Wyndham Experience

Firstly, let me introduce myself, my name is Louise and I am currently in my first semester at Bond studying for my Bachelor in International Hotel & Resort Management. Phew! Thank goodness that is out of the way.
One point I would like to make before I start is... If you have the opportunity to take part in a ‘Manager for a Day’ experience, TAKE IT! You won’t regret your choice and you’ll walk away with true industry insight, giving you the opportunity to match the theory you’re learning in class into a practical environment. It is definitely something everyone should try and participate in. Saying that, let me move on to the exciting part, my ‘Manager for a Day’ experience.

I was given the opportunity to shadow Karen, Senior Human Resources Generalist, at Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific on Friday March 11. The day was full on, with my schedule consisting of:

•  meeting with the Medibank rep in regards to an employee benefits program,
• one on one with Kate, the Learning & Developments coordinator,
• an overview of the proposed Employee Rewards (a recognition program Karen is currently working on),
• one on one with Tara, the Human Resource Vice president, discussing her career path and what she does on a day to day basis,
• taking part in a Wyndham Call Centre recruitment meeting, where my opinions were asked and I was encouraged to be involved,
• a brainstorming  meeting regarding VMV Wyndham Whispers (the monthly employee newsletter), during this meeting I was actively involved in the creation of the renaming of the newsletter and discussions on its content
• and, my last meeting for the day was orientated around the Wellness Program, a current project to help enhance/promote the mental and physical wellbeing of Wyndham staff.

Like I previously mentioned, it was full on! I was constantly on the go, it was great. I wasn’t stuck in the same room 9 till 5 (which I was expecting) and the brain storming session really brought out that creative side in me. Observing and participating in the ‘Manager for a Day’ experience proved to me how important Human Resources are in any business. They are constantly supporting other departments and have diverse teams which enable them to come up with ideas and objectives to help grow the organisation as a whole. An example from today which supports how HR support other departments was, the IT Manager wanted to terminate an external contractor. However, their particular role was very similar to that of an employee so we had to look at the differences between the two definitions to see whether they were in fact, considered an employee. This was important because the termination processes for a contractor and an employee differ greatly. Karen also had to contact the legal team for advice, it was a great insight into the various challenges HR face.

Over all I had a fantastic day, though my favourite part was being involved in the brainstorming of the employee newsletter Wyndham Whispers. I could definitely see myself in Karen’s role one day and would highly recommend anyone who is considering this opportunity to jump on board. It is a great learning experience so don’t miss out!