Sodexo Ponders the Challenges of Attracting Talent in the 21st Century at the EuroCHRIE Conference in Dubai
By Michelle Thomas, CDR, Senior Manager, Diversity Recruiting

In the above photo, Jerry Paulison and Nicholas Hadgis, Dean of the School of Hospitality Management at Widener University.

Sodexo has long been an active sponsor of The International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education (ICHRIE), which is the global advocate of hospitality and tourism education for schools, colleges and universities, facilitating industry partnerships and offering programs in hotel and restaurant management, foodservice management and culinary arts. ICHRIE also has international federations, including EuroCHRIE and AsiaCHRIE. This past October, Jerry Paulison, Sodexo’s Senior Director of Talent Acquisition, was invited to the EuroCHRIE annual meeting as a guest speaker and panelist. The meeting was held at the Emirates Academy of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

At this meeting, which attracted members of ICHRIE worldwide including hospitality deans and faculty from 22 U.S. colleges and universities, Jerry led discussions with other industry thought leaders on attracting talent within our global economy and ensuring the availability of a highly talented workforce in our industry, now and into the future. According to Jerry, a resounding theme throughout the conference from industry and faculty alike was “that if we are to meet the growth demands in our industry globally, we have to look at people with transferrable skills from outside of hospitality.”

Learn more about Sodexo’s college and internship initiatives by visiting Student Opportunities.