Lodging Engineer
When Talent Comes Knocking
By Tim Arwood, CEOE
Director of Engineering, Sonesta Hotel Downtown Orlando
Managed by Gemstone Resorts
We left off in our
last issue (Fall
2009) with, “We
should never let
a flashy resume’
beguile us
when it comes
to finding the
right person for
an opening in
your department, especially when look-
ing for an assistant or a well seasoned
mechanic. Just remember, a guy who has
worked, as the steadfast Assistant Chief
in Kalamazoo, MI, or a kitchen and laun-
dry mechanic in Normal, IL, for several
years may be a better bet than someone
who went here and there. Maybe spend-
ing two years in LA and ten months at a
“Sometimes the right fit for the position is so very important;
big casino in Vegas and then on and on
in fact it may outweigh other qualifications. That not only
to flashier and flashier locations isn’t al-
ways equivalent as to how well they will
goes for the company, but the employee as well.”
perform for you. Look for someone who is
well trained, experienced and knowledge-
able who also seems to have “the right or the workload on them has increased engine that keeps the office going while
personality to be the kind of team player two or three fold in the wake of their de- the manger is at those meetings or out
to compliment your crew.” Since I started partments being downsized. Whether it is in field, the department’s admin person.
my book when it comes to finding good from a reduction of staff or having hours When the chief is in meetings, out on
people things have changed a bit. in the department cut to the proverbial the floor inspecting, or is doing the job of
Until recently it was seldom that an extraor-
bone, we all know personally and through the assistant chief, he was forced to cut
dinarily talented person would show up on
the grapevine that there are guys out and there is no longer an admin person,
your doorstep when you are searching for
there working 11-14 hours 5 days a week so every time he/ she walks out the door
someone with good experience and the
and often another 8 hours or more over the office stops functioning completely.
expertise needed to fill a recently vacant
the weekend. Even though there may be The calls pile up, the payroll may be ne-
position, but in this “Great Recession”
less work over all in a lower occupancy glected, writing purchase orders along
there seems to be a super abundance
situation, the weekly and monthly meet- with keeping the checkbook updated lags
of good people with great resumes that
ings continue, monthly corporate reports behind, and ordering suffers. They cut
are not the kind I cautioned about above.
are still due, and end of the month brings these corners because they have to do
I know I am going a little off topic, but I
reviewing the P & L along with variance whatever it takes to make the floor run
feel I need to address why we have so
reports. because the first rule in Hospitality Engi-
many applicants out there who are look- With hard cuts in personnel, many Chief
neering is above all else “the facility must
ing. In the recent slow economic times, it Engineers have possibly lost their stock-
be maintained!”
is either because they have lost their job room clerk, Assistant Chief, or maybe the There are other properties that took an-
PAGE 17 | Winter 2009 / 2010 | Lodging Engineer
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