CHICAGO (March 20, 2024) – Hyatt celebrates its global RiseHY program, designed to connect young people with long-term careers in hospitality. Since the program’s introduction in 2018, more than 5,700 Opportunity Youth* have joined Hyatt or a Hyatt hotel. This marks a pivotal step toward Hyatt’s global commitment to have Hyatt and Hyatt hotels hire 10,000 Opportunity Youth by 2025.
With more than 23% of the world’s young people unemployed, according to the International Labour Organization, investing in underserved communities continues to increase in importance. Despite navigating unprecedented industry-wide job market challenges resulting from the global pandemic, Hyatt remains focused on its commitment to supporting Opportunity Youth around the globe.
“The RiseHY program helps thousands of young people around the world find fulfilling careers in hospitality,” said Malaika Myers, Chief Human Resources Officer at Hyatt Hotels Corporation. “Focusing on Opportunity Youth brings Hyatt’s purpose of care to life by creating economic opportunities for individuals in under-resourced communities, while also uncovering an expanded talent pool to solve the hospitality industry’s staffing shortage and turnover challenges.”
Creating Long-Term Career Pathways
To date, more than 400 hotels in 65 countries support RiseHY participants, referred to as RiseHYers. In addition to recruitment, the program puts equal weight on retention by helping RiseHYers gain access to new job opportunities and skills training that can turn into long-term careers in hospitality.
More than 40% of those hired through the RiseHY program are still employed at Hyatt or Hyatt hotels. In the U.S. alone, the hospitality industry’s average employee turnover rate stands at 70-80%, compared to the overall average of 10-15% turnover across industries, based on the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“The RiseHY program allows Hyatt to introduce thousands of young people around the world to fulfilling careers in hospitality that feed their ambition,” said Peggy Focheux Duval, RiseHY Program Manager, Hyatt. “Through RiseHY, Hyatt offers youth the opportunity to learn necessary skills so they can advance professionally in the hospitality industry.”
Uncovering Talent Through Community Partnerships
Through community-based organizations and public-private partners, eligible youth can receive vocational training and career placement with RiseHY. Hyatt and the Hyatt Hotels Foundation also fund nonprofits around the globe, donating more than $1 million to 30 nonprofits over the last two years as part of the Hyatt Community Grant Program.
As an example, Hyatt collaborates with nonprofits like Bali Children Foundation (BCF) to bring in youth from disadvantaged, remote communities, like Risma. Risma grew up helping his family raise crops and cattle on their rural West Bali farm. In collaboration with BCF, he was hired as an intern at Alila Seminyak in 2022, and since progressed to Commis Chef at Hyatt Regency Bali. Risma’s story exemplifies the possibilities for Opportunity Youth to channel their potential into a successful career through RiseHY.
Connecting Colleagues with Advancement Opportunities
RiseHY supports mobility throughout the hospitality industry. Since 2018, more than 850 global RiseHYers moved into new roles and dozens of others either earned promotions or transferred to other properties to continue their careers. For example, Anastasiya started at Hyatt Regency Tashkent in Uzbekistan as a waitress when the RiseHY program began. After expressing interest in sales, she advanced to a new role as a sales coordinator and has since received several promotions to become a sales manager. “I could not imagine my life without my second family, my Hyatt family and without this hotel,” says Anastasiya, “I'm so happy to be here!”
Fostering The Next Generation of Talent
As Hyatt continues to grow, possibilities for Opportunity Youth expand, too. Introducing the Hyatt Inclusive Collection in the Americas and EAME regions, for example, has provided more opportunities at more Hyatt properties for untapped talent who didn’t previously consider, or have the resources to explore, hospitality careers.
Hyatt has also employed innovative technology to engage youth in new ways, including online virtual reality experiences and digital skill-matching. Through VR, potential recruits can preview a day-in-the-life of on-property colleagues, while digital skill-matching helps pair RiseHY participants with employment that aligns with their existing interests and talents.
More tenured Hyatt colleagues also get involved through the RiseHY Coach program which connects current experienced Hyatt colleagues with RiseHY participants to provide mentorship. To supplement this program and others like it, the Hyatt Hotels Foundation, Hyatt and the American Hotel and Lodging Association Foundation developed the Workplace Mentoring Toolkit, a resource to help implement, monitor and support hospitality mentorship programs.
Find out more about the program and how to get involved on the RiseHY website.
*Opportunity Youth are defined as young people aged 16-24 who come from **under-resourced communities and are disconnected from the economy by not working and not going to school.
**Under-resourced communities refers to populations who are systemically denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects of economic, civic and social life and have limited or no access to resources.
The term “Hyatt” is used in this release for convenience to refer to Hyatt Hotels Corporation and/or one or more of its affiliates.
About Hyatt Hotels Corporation
Hyatt Hotels Corporation, headquartered in Chicago, is a leading global hospitality company guided by its purpose – to care for people so they can be their best. As of December 31, 2023, the Company's portfolio included more than 1,300 hotels and all-inclusive properties in 77 countries across six continents. The Company's offering includes brands in the Timeless Collection, including Park Hyatt®, Grand Hyatt®, Hyatt Regency®, Hyatt®, Hyatt Vacation Club®, Hyatt Place®, Hyatt House®, Hyatt Studios, and UrCove; the Boundless Collection, including Miraval®, Alila®, Andaz®, Thompson Hotels®, Dream® Hotels, Hyatt Centric®, and Caption by Hyatt®; the Independent Collection, including The Unbound Collection by Hyatt®, Destination by Hyatt®, and JdV by Hyatt®; and the Inclusive Collection, including Impression by Secrets, Hyatt Ziva®, Hyatt Zilara®, Zoëtry® Wellness & Spa Resorts, Secrets® Resorts & Spas, Breathless Resorts & Spas®, Dreams® Resorts & Spas, Hyatt Vivid Hotels & Resorts, Alua Hotels & Resorts®, and Sunscape® Resorts & Spas. Subsidiaries of the Company operate the World of Hyatt® loyalty program, ALG Vacations®, Mr & Mrs Smith™, Unlimited Vacation Club®, Amstar DMC destination management services, and Trisept Solutions® technology services. For more information, please visit www.hyatt.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Forward-Looking Statements in this press release, which are not historical facts, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Our actual results, performance or achievements may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These statements include statements about Hyatt’s [__] and involve known and unknown risks that are difficult to predict. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of words such as “may,” “could,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “seek,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue,” “likely,” “will,” “would” and variations of these terms and similar expressions, or the negative of these terms or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by us and our management, are inherently uncertain. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to, general economic uncertainty in key global markets and a worsening of global economic conditions or low levels of economic growth; the rate and the pace of economic recovery following economic downturns; global supply chain constraints and interruptions, rising costs of construction-related labor and materials, and increases in costs due to inflation or other factors that may not be fully offset by increases in revenues in our business; risks affecting the luxury, resort, and all-inclusive lodging segments; levels of spending in business, leisure, and group segments, as well as consumer confidence; declines in occupancy and average daily rate; limited visibility with respect to future bookings; loss of key personnel; domestic and international political and geo-political conditions, including political or civil unrest or changes in trade policy; hostilities, or fear of hostilities, including future terrorist attacks, that affect travel; travel-related accidents; natural or man-made disasters, weather and climate-related events, such as earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, hurricanes, droughts, floods, wildfires, oil spills, nuclear incidents, and global outbreaks of pandemics or contagious diseases, or fear of such outbreaks; the pace and consistency of recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic and the long-term effects of the pandemic, additional resurgence, or COVID-19 variants, including with respect to global and regional economic activity, travel limitations or bans, the demand for travel, transient and group business, and levels of consumer confidence; the ability of third-party owners, franchisees, or hospitality venture partners to successfully navigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, any additional resurgence, or COVID-19 variants or other pandemics, epidemics or other health crises; our ability to successfully achieve certain levels of operating profits at hotels that have performance tests or guarantees in favor of our third-party owners; the impact of hotel renovations and redevelopments; risks associated with our capital allocation plans, share repurchase program, and dividend payments, including a reduction in, or elimination or suspension of, repurchase activity or dividend payments; the seasonal and cyclical nature of the real estate and hospitality businesses; changes in distribution arrangements, such as through internet travel intermediaries; changes in the tastes and preferences of our customers; relationships with colleagues and labor unions and changes in labor laws; the financial condition of, and our relationships with, third-party property owners, franchisees, and hospitality venture partners; the possible inability of third-party owners, franchisees, or development partners to access the capital necessary to fund current operations or implement our plans for growth; risks associated with potential acquisitions and dispositions and our ability to successfully integrate completed acquisitions with existing operations, including with respect to our acquisition of Apple Leisure Group and Dream Hotel Group and the successful integration of each business; failure to successfully complete proposed transactions (including the failure to satisfy closing conditions or obtain required approvals); our ability to successfully execute on our strategy to expand our management and franchising business while at the same time reducing our real estate asset base within targeted timeframes and at expected values; declines in the value of our real estate assets; unforeseen terminations of our management or franchise agreements; changes in federal, state, local, or foreign tax law; increases in interest rates, wages, and other operating costs; foreign exchange rate fluctuations or currency restructurings; risks associated with the introduction of new brand concepts, including lack of acceptance of new brands or innovation; general volatility of the capital markets and our ability to access such markets; changes in the competitive environment in our industry, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, industry consolidation, and the markets where we operate; our ability to successfully grow the World of Hyatt loyalty program and Unlimited Vacation Club paid membership program; cyber incidents and information technology failures; outcomes of legal or administrative proceedings; and violations of regulations or laws related to our franchising business and licensing businesses and our international operations; ; and other risks discussed in the Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including our annual report on Form 10-K and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, which filings are available from the SEC. These factors are not necessarily all of the important factors that could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by any of our forward-looking statements. We caution you not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which are made only as of the date of this press release. We undertake no obligation to update publicly any of these forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, new information or future events, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking statements, except to the extent required by applicable law. If we update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that we will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements.
