requirements and configure a system to meet the organisation’s specific needs. With many years’ experience of delivering global talent management solutions we are in an ideal position to help other leading brands manage their talent successfully.”
Click here to read the Kempinski case study in full – http://www.cezannesw.com/contact/kempinski.aspx
