Marriott recognised as 2017 'Middle East Best Employer'

Diane Fermin Roeder, October 5th, 2017

Global talent, retirement and health solutions provider Aon Hewitt has recognised Marriott International as 'Middle East Best Employer' at the recent Aon Best Employers – Middle East 2017 Awards Ceremony and Learning Conference.

Winners were selected based on achieving high levels of employee engagement, a culture of high performance, effective leadership and a compelling employer brand. and the winner was announced at the Aon Best Employers – Middle East 2017 Awards Ceremony and Learning Conference on October 2, 2017 at the Grosvenor House, Dubai.

“Marriott International has long been focused on developing talent in the markets in which we operate and being named 'Middle East Best Employer' is a real testament to this,” said David Leman, chief human resource officer, Middle East & Africa.

“Our core values make us who we are, and as we integrate our teams, we will leverage our people-focused environment to our 65,000 associates across Middle East & Africa and remain focused on retaining and fostering talent.”

Participating organisations were benchmarked against Aon Hewitt’s regional database, and this award follows on from Marriott International being recognised as the best hotelier to work for in Hotelier Middle East’s recent Salary Survey, as well as Marriott International topping the 2017 edition of the Hotelier Middle East Power 50, where the company's people practices also played a role. (Watch Alex Kyriakidis talk about the company below).

The hotel operator, in co-operation with Cornell University, also recently launched its Tahseen programme, hospitality training programme that focuses on fast-tracking next-generation Saudi leaders. Tahseen aims to provide a springboard to launch successful careers in the country’s robust hospitality sector.

Globally, there are now 500,000 associates within Marriott International and the region specifically, has grown to 65,000 associates across the Middle East and Africa since the acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts.