The Accor Professions Challenge is a competition for young employees, aged between 18 and 25, who excel in one of the following professions: bar service, cooking, table service or reception.
The 1,000 candidates from 25 countries in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and the Americas*, who are currently either employed in a Group hotel or on a work-study contract, competed in regional and national heats between July and December 2014.
The 70 finalists, who are assessed by a jury of journalists, hotel professionals and human resources managers, take part in timed contests in one of the four fields: bar service, cooking, table service or reception. The Challenge allows the candidates, who work in hotels ranging from the economy to luxury segments, to assess their talents, give their utmost and of course share intense moments together.
Evelyne Chabrot, SVP Human Resources Accor comments “The Professions Challenge allows us to spotlight our young talents and showcase the flagship professions in our hotel business. Indeed, every year we recruit over 3,200 receptionists, 350 barmen, 2,200 waiters and waitresses and nearly 1,600 commis chefs worldwide. These vacancies are advertised on our recruitment website AccorJobs. This year’s candidates demonstrated great creativity and precocious professionalism during the contests. We are very proud of these talents who represent the Group’s future.”
In an exclusive for this 12th edition of the Challenge, the day after the grand final which took place on January 13th at the Lycée des Métiers de l’Hôtellerie Santos Dumont in Saint-Cloud and at the Mercure Paris Centre Tour Eiffel, pastry chef Pierre Hermé handed the winners their prizes alongside Sébastien Bazin, Chairman and CEO of Accor, Sven Boinet, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Evelyne Chabrot and Magali Laurent, SVP Talent Management & International Mobility.
Pierre Hermé commented “Know-how is a heritage handed down by our predecessors, which we have a duty to transmit to each generation. This Accor Professions Challenge is a great opportunity to share our expertise with young people from all over the world.”
The eight winners of the 2014 Accor Professions Challenge
The cooking contest
Technique and creativity in two sets of three verrines or bouchées: create and prepare a savory verrine or bouchée recipe and a sweet verrine or bouchée recipe using items in the basket of surprise ingredients.
- 18/22 year old category: Lukasz WIECZOREK du Novotel Warszawa Centrum – POLAND
- 23/25 year old category: Mikhail SMIRNOV du Novotel Moscow City – RUSSIA
The table service contest
Set-up, service and advice: select the tableware items and lay your table. Welcome the customers, point out the products on the hotel restaurant’s menu and advise the customers regarding their choices.
- 18/22 year old category: Agata STASIEWICZ du Novotel Lodz Center – POLAND
- 18/22 year old category: Caroline MILLER du Pullman Auckland – NEW ZEALAND
The barmen contest
Agility, speed and originality: make the cocktail you have drawn at random from a selection of recipes from the International Bartender Association. Afterwards, create and make your own cocktail recipe.
- 18/22 year old category: Stefania ANTONACCI du Novotel Milano Linate – ITALY
- 23/25 year old category: Nicola PADULA du Mercure Roma Colosseo – ITALY
The reception contest
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Sales and welcome: welcome the customer, proceed with the check-in, offer him/her the Group’s loyalty program and then present your hotel’s services and answer the concierge service requests.
- 18/22 year old category: Netteke LEENTVAAR du Novotel Rotterdam Brainpark – NETHERLANDS
- 23/25 year old category: Eszter TAKACS du MGallery Nemzeti Budapest – HUNGARY
* 25 countries took part in the 2014 edition: Australia, Austria, Belgium, China, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, Morocco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and Vietnam.
The brands represented: ibis, Mercure, Novotel, MGallery, Grand Mercure, Pullman and Sofitel.
From left to right :
1st row:
– CUISINE 18/22 : Lukasz WIECZOREK du Novotel Warszawa Centrum – POLAND
– BAR 18/22 : Stefania ANTONACCI du Novotel Milano Linate – ITALY
– Evelyne Chabrot, directrice des Ressources humaine du groupe Accor.
– RESTAURANT 23/25 : Caroline MILLER du Pullman Aukland – NEW ZEALAND
– BAR 23/25 : Nicola PADULA du Mercure Roma Colosseo – ITALY
2nd row:
– CHARLES ZNATY, CEO Pierre Hermé Group
– RESTAURANT 18/22 : Agata STASIEWICZ du Novotel Lodz Center – POLAND
– Sébastien Bazin
– RECEPTION 18/22 : Netteke LEENTVAAR du Novotel Rotterdam Brainpark – NEDERLANDS
– French pastry Chef Pierre Hermé
– RECEPTION 23/25 : Eszter TAKACS du MGallery Nemzeti Budapest – HUNGARY
– Sven Boinet
– CUISINE 23/25 : Mikhail SMIRNOV du Novotel Moscow City – RUSSIA
