Good news for job seekers and apprenticeship opportunities
Auckland hotel is seeking a variety of extraordinary hospitality candidates.
New Zealand’s first green hotel of its kind is on a pre-opening recruitment drive for a team before Hotel Britomart opens its doors to guests on October 1.
This is a highly anticipated hospitality opening for 2020. Part of the TFE Hotels Collection, the 99-room the hotel is “New Zealand’s first 5 Green Star hotel and a property that incorporates true kiwi ingenuity through its design, service, and bespoke experiences”.
General Manager, Clinton Farley, said TFE Hotels offered an opportunity for outstanding hospitality personalities to help bring the hotel to life in downtown waterfront Auckland. “We have a unique opportunity to showcase our authentic New Zealand story to our guests.” He said:
We’re on the lookout for truly exceptional hospitality professionals, that not only embody our brand values, but have hospitality and the guest experience at their core.
“Attitude really is everything and we’re seeking people who are passionate about their job and about this incredible part of the world,” he said.
Farley says guests can expect customized experiences when The Hotel Britomart opens, so personality will also play a key in role selection. “A warm smile is essential and there’ll be no stiff formality,” he said. “Instead, the hotel team will be able to share their enthusiasm in inviting our guests to enjoy all of the richness and variety that Auckland has to offer.”
The hotel is set to welcome guests through its own intimate laneway, an elegant lobby space full of natural light, a library bar and restaurant and will have its own dedicated cardio room full of state-of-the-art-equipment.
The following operational roles are currently being advertised:
- Maintenance Handyperson
- Room Attendants
- Night Manager
- Housekeeping Supervisor
- Houseperson
- Guest Service Agent
- Finance Logistics
Kingi – located just steps from The Hotel Britomart, on the ground floor of the heritage Masonic Building, will herald the celebration of New Zealand’s plentiful and vibrant seafood. Stunning in design, diners will benefit from the humble and sustainable practices that result in exquisite memories. Chef Tom Hishon is at the helm and currently looking for the following roles to join the close-knit team:
- Restaurant Supervisor
- Chef De Partie
- Bartender
Farley says he looks forward to continuing to build a team that will showcase a luxury hotel experience enriched by design excellence and exceptional hospitality to our guests.
“We already have some superstars in our pre-opening team across sales, marketing, guest experience and the food and beverage space, so we are looking to build on our already incredibly solid base,” he said.
Apprenticeships expanding around the country
If you are thinking about upskilling or taking on an apprenticeship, now is a great time. Brooklyn O’Neil told us his apprenticeship helped him go from washing dishes to making dishes and he has some good advice for anyone thinking about a cookery apprenticeship: “If it feels right, go for it and do it. If you find that you love it, you’ll have a career. And even if you decide it’s not for you, cooking is a skill for life – no matter what you do, being a good cook is very useful!
“Be prepared to start out doing whatever job is offered. Then show the chef that you have what it takes. Let the kitchen team know that you will help out, start early or work late. Jump in and lend a hand – show the passion and that you can do it, and you want to do it. I was open to the opportunity and took it when it was offered.
“Be prepared to take responsibility for your own learning. That’s a key part of the apprenticeship. You do get lots of support from your employer and ServiceIQ, but it’s really up to you how you go about getting your experience and qualifications. It is self-managed learning, but’s it’s also getting paid to study since you’re earning as you learn.
School wasn’t doing it for Brooklyn, he wanted to get out into the workforce and start making a go of things. So, he went looking for work and landed a job in a restaurant, in the classic starting-out role of dishwasher. You might think there’s nothing worse than washing other people’s dishes. But Brooklyn saw it as an opportunity and grabbed it. He put in the hours, worked hard, and offered to help with other tasks when he saw that the kitchen was busy, or something needed doing. The chef and kitchen staff respected that attitude and passion.
“Chef took me under his wing,” says the young cookery apprentice, who is just months away from becoming qualified. “I loved the vibe, creativity and passion. I put in the hours and hard work. I learned a lot and loved it. Chef could see that I was committed to the job and profession, so committed to me in turn by offering me a ServiceIQ Cookery Apprenticeship.”
Brooklyn is working as a chef in the busy kitchen of Flamingo Joe’s Bar & Eatery, a popular Wellington waterfront venue. He says that the earn and learn Apprenticeship is a fantastic way to get qualified as a chef – but also admits that it’s not for the faint-hearted.
“The upsides really outweigh any negatives though. The ServiceIQ learning materials are ideal for self-learning, especially as in the workplace the focus is on hands-on, practical, commercial cookery. For me, it’s a far better way than classroom learning.
“It works because it’s real. There’s more pressure because you’re in a real kitchen, with a real menu, creating real dishes that customers expect to be high quality and worth paying for. Some people might find that hard to deal with but, for me, it means that I learn more and I learn it faster and better.
“It can be hard balancing the hours at work with the time needed to do assessments, but it’s not that big a problem if you plan. And because you’re earning at the same time as you’re learning, that gives real perspective to both the on-job and off-job aspects.”
There are benefits for his employer and the chefs running the kitchen according to Brooklyn.
“Apprentices bring value to the employer. You get passionate people and, with ServiceIQ involved, you help transfer jobs into careers for your staff. On-job training helps the business upskill staff the right way: you learn the right processes and techniques; the learning happens at the right speed; and you learn everything that you need to learn.
“You also get to understand the make-up of a team and how that works and why. Plus, you really understand that mistakes matter and that they cost money. I’ve seen people trained in a classroom who come into the kitchen and struggle a bit at first with the commercial realities.”
Mandy has over 17 years of accommodation and tourism industry writing experience and is Editor of AccomNews & Resort News, Publisher of SchoolNews & Director of Multimedia Pty Ltd. She is a retired registered nurse with a 25-year NHS career that followed a few unforgettable years in hotel housekeeping.
