By OSCAR G. DE LEON Contributing Reporter Sheraton Hotels & Resorts operate in 70 countries, serving as inspiration for the company’s diversity efforts at home. Sheraton officials say they draw on that multicultural experience to create a diverse workplace that reflects the many styles and customs found throughout the hotel network and through to individual locations such as Sheraton Universal Hotel. “Associates mirror this diversity and bring a global perspective and cultural sensitivity to their roles and responsibilities at Sheraton,” company officials say. Recruiting at the corporate level includes partnering with women’s and minority associations and conferences as well as job fairs aimed at minority candidates and the company’s outreach efforts to students extend to a diverse range of student associations, publications and conferences. Training and development at the hotel chain emphasizes tolerance and understanding for individual differences, an outlook so key to its strategy that each department is given diversity quotas, and compensation, benefits and training opportunities are linked to achieving those goals. In addition, innovative training programs are designed to foster tolerance, developing employees who are comfortable working with customers of all nationalities and cultures. Sheraton’s own HR strategies support its focus, with unrestricted benefits extended to domestic partners and online language classes provided to associates at every level. Sheraton parent Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., has been named in the top 50 or the noteworthy 25 companies for diversity by DiversityInc. Magazine for the past five years, and in 2007 was also named one of the top 10 companies for Latinos. On the philanthropic front, Starwood is the exclusive hotel sponsor of Special Olympics and of the 2007 Special Olympics Summer World Games, through Sheraton and other hotel divisions. The company expects to donate up to $150,000 based on beds sold through retail channels through June 30 to the cause.
