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Ty Breland, EVP & Chief Human Resources Officer at Marriott InternationalTy Breland serves as the Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer for Marriott International, Inc., the world’s largest hotel company with over 700,000 associates across 8,600 properties and corporate offices. As the company’s senior human resources executive, Ty is responsible for creating a unique, world-class employment experience for Marriott while ensuring the company attracts and develops best-in-class talent to serve Marriott Bonvoy® members and guests around the world.
Following is the conversation that we had with Breland.
As the Chief Human Resources Officer, what are some of the key roles and responsibilities that you have on a daily basis at Marriott International?
I have worked at Marriott for almost 20 years and have held various roles, leading key areas, including learning and development, brand talent, organizational capability, change management, and operations. In addition, I served in several senior roles and led Marriott's integration of over 2,000 Starwood Hotels & Resorts properties and 200,000 associates into the existing Marriott portfolio.
Today, I lead the Human Resources function. My team and I are responsible for creating incredible employment experiences for all associates across the globe. This includes ensuring we attract, retain, and develop the very best talent to serve our guests while fostering an inclusive culture where everyone feels they belong. Our culture of organizational leadership enables our associates to propel Marriott forward, and our HR team nurtures this culture across our organization by focusing our work on three strategic areas: Growing Great Leaders, Investing in Associates, and Expanding Access to Opportunity.
2023 is bringing a changed world of work. The pandemic has propelled digital transformation four years into the future, and the employee-employer relationship has transformed. Although HR has been leading change and crisis in the past years, it runs the risk of missing the boat on this fundamental shift in how we work. Your views on this.
In our rapidly evolving and dynamic environment, we must continually look ahead and re-evaluate our approach to work and how we manage talent differently. Over the past few years, Marriott has grown to include more brands, properties, and associates than ever before. At the same time, the expectations of potential candidates and associates are shifting – they want more flexibility and choice from their employer. To meet the needs of our business and satisfy the expectations of our world-class team, we are embracing technology and flexibility across HR.
“Our culture of organizational leadership enables our associates to propel Marriott forward, and our HR team nurtures this culture across our organization.”
We recognize that flexibility and choice are critical factors for attracting and retaining top talent. We've responded by offering hybrid work arrangements to meet the needs of our associates. We've also been evolving how work gets done at a hotel level, and our workforce innovation program offers greater flexibility in working hours and part-time options, even for managerial roles that were previously full-time. Additionally, we have broadened frontline roles to provide more variety, choice, and experience, ultimately allowing associates to grow their careers within Marriott. The flexibility and choice being introduced make a tangible difference in customer and associate success metrics demonstrating a meaningful impact on our business.
We are also continuing to embrace technology to meet the expectations of today's workforce. We led the way with the development of our Digital Learning Zone (DLZ). The DLZ was originally launched as a curated blend of digital offerings developed by Marriott and vendor partners to help our associates upskill and reskill. Available in local languages, it plays a critical role in onboarding new hires to ensure they have the information they need to perform their jobs effectively. This is just one example of how our team's use of technology is transforming to meet the needs of our business. Our Talent Acquisition team also uses new tools and processes, like automated interview scheduling and chatbots, to hire more efficiently. These innovations make our recruitment faster, more effective, and offer better service to candidates. We are also working with our technology partners to explore how AI will enable us to perform our jobs more effectively. As AI continues to evolve, it presents the potential to revolutionize how we work. As an HR team, we are committed to leading the way in embracing and using this change to ensure our associates and organization remain future-ready.
Finally, communicating your company's value proposition is crucial – especially in a competitive job market. To address this, we have launched our new people brand, Be, enabling us to share compelling stories showcasing the diverse opportunities Marriott offers to associates worldwide. This brand is the ultimate symbol of associate life at Marriott where you have the opportunity to begin your journey, belong to an amazing global team, and become the best version of you. This campaign encapsulates our special company culture and effectively communicates our value proposition to applicants and current associates.
These highlighted changes demonstrate HR's ability to lead Marriott forward. I'm excited about the role my team is playing to welcome all into our business, while driving our performance, and shaping the future of work.
How do you expect HR to move towards a more proactive approach to well-being and resilience?
Our founder J.W. Marriott said, "Take care of associates, and they will take care of the customers." Hospitality is and will always be a people-first business. We know that our associates are the heart of our business and need to be their best to take care of our customers. This belief has shaped our people-first culture for nearly a century.
This year, we refocused our corporate wellness program, TakeCare, to strengthen our commitment to supporting associates' physical, mental, and financial well-being, ensuring we support the whole person – at work and home.
We are working hard to give associates the tools and resources to stay physically active and healthy, build mental resilience, and plan for their financial future. Our goal is to support the whole person so they can thrive both personally and professionally.
I fully expect more HR teams to take a similarly proactive approach to support their teams' well-being. Ultimately, this investment is a win for our associates and our company.
What would be your piece of advice for your fellow peers and leaders?
Throughout my career, I've had the opportunity to solve business challenges of all shapes and sizes. From the acquisition of Starwood and opening our new corporate headquarters to managing our response to the pandemic and driving our business’ recovery. I have approached each project with the belief that being curious, having courage, and being connected to your teammates make every project both a rewarding personal experience and a success for the business.
Being a leader is not about a title or position; anyone can be a leader if they choose to be:
At Marriott, we call these characteristics our Leadership Essentials. They are the fundamental building blocks for great leadership and can be applied in any role. In any situation, these three traits can serve as a guiding light to weather any challenge.
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