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Training: A tool for change at RIU Hotels

If someone were to ask which is the flagship of RIU Hotels & Resorts, there would be no doubt: its staff team. At RIU we fully trust the capabilities of our staff and seek their complicity to further their training and learning. The reason is simple: they convey the RIU values and our philosophy of “service with heart”, which makes your holiday unique. Would you like to meet the team that make this possible?

RIU introduces you to its Training Department

Leading the training department is our director, Pere Torrens. This department could not be managed better. Pere has a a wealth of experience in the human resources area and a magnificent curriculum, as he has a degree in Work and Organization Psychology from the University of Barcelona and a Master’s degree in Human Resources Management. However, Pere does not work alone as Mar Pujals and Juan José Henares are in his team.

“For us, training our staff is one of the main tools to obtain change within the company and the people, and a clear example has been applying the anti COVID protocols”. Pere Torrens, Training Department Director at RIU.

The Training team, at the RIU headquarters, from left to right: Pere Torrens,  Mar Pujals, Juan José Henares.

Mar is a young Mallorcan graduate in Psychology with a Master’s degree in Human Resources Management and has experience in various departments within the field of HR. Juanjo works side by side with Mar and Pere. He has an extensive academic background in information systems and more than ten years’ experience in the training sector, among many others.

As you can see, our training team is very well prepared, but in addition to their CVs, all three stand out for their human quality and the effort they put into their work day after day. This small team has become a great pillar in just a few months, as it was formed in August 2019 and became responsible for all the training sessions carried out at RIU. Until now this task fell under the Human Resources and Corporate Social Responsibility departments.

What does the Training Department at RIU do?

The main objective of this department is to promote training policies, with the aim of ensuring that the chain complies with all regulations and has a general standardisation in terms of management, procedures and standards. This tool also reaches senior management levels, as both managers and senior executives also receive training sessions that aim to achieve continuous improvement and adaptation to change.

The three people who make up the team are all-rounders and have several tasks to perform, including the development of training systems, the preparation of programmes and their coordination, the preparation of new projects, etc. The three of them work to ensure that all the workers in the chain receive ongoing training, either to adapt to a new position or to grow within the company.

We must also mention their great performance organising sustainability training, which seeks to develop a sustainable awareness among employees and clients.

Training has been reinvented

Like most departments, the training department had to adapt to the sudden changes brought about by the COVID19 pandemic. They reacted in record time because all the hotels had to adapt to a new reality. In only a few weeks of intense work, they developed training session so that all RIU employees were prepared to receive you in the safest way possible, protecting each guest and each employee. We always aim to maintain the standards we are known for.

Pere Torrens is responsible for the training department at RIU Hotels, “training is the responsibility of anyone who manages a team, they are responsible for the teams knowing how to do their job.

To be more specific, since the reopening of the hotels Riu Plaza Guadalajara and the hotel Riu Plaza Berlin on 25th May and until 31st August, RIU organised a total of 22,138 hours of training for the working staff on the prevention of infection and all within a the blink of an eye thanks to the new Online Training Portal, which allowed the sessions to be carried out efficiently and safely during that period. This system is here to stay!

Thanks to these training sessions, RIU workers have applied the 17 safety protocols of the RIU Manual in each of the hotel departments: Reception, Floors, Dining Room, Bar, Kitchen and SAT (Technical Services), among others. The main objective is to provide the company with the best tools and ensure efficiency within a global strategy aimed at the safety of employees and customers.

In addition, a series of tools have been implemented to monitor the procedures created during these months and to create updates in the event of new circumstances.

We do not want to finish this article without saying thank you. All the training provided over the months has prepared our hotels to offer you a safe and entertaining holiday at the same time. Thank you very much Pere, Mar and Juanjo because a large part of the success of the openings is yours and because you are the best representation of the great team behind RIU.