IHG’s global talent acquisition team was formed in January 2023, with the goal of coming up with a unified EVP. The group needed to restaff corporate offices and build cohesive recruitment practices after the disruption of the pandemic. Its social media presence was outdated, application volumes were low and it was not measuring brand loyalty. It needed to hire globally across four distinct audiences: corporate, reservations, hotel frontline and general management.

In early 2024, the brand team unveiled the new EVP, ‘Room for You’, which unified three pillars under a straightforward concept: Room to make a difference; Room to belong; and Room to grow. It created templates to empower local recruitment teams and came up with team initiatives such as a global talent acquisition tournament, boosting a sense of engagement. Major projects included a career storytellers programme where employees from diverse functions produced videos to share their experiences, and videos showcasing frontline and corporate colleagues.

The team also implemented new platforms such as TikTok and the IHG Metaverse to communicate the central messages of the EVP, and optimised the careers site with audience-specific content and improved SEO. Visits to the site increased significantly, LinkedIn and other social followings improved, and the internal TA tournament generated 92% engagement over 94 days. The dedication of the team has attracted more people to careers in hospitality and enhanced guest experiences.