S9-Ep20: Thrive at Hilton: Relentlessly Improving the Workplace

Guest: Laura Fuentes Joy, learning, friendship: that’s how Laura Fuentes believes the ideal workplace should be. When she arrived at Hilton, Laura found a culture and leadership team that was thinking along the same lines. Since then, she’s been instrumental in guiding the growth of that culture into one of inclusion, wellness, growth, and purpose – the four pillars of Hilton. It’s just one way Laura and Hilton commit to the well-being of Hilton’s employees. The goal: make Thrive at Hilton something every employee feels every day. Laura shares that journey, which has plenty for you to learn from to make your organization a thriving place, too! Here's what Laura and Maureen cover: How Thrive at Hilton has 100-year-old roots, when Conrad Hilton shared his belief that travel is the key to world peace; The incredible value of a human-focused work culture; and How that culture boosts the company: “If your team members feel respected and heard, that’s how they’ll make your guests feel, too.”   Other episodes you'll enjoy: Joy at Work! with Roxanne Brown & Edward Cook Finding Meaning, Joy, & Purpose in What You Do with Paul Gibbons Hiring in the Great Resignation with Michelle Sanchez-Bickley   For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. We’re on Facebook, Instagram, Mastodon and Twitter, too!   RESOURCES:   You’ll find more information on Hilton at https://www.hilton.com. Go to the bottom of the homepage to find their business information. The Thrive at Hilton details Laura discussed are at https://jobs.hilton.com/us/en/benefits.   To learn more about Conrad Hilton’s vision for the Hilton hotels, check out his autobiography, Be My Guest.   Our host Maureen Metcalf posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can subscribe here.    She’s also written several award-winning books on leadership development. You can peruse and purchase them here.      Books we’re reading for fun or personal development right now include: The Hotel New Hampshire by John Irving Becoming Dr. Seuss by Brian Jay Jones Snow White & the Seven Robots by Louise Simonson & Jimena Sanchez   -----------------------   OUR PODCAST TEAM:   Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf Editor & Producer: Dan Mushalko Video & Graphics Editor: Devon Mushalko Suite Assistance Provided By: Luigi Morelli, Jenna Reik, & Connor Carson CONNECT WITH US:  Facebook: facebook.com/Innovativeleadership  YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership  Twitter: @IL_Institute  Mastodon: @InnoLeader  LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ILI-LinkedIn2  Instagram: @innovativeleader  Website: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com  Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating!  -----------------------   About Our Guest:   Laura Fuentes is the Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer for Hilton with over two decades of experience in engineering, strategy consulting and human resources. Having worked in hospitality, financial services, and management consulting, Laura’s career reflects her global, cross-industry perspective in key business and talent areas. Throughout her tenure at Hilton, Laura has led efforts to build an award-winning culture at Hilton, being recognized by Fortune as the #1 Best Place to Work in the U.S. and by DiversityInc as the #1 Company on their 2021 Top 50 Companies for Diversity list. Originally from Spain, she holds a B.S. from the University of Virginia, a M.S. in Structural Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, and an M.B.A. from Columbia University. She lives in Arlington with her husband and two sons.