Name: Kim So-yeon
Position: Human Resources and General Affairs
Hotel: Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay
Dream destination: Hawaii — using the Explore Rate, we went on a trip to Miyakojima in Okinawa Prefecture this year as well as last year. My son, who turned two this year, loves playing in pools and the ocean, and he had a great time in the beautiful shallow ocean, so next time I’d like to show him the beautiful ocean of Hawaii.
Drink or treat of choice: An energy drink. I take my son to nursery school before going to work, so I drink it when I get to the office to get myself in work mode and get pumped up.

Let me introduce you to Kim So-yeon. So-yeon, originally from South Korea, joined Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay as a new employee and started her career in the food and beverage department. Later, she became interested in labor management and used the company’s internal recruitment system to change careers to the Human Resources and General Affairs Department.

“The many opportunities available to me make me want to work here for a long time,” says Soyeon. Currently, as a senior coordinator in the Human Resources and General Affairs department, she is using her experience in both on-site service and administrative roles to create an environment where her team feels supported. She believes that she was able to make this career change thanks to Marriott’s well-established system for supporting talent development and professional growth.

Read on to learn about Soyeon’s career journey and how Marriott International helped her find the opportunity that was right for her!

What is your current location and position?

I am in charge of payroll and labor in the Human Resources and General Affairs Department at the Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay Hotel in Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture. I support the staff through attendance management, payroll calculations, social insurance procedures, etc.

We have a lot of contact with people both inside and outside the company, and because there is a lot of technical terminology involved in labor-related matters, we place great importance on providing detailed explanations and smooth, accurate communication.

Tell us about your career journey with Marriott.

I joined Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay Hotel as a new graduate in 2017. I’m from Korea, but I wanted to work in a hotel since I was in high school, and because I studied Japanese at a university in Korea, I enrolled in a hotel college in Japan after graduating from university.

During my time at vocational school, I learned about hotels not only through classes but also through internships and facility tours. That’s when I came across Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay Hotel. I was attracted by the friendly customer service at the Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay Hotel, an urban resort, and decided to join the company.

After joining the company, I was in charge of restaurant service in the Food and Beverage Department. I was assigned to a buffet restaurant, where I experienced seating, taking orders, serving food, setting tables, and handling reservations by phone and email. After that, wanting to take on a new challenge, I applied and transferred to the Human Resources and General Affairs Department in January 2024. I was originally interested in “labor-related matters” and, having experienced maternity leave, childcare leave, and part-time work, I would like to support hotel workers while utilizing my own experiences.

What was a moment when you felt supported by Marriott?

Marriott International is the world’s largest hotel chain, so there is a sense of security that comes with being a major company. Although the characteristics of each brand are different, there is a transfer system between hotels, common systems such as corporate defined contribution pension plans, and I feel that the foundation is stable.

How would you describe your experience as a Marriott Associate?

Marriott International has a transfer system between hotels in the same chain. I am sometimes in charge of the procedures for accepting staff who are being transferred, but I need to coordinate with the hotel from which they are being transferred in order to transfer their paid holidays and corporate defined contribution pension plans. I am blessed with the opportunity to communicate not only with staff from my own hotel, but also with various staff across hotel boundaries.

What was a moment when you felt part of the community at Marriott?

Marriott International holds a large-scale charity event called Road to Give (Charity Run) once a year, with over 150 participants, and the Human Resources and General Affairs Department is in charge of running it. Human Resources department members from other Marriott International hotels are also in charge of running it, but we’re all preparing for the same goal, so we feel a sense of unity!

Tell us about your mentorship opportunity, either as a mentor or a mentoree, and how it helped you on your journey.

My senior colleagues at the restaurant I was assigned to as a new graduate were sometimes strict with me as professionals, but even when I made mistakes they always taught me what I needed to improve on.

In addition, the team members, regardless of whether they were seniors or juniors, got along well, and not only would seniors invite me out to dinner after work, but juniors would often invite their seniors out as well, so even now, looking back, it was a comfortable team. I think that’s why I developed an attachment to my work and the hotel.

Tell us about a learning and development program you have participated in and how it has helped your career.

At the Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay Hotel, we offer English conversation training and TOEIC test opportunities within the company. It can be difficult to maintain a goal of learning while working, but opportunities like this can help you stay motivated.

What has been the proudest moment in your career so far?

In my work, there was an issue where I had to go back through records to solve a problem, and when I successfully solved it, the staff and department said to me, “We’re glad we asked you! Thank you.” The existence of payroll and labor management work is rarely made public, but I felt that I was doing an important job of supporting the staff.

What advice would you give to new Marriott associates?

I took advantage of the system that allows me to challenge myself to transfer to other departments, and I have experience working in human resources and general affairs, starting from restaurant service. Since joining Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay Hotel, I have experienced many changes in my life. It is precisely because of the many opportunities in the environment that I have been able to work at this hotel for a long time. With so many opportunities at Marriott International, you are sure to find an opportunity that is right for you!