All About Teamwork

For Andre Gomez, VP, operations for Hilton International in India, success and mindshare is a cumulative effort of the entire team.

- Babita Krishnan

For someone who failed the interview for his first job as a Burger King cashier, Andre Gomez has surely come a long way to become the VP operations for Hilton International in India. Though admittedly devastated after the aforementioned incident, in the true 'never-say-die' spirit of down under (he was raised and educated in Australia), he applied for a job a week later, at a five-star hotel. When the lady behind the counter pointed out that he had not put down the job he was applying for, "I thought about it and said just give me the job that nobody wants," Gomez recalls with a smile. He got the job of graveyard shift waiter for two years doing room service - and thus began a journey that has taken him places as Gomez moved up the ranks, learning the ropes and skills along the way across leading hotel brands to reach his current leadership position.

What appealed to him about Hilton was its discipline as a brand. "It is very focused on being consistent, being the best at what you do. That's where we talk a lot about best practices and never giving up. And that is just like me," he says. In a highly intensive profession, finding the perfect sync with your brand is, I guess, the most important criteria. And Hilton, from all reports, does lay a lot of importance on building the culture within the tam and "it starts obviously at the very top, back of house and front of house".

From an HR perspective, Hilton International has three areas of focus -- great rewards for the team, great work environment and great careers. It is all about provide the associates with the development opportunities -- "right from the time they come in to how well you induct them and build a great environment. We also review our workplaces, right from our regional office through to the hotels, to ensure they are efficient workspaces. Even better offerings at the staff cafeteria," Gomez elaborates.