Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts HR Director Shares First-hand Experiences and Trends with HIM Students

“She is here to bring the course to life!” Ulrika Bjorklund, HIM Academic Dean

As part of the recent partnership with HIM, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts provides direction and input to the HR Specialization Course content from an industry perspective. Ms Senjaric came prepared to share with the class first-hand experiences and trends she works with at the Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts.

Ms Senjaric has over 15 years of experience in Human Resources in the luxury hospitality and airline sectors. At the Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts she is responsible for talent acquisition and talent management including personalized career development for retention of the top talent. Following her presentation she invited the entire class to Geneva for a private HR focused tour of the Four Seasons Hotel Des Bergues providing an opportunity for the students to interact with employees across all levels of the organization. 

How did the partnership between Hotel Institute Montreux and Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts come to be?

Actually, it was because of a professional relationship that started back in my days as a student at hotel school. I have remained in contact through professional networks with the Chief Brand & Marketing Officer at the Swiss Education Group which goes to show that the relationships you build today as a student really can impact your future career!

What is the topic you chose for your first lecture?

I will discuss the approach that the Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts takes in recruitment and talent acquisition. We have a particular interviewing style that is based on attitude rather than skills and knowledge. I plan to go through the core competencies that we look for in the hopes to inspire and motivate HIM students in their job searches. I know often class can be quite theoretical so I hope to bring my experiences from the field to make their studies more vibrant and lively.

What key message do you hope the students will take away from your lecture?

I would like the students to understand that Human Resources is not only the responsibility of the HR department but each manager in every department has an important HR role to fill daily. I believe that the HR Specialisation is not limited to those interested in becoming HR professionals but is a course that will help students become very good Hospitality Managers.  

A warm thank you to Ms Senjaric for sharing your time and perspective with us. We look forward to welcoming you back again soon!