Roisin, Head Housekeeper, Premier Inn

Getting back into the working world after a while, or embarking on something new can be daunting. Fear, self doubt and questioning whether it’s even possible is holding people back from starting a new chapter in their life. At Whitbread, we want to turn around the negatives and help you change your story – both the stories you tell yourself about lack of confidence, ability or employability, and your future ambitions too. You’re at the best place to #ChangeYourStory, with the UK’s leading hospitality business.

 

“I’m such a people person and I always thought I should give hospitality a go. I had no actual housekeeping experience when I applied here – in fact before Premier Inn I’d worked in Care for four years, before that I worked in Retail and an Estate agents. I’ve done a bit of everything!

“I just got to a point where I felt I wasn’t getting what I needed from my current job. The stress of the job was too much, and I didn’t have much of a life. I wanted something different. I applied at a few hotels actually and I’ll tell you what the big difference between Premier Inn and the others was… the interview.

 

“The difference in interview process at hotels for what is a job you can take on without previous experience, was crazy. In other places I’d have to turn up in full business dress and be interviewed by a panel of four people. It wasn’t like that here; I had a 15-minute chat with the manager, I was given a tour of the hotel and shown the rooms and I got to spend some time with a Housekeeper to find out what the job is really like to see if I would enjoy it. 

 

“I had a few offers in the end, but the approach at Premier Inn sold it to me and I knew I wanted to work here. When I started I was buddied up with one of the team and got a great induction, I had time to learn the role and understand the processes.

 

“I love cleaning so I picked the actual role up quickly. The experience I took from my time in the Care industry really helped me. The attention to detail I needed in that role is very similar to this one. 

 

“That was 2 and a half years ago now. Within 5 months I was promoted to Head Housekeeper. I’d never been a manager before and I’ve got 16 Housekeepers that I am responsible for, so doing the level 3 apprenticeship offered here helped me with understanding the best way to lead and motivate them. I just love being part of this team, supporting them and watching them grow. 

 

“The job’s so flexible too - I am currently learning things in other part of the hotel as well, like Reception. It’s great to have the option to do so many things within the role. 

 

“I’d say my favourite thing about working here is the team and creating a great guest experience. I’ve never seen a company put so much into wowing their guests, and I love having the freedom to do that. 

 

“You’ve always got support from the hotel and senior management team - we all work together to do the best for the team and the guest, without the stress I’ve experienced in other jobs.

#ChangeYourStory with shifts to suit everyone at the UK’s leading hospitality business here…