KRA Supports Massive Hiring Effort of Luxury Hotel
For the Baltimore City Department of Social Services, KRA operates the Work Participation, Placement, and Support Services Program, providing critical workforce-development services for recipients of TANF benefits.
On April 21, 2022, KRA hosted its first in-person Job Fair since early 2020. Of the employers in attendance, the standout was the Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore, a luxury 5-star, resort-like property in the heart of Baltimore’s Harbor East district.
Bolstered by the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s positive industry-recovery projections, the Four Seasons identified 70 openings for seasonal Lifeguard, Pool, and Spa positions, as well as year-round jobs for Finance, Food Service, and Front Desk employees; Banquet and Mini Bar personnel; Cooks and Concierge staff; and dozens more.
Shawnda Walker, KRA Lead Job Developer, reports, “Brenda Gardner, Director of People and Culture, was eager for the Hotel to participate in the Job Fair, reflecting on the success of prior KRA hiring events in which they had participated.
“Of the 58 customers participating in the Fair, the recruiters interviewed 21 who expressed interest in the Hotel’s openings, granting all of them the opportunity to continue with more in-depth interviewing and screening, matching aptitudes and skill sets to specific departmental requirements, and other P&C hiring requirements.
“The vetting process will continue for at least another 3 or 4 weeks, with P&C staff notifying me as to progress. As much as KRA values feedback on a successful hire, we appreciate, even more, an assessment of why a candidate wasn’t selected—information essential for improving our job-readiness and pre-screening processes as we go forward.
“The Four Seasons shares KRA’s commitment to developing opportunities for our customers to achieve self-sufficiency and workplace success, and we will continue working with Ms. Gardner and her staff until all 70 positions are filled to their satisfaction.”
Dr. Boone’s 20+ years’ experience in the industry is extensive and her expertise in private-, public-, and non-profit sector workforce-services organizations is unparalleled, particularly in the Baltimore–Washington Metropolitan area.
