Building Belonging and Wellbeing: A CHRO's Perspective

Malaika Myers, Chief Human Resources Officer, Hyatt

Malaika Myers has had a 25+ year career in Human Resources, working in the chemical, consumer products, and hospitality industries for public and private companies. She currently has the honor of leading the human resources function as Chief Human Resources Officer for Hyatt Hotels Corporation.

In 2017, I was honored to be appointed as the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) at Hyatt Hotels Corporation. In this role, I am entrusted with the responsibility of implementing our global HR strategy, ensuring that our initiatives align with our purpose: to care for people so they can be their best. My journey to Hyatt was shaped by various HR roles at companies like Jarden Corporation, Arysta LifeScience, Diageo PLC, and PepsiCo, where I developed a deep understanding of how to cultivate thriving workplace cultures.

At Hyatt, our core values of empathy, experimentation, inclusion, integrity, respect, and wellbeing guide everything we do and enable us to bring our purpose of care to life. These values are not just words; they are the foundation of our efforts to foster a strong company culture. Listening to our colleagues is crucial, and through our Colleague Experience Survey, we continuously gather feedback to implement programs and resources that cater to their diverse needs.

Our cultural strategy is centered on three key drivers:

● Building a sense of belonging so that every colleague can reach their full potential and bring their authentic selves to work.

● Encouraging ongoing learning and development, both professionally and personally, to help our colleagues grow.

● Prioritizing wellbeing, as we believe that when our colleagues are well, they can better care for our guests, customers, owners, and each other.

We also have our World of Care initiative, a global approach that advances care for the planet, people, and responsible business. This initiative is deeply embedded in our business and reflects our commitment to social and environmental sustainability. Our goals include advancing environmental action, creating a culture of opportunity for all, and conducting business fairly and ethically.

“Listening to our colleagues is crucial, and through our Colleague Experience Survey, we continuously gather feedback to implement programs and resources that cater to their diverse needs.”

Technology and HR analytics are key components of our strategy at Hyatt. We are in the early stages of an HR Evolution to simplify our processes, services, and technology, making them more efficient and consistent worldwide. This allows our leaders and HR teams to focus more on creating an inclusive, empathetic, and respectful culture.

We are also leveraging tools like virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the colleague experience. For instance, VR allows prospective colleagues, particularly those in our RiseHY program that offers Opportunity Youth talent the opportunity to learn the professional skills necessary to advance in hospitality, to experience a day-in-the-life of various hotel roles, helping them understand what a career in our industry looks like. AI is helping us accelerate training and proficiency, improve translations, and offer more personalized learning and development resources.

When it comes to performance reviews, we view them as "check-in" conversations rather than traditional reviews. These discussions are meant to be two-way dialogues where leaders provide care and support while encouraging colleagues to share their achievements and challenges. We believe that continuous development and growth should be a priority all year round, not just during performance reviews.

Looking to the future, I believe that HR will continue to evolve rapidly, with technology playing an increasingly significant role. It's crucial for HR leaders to adopt an agile mindset, staying open to change and continuously upskilling and reskilling our teams on emerging technologies. At Hyatt, we embrace testing and learning as part of our DNA, empowering our teams to experiment with new solutions that enhance their workplace experience.

For other senior leaders and CXOs navigating the evolving HR landscape, my advice is to become technology-savvy while also honing the soft skills needed to build strong connections and support within your teams. Marrying tech skills with empathy and emotional intelligence will lead to a culture that truly embodies your company's purpose and values, resulting in less turnover, more innovation, and greater business performance.

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Artificial Intelligence

Virtual Reality

Agile