Women in Hospitality: Ennusha Beejah, Human Resources Manager, Constance Halaveli

Ennusha Beejah is an example of the extra heights which women have achieved within the modern Maldives hospitality industry. With a strong and persistent character and a career commitment of over 10 years with Constance Hotels and Resorts, Ennusha has proven to be an asset to the Halaveli team with her unique talent for managing people. She holds an array of achievements including a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Hospitality, Recreation and Leisure from the University of Mauritius, an MBA Postgraduate in Hospitality Management from the Hotel and Tourism Management Institute in Switzerland and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Hospitality Management from Queen Margaret University, Scotland.

1. Hotelier Maldives: Could you tell us about yourself and how you began a career in the hospitality industry?

Enusha Beejah: I was born in Mauritius into a family of accountants. My whole family expected me to follow in their footsteps, but I never saw myself sitting at an office in the city. I was drawn towards nature, to explore and to look for something which I had a real passion for.

It was when I travelled to Switzerland to study Hospitality that I discovered what I was really passionate about. After the completion of my studies, I went back home to Mauritius and joined the Constance Hotels and Resorts company. At the Constance group, I started off as a management trainee in Constance Belle Mare Plage in Mauritius, then I moved to housekeeping coordinator which involved moving to the Constance training academy. For the past decade, I have been with the company and developed my skills and talents while also building up and developing my team along the way.

2. How did you come across the opportunity to join Constance Halaveli and what attracted you to working in the Maldives?

While working at the Constance Academy, we got the opportunity to travel to all the properties which are part of the company, with the purpose of conducting corporate training. This was how I was first introduced to the Maldives. For work I was already travelling as frequently as five times a year to the Maldives. I fell in love with the country, but not just for the Sun, Sea and Sand but rather the spirit of it. What pushed me towards the Maldives was the people and the diversity. Here I see that Maldivians are indeed very unique in their spirit and culture, yet they are very open and accommodating to the rest of the world. Their nature is very warm, welcoming, and hardworking. You don’t feel at all separate working here.

3. What are your experiences in working as a human resources manager in Maldives, which is still very much dominated by men?

At Constance Halaveli, currently there are only 33 women working at the resort versus 230 men. So yes, there is still a huge difference among the genders. However, I believe that my advantage as a female Human Resources Manager is that it gives me the opportunity to be more approachable to others. But even though I am usually soft while dealing with people, I also realise that I do need to build a tough layer around myself at times. Naturally I have feminine traits, but it does not make me weak. If I need to be firm, I shall be firm. Rules are rules for everyone. It is important that there is no room for discrimination in passing judgments and making decisions.

I believe I am much more firm with the HOD’s in comparison to the junior line members, because I strongly believe that the HOD’s set the example. Sometimes I do find myself guiding the General Manager and Executives and I consider myself lucky that they let me coach them and listen to my suggestions. I feel my role as a human resources manager is very well accepted among my other male peers and I never feel any difference just because of my gender. I feel fully included, accepted and valued here.

4. Sometimes you must face challenging cases which may turn legal and you would be in a position to take serious decisions. How do you identify these situations and how do you approach making major decisions regarding team members?

I am very much a logical person. In a situation like this, there are two versions which may be contradicting. First, I would carefully investigate and talk to each person to see what they have to say, but in the end I always choose logic over my intuition. I always think that there are no good or bad people. Everyone has a percentage of both in them, we are humans. For disciplinary action I go with logic but for recruitment it’s my intuition that I follow.

5. When hiring locals, do you get a satisfactory amount of young people who are looking to begin a career within the hospitality industry?

What are your thoughts on this? Constance Halaveli has a young workforce, mostly millennials. Their commitment level for jobs and brands are very different compared to the previous generation. However, we do understand this as it is a fast growing industry and the way youngsters gather work experience is completely different. They are always keen to work for the new and upcoming brand and to find opportunities to work at new properties. We appreciate it as they do tend to be frank about their commitment, at least you know what to expect and then plan accordingly. Occasionally there are some members who really do give high commitment and stay with us for many years. We need to find a balance in order to give them what they require, as this is an isolated island and they usually don’t have much to do as they would have working in Male’ city.

6. How important is it to keep the team motivated and what are the things that you do at Constance Halaveli to achieve this?

At the resort we have several activities planned for the entire team throughout the year, which I find really keeps them motivated. We try to introduce new activities, listen to their needs and their feedback. We always try to implement their requests as much as we can.

We can’t just let them eat, sleep and start over each day. If not physically but then mentally this would definitely affect them. We need to involve everyone in the resort activities for their well-being and to keep them stimulated daily. Activities and entertainment should be available for everyone.

7. What advice would you give to young hoteliers who would like to pursue a career within the hospitality industry?

There is a metaphor I use with my new recruits to describe the industry. This industry is not like an instant noodle but rather like a fine dining experience with various courses. With fine dining we cultivate patience, delicacy and appreciation. This does not normally come instantly when you start in the Hospitality industry. It develops through time. Hospitality industry is a spectrum of learning and development for newcomers: my advice is to walk the way through and not be in a rush. The experience acquired throughout builds not only your career but shapes you as an individual. Qualification is important, but experience is equally important.