A category celebrating excellence in talent management
This award recognises companies that have been able to rethink their recruitment and integration strategies in order to meet today’s challenges in the sector.
The award-winning initiatives stand out for their ability to attract the best candidates, while offering an environment conducive to the personal and professional development of their employees.
This includes innovative recruitment methods, effective induction programmes and ongoing talent support.
Innovation in talent management
Winner 2024 – B&B HOTELS ACADEMY
Launched in September 2023, the B&B HOTELS ACADEMY programme, in partnership with Galileo Global Education, aims to give disadvantaged young people the opportunity to train for jobs in the hotel industry through a BTS Tourism apprenticeship programme. This initiative combines 1,351 hours of training, divided between theoretical courses and practical on-the-job experience in B&B hotels.
The programme is aimed primarily at young people from priority neighbourhoods and focuses on key skills such as customer relations, tourism development and foreign languages.
Thanks to the active involvement of B&B employees, who take part in workshops and mentoring sessions, this initiative enables participants to benefit from professional guidance while acquiring practical skills. With the ambition to train 1,000 young people by 2030, B&B HOTELS ACADEMY is a model of inclusion and talent development in the hotel industry.

Finalist 2024 – HappyCulture Académie
The HappyCulture Académie, launched in February 2024, is the first YouTube channel dedicated to careers in the hotel industry in France. In response to post-pandemic recruitment challenges, the initiative offers free training videos and employee profiles aimed at attracting and retaining talent in the sector.
The channel features dynamic and authentic content, combining professional tutorials and inspiring testimonials, in a vlog format that speaks directly to the younger generation.
The campaign has been a huge success, with more than 300,000 views and a 71% increase in applications compared to 2023. HappyCulture Académie has not only helped to reduce receptionist turnover rates, but has also extended the reach of recruitment with multilingual videos and collaborations with influencers.
The integration of this platform with hospitality schools and its expansion on TikTok illustrate HappyCulture’s commitment to inclusivity and sustainability in recruitment.
Candidate 2024 : Barrière Senior Program – Groupe Barrière
In 2023, Groupe Barrière launched the Barrière Senior Program, a recruitment initiative dedicated to young retirees. The aim was to attract experienced professionals while promoting inter-generational exchange within its teams.
The programme offers tailor-made contracts, giving young retirees the flexibility to choose their working hours and tasks, while allowing them to continue their career in the hotel industry.
This initiative has already resulted in the recruitment of 83 people in 2024, with an exceptional recruitment rate of 97% among this age group. The benefits of the programme include enhanced team dynamics, rewarding mentoring and high quality service, reinforcing the excellence of the Barrière brand.
The initiative was supported by a targeted recruitment campaign on digital platforms and at local trade fairs, highlighting the benefits of intergenerational collaboration and the value of the experience.
Why enter the competition in 2025?
This category is an opportunity to showcase initiatives that are shaping the future of the hospitality industry in terms of talent management.
It’s an opportunity to show how your company recruits, trains and supports its employees to help them achieve their full potential, while contributing to an inclusive and innovative working environment.
Your talent management programme could become a model for the entire sector. Don’t wait any longer, apply for the Hospitality Awards 2025 today.