HUMAN NATURE

 Trying to decide what to do with your life after you finish school is not easy and no one knows this more than ORLA CALLAHAN who changed direction twice before she found her calling in human resources. The HR Manager at the Maldron Hotel Wexford and Clayton Whites Hotel shares her career journey to date and offers some helpful advice for finding the right job – and the best employer – to suit you.

Fact File

Name: Orla Callahan 

Job: Human Resources Manager

Works: Maldron Hotel Wexford and Clayton Whites Hotel

Course: Hospitality Management at TU Dublin

A role in hospitality was always on the cards for Orla Callahan: she just wasn’t sure which aspect of the industry suited her best. Soon after starting her first choice in Culinary Arts at GMIT she realised that a career in professional kitchens was not for her. ‘I discovered that there is a big difference between loving cooking at home and being a professional chef,’ she says, ‘but I knew that while cheffing wasn’t the right choice for me personally, I did want to stay within hospitality. I loved the atmosphere of hotels.’

Orla switched courses, moving to Dublin to study Hospitality Management in what was then DIT (now TU Dublin) and it was while working part-time in a five star hotel in Ballsbridge that HR first came on her radar. ‘I spent two days training with the HR team when I started in the hotel and I realised that I was more interested in what they were doing than in my role as a Food & Beverage Assistant. That stuck with me all through college and in my final year I chose to do my dissertation on HR.’

Eager to move into human resources when she finished her degree, Orla met Áine Doyle, the Group Learning & Development Manager with the Dalata Hotel Group, during an open recruitment day for the group. ‘Áine was so enthusiastic about my desire to work in HR and she explained how Dalata’s management development programme, the Ascend Programme, could help me achieve this.’

TAILORED TRAINING

Dalata tailored its management programme specifically to suit Orla, dividing her training between operations and HR. The first nine months were spent learning the managerial ropes in food and beverage, reservations, reception, kitchen, gym, and accommodation and this was followed by a second stint in Clayton Hotel Dublin Airport. Once this was completed she was promoted to HR Executive at the hotel.

‘Fast forward three years and now here I am as the Cluster HR Manager for two hotels in Wexford and soon I will be promoted to HR Manager in the Maldron Hotel Tallaght in Dublin. I don’t think I would have achieved all that I have if it weren’t for Dalata’s support. When you start with the group they ask you to draw up a five year plan for your development and I have already surpassed all these goals in three years!’

NO BAD DAYS

While Orla notes that her job is busy, she maintains that she has never worked a day that she hasn’t enjoyed. ‘I thrive on the fast pace of my role. I love being constantly on the go and I don’t think I would do well in a job that bored me. Yes, it can get a little challenging at times but once you know how to manage your time then it’s easy to handle. I go for a run at the end of every day and that helps me relax.’

Working Monday–Friday, 9am–5.30pm, she is proof that you don’t always have to give up your weekends to work in the industry. ‘There are days that I may need to come in earlier or work later but on the whole my hours are fairly standard. There are lots of roles behind the scenes in tourism and hospitality where you don’t have to work unsociable hours. Whatever role you go for in this industry, it is important to find a way to strike a good work/life balance.’

“I love helping colleagues progress in their careers - you can have a hugely positive impact on someone’s life in this role.”

VARIETY

Orla’s day, like any day in tourism, is hugely varied. ‘At the moment I split my time between the two hotels, spending Monday, Thursday and Friday in Whites of Wexford and Tuesday and Wednesday in the Maldron. My day starts at 9am responding to emails. At 11am I join the daily management meeting with the General Manager and all the heads of departments in the hotel, and following that I usually head to the canteen to spend time chatting to our team during their breaks. You never know what will come up during the rest of the day. I always make sure that I spend a lot of time on the floor of the hotels so that I’m visible to staff rather than being hidden away in an office – that way they know that I’m approachable and there to support them.’

Her duties as HR Manager include managing the induction of new staff, overseeing payroll, ensuring staff training is completed, and keeping staff engaged. Working with the team is the best part of Orla’s role, she says. ‘What I love the most is the interaction with employees. It is my job to make sure they are happy and motivated and I find it so rewarding to see people develop. I love helping colleagues progress in their careers – you can have a hugely positive impact on someone’s life in this role.’

THE FUTURE

As she looks to her promotion in the Maldron Hotel Tallaght, Orla is excited about the future. ‘It took me a while to find the right role in hospitality but I definitely landed on the right track when I moved into HR. I love the buzz of working in hotels. Everyone is so warm and welcoming and it is amazing to see the amount of connections you can make in this industry. I’m excited to start my new role in Tallaght and after that, who knows where the future will bring me? The beauty of working in a big group like Dalata is that there is plenty of opportunity to progress.’

This article first appeared in the 2020 issue of Get a Life in Tourism.