Rotana’s Journey: To 1.3M Talent Pool and Hospitality Industry’s Employer of Choice

A Middle East Success Story

In 1978, Nasser Al Nowais and Selim El Zyr crossed paths, quickly recognizing their shared ambition to establish a premier regional hospitality enterprise that would set new benchmarks in hotel development to match global standards. Rotana's inception is a testament to the power of visionary leadership and the strong foundation of a friendship.

Their first venture, the Beach Rotana, Abu Dhabi, was opened in 1993. Currently, with over 100 properties in 26 cities across the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Türkiye, Rotana stands as a leader in the hotel management sector.

The essence of Rotana lies in its deep-rooted understanding of Middle Eastern culture and communities, enhanced by the global hospitality insights of its leadership team. This blend of local wisdom and international expertise has propelled Rotana’s growth making it a true Middle Eastern success story.

Rotana's Foresight in Talent Strategy

When you are a leader in an industry which relies heavily on manpower, having access to quality talent is of paramount importance. Rotana understood this early on and wanted to create a system that would allow them to build a strong pipeline that would give them access to top-quality talent and in parallel create a strong employer brand that would attract high quality talent from across the world

Empowering Rotana: A 14-Year Talentera Parternship

The partnership between Rotana and Talentera began in 2010. Talentera being an end-to-end Recruitment Software built for the Middle East, it perfectly suited the requirements of Rotana. And over the years the Talentera’s evolution has kept pace with the tremendous growth of Rotana.

It enabled Rotana to navigate the complexities of hiring across diverse geographical and cultural landscapes, ensuring a steady inflow of quality talent to meet its ambitious growth targets.

Employer of Choice

Rotana's dedication to hospitality excellence is reflected in how it engages and develops its employees. By embracing the robust career portal and talent CRM module of Talentera, Rotana has significantly enhanced the job-seeking experience, making it straightforward for candidates to discover and apply for opportunities. This streamlined process now attracts over 80 qualified applicants for each position in no time.

Furthermore, this strategic approach has allowed the creation of an impressive talent pool exceeding 1.3 million candidates, demonstrating the effectiveness of adopting recruitment software in talent management. Through these efforts, Rotana has also solidified its standing as an employer of choice in the fiercely competitive hospitality sector.

A Finely Tuned Recruitment Engine

Rotana boasts a workforce exceeding 10,000 employees. On any given day Rotana will be hiring for at least 200 open positions. The recruitment happens across,

Having a recruitment process of this magnitude requires a strong and reliable engine that runs like clockwork and they cannot afford to have breakdowns.

The configurable workflow, requisitions and approval features, along with automated onboarding modules, have transformed Rotana's recruitment into a seamless operation. This efficiency has been critical in managing the 1000+ openings per year, across 18 departments in 29 cities and 14 countries. The agility and adaptability of Talentera's platform have been instrumental in supporting Rotana's dynamic recruitment needs, from entry-level positions to executive director roles.

A Panoramic Overview of the Talent Pipeline

Talentera's 12 pre-built business intelligence reports have given Rotana powerful insights for data-driven decisions. This has enabled Rotana to track progress, identify bottlenecks and continuously optimize recruitment processes. The ability to analyze trends, track performance, and forecast hiring needs has been invaluable in maintaining a competitive edge in the fast-paced hospitality sector.

Conclusion

The case of Rotana exemplifies how foresight in talent building and investment in the right technology can aid an organization’s growth. The comprehensive talent CRM and robust recruitment platform have not only supported Rotana's scale of operations but have also enriched the quality of its workforce. As Rotana continues to expand its footprint, the foundation of its success remains deeply rooted in its people