Real Talk with Suzy Miller
Suzy Miller brings more than 20 years of hospitality experience to her current role as Human Resources Specialist at Wall Centre Hotels (Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre and Westin Wall Centre, Vancouver Airport). Adopted and born in Haiti, Suzy later moved to Ontario but was captivated by the mountains of British Columbia which she has made her home for the last 15 years. While she initially dreamt of being a chef on a cruise ship, after working in non-culinary cruise roles in the Caribbean she realized she preferred working on land and was drawn to Canada’s accommodation sector. Suzy understands the working mom struggles herself, as a mom to an almost 2-year-old daughter.
What motivated you to pursue a career in HR within the hospitality industry, and how did you get started in this field?
I've always been interested in a career in HR and I had the opportunity to pivot my career from Revenue into HR about a year ago. I'm really enjoying HR and appreciate that my role also has a large focus on Diversity and Inclusion which began in 2020 when we created our company's Diversity and Inclusion Working Group.
How have you seen the hospitality industry adapt its HR policies and procedures since 2020?
I've started to see positive changes since 2020 with companies having more open conversations about what changes need to be made. I've seen companies be more open to discussions about inclusive language, inclusive roles, diversity and inclusion and accessibility. I know change takes time but I can see people in our industry are thinking and talking about it more and more.
How do you think flexible schedules could benefit employees in the hospitality industry, and what challenges do you see in implementing them effectively?
Having a flexible work schedule benefits working moms significantly when your employers able to accommodate your schedule around daycare pick-up/drop offs. Even though it's only an hour difference, being able to work 8am-4pm vs 9am-5pm helps drastically with beating the rush of traffic and getting to daycare on time. Eases a lot of stress and makes such a difference for parents. Some challenges would be that due to the changes in business volume some days you may not be able to keep with this schedule and it may be modified so you really do need to be flexible and have a plan B.
As a mother yourself, how do you balance the demands of work in HR with the responsibilities of motherhood, and what advice would you give to other working mothers in the hospitality industry?
As soon as I drop off my daughter to daycare my focus shifts to work and doing the best I can during my time in the office. My advice to other working mothers in our industry is to do the best you can but also be open and honest about your workload and any family-related challenges you may have while you juggle your busy work/mom life. You'll be surprised at how many other moms are going through or have gone through the same challenges and you're not alone. Talking about it helps so much. Things will get easier and more manageable, but I'm still a new mom so only time will tell!
What advice do you have for young women thinking of getting into the hospitality industry?
My advice for young women is to just apply for that job. The hospitality industry is huge with lots of opportunities. Once you have a job in the industry make sure your leaders know your career plans and share with them about where you'd like to be in 3-5 years. This will only help you get to where you want to be. Also, have fun. You're young and if the job isn't exactly what you're looking for, use it to gain experience and when a different opportunity comes available use your skills and experience and apply them to that new role.