Goodwill® and Interstate Hotels & Resorts Streamline Hospitality Hiring and Recruitment Through Innovative Collaboration

ROCKVILLE, Md., Jan. 26, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Goodwill has joined forces with Interstate Hotels & Resorts to connect qualified candidates with jobs in hospitality, a unique collaboration with the industry. Interstate Hotels & Resorts (www.interstatehotels.com), the leading U.S.-based global hotel management company, offers diverse career paths and growth opportunities in the hospitality industry, providing flexibility with full- and part-time opportunities and positions in every area of hotel operations, from guest services and sales to food and beverage and finance.

At any given time, there are more than 1,200 job openings at Interstate-managed hotels available in the U.S. Each day, many individuals come to Goodwill looking for help in finding employment and building their careers. To help these individuals succeed in finding a job, Goodwill provides services such as career counseling, computer and job readiness classes, résumé and interview preparation, and many other specialized services.

Through GoodProspects® (www.goodprospects.org), Goodwill's virtual career navigation website, local Goodwill staff use a customized jobs portal, created in conjunction with Hospitality Online, which allows them to search for nearby openings at Interstate-managed hotels. Local Goodwill staff can then review open positions and refer qualified job seekers to apply. This pre-screening process helps Interstate efficiently fill job openings with qualified candidates who are ready to work.

"Goodwill prepares hundreds of thousands of people for the workforce, helping them earn paychecks — some for the very first time," said Jim Gibbons, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. "Our collaboration with Interstate and the customized jobs portal will mean that more people in our local communities will have the chance to earn jobs in hospitality, helping them care for their families and build their economic self-sufficiency."

Last year, Goodwill helped more than 318,000 people find jobs and provided support services such as child care, financial education, mentoring and transportation. As Goodwill refers qualified job applicants to Interstate Hotels & Resorts, the company will follow along with their career journey within the company.

"The hospitality industry provides unparalleled career opportunities, and Interstate offers diverse career paths for job-seekers with nearly any level of expertise. We can teach the technical skills, as long as a person is 'hard-wired' for and passionate about service," said Laura E. FitzRandolph, chief human resources officer at Interstate Hotels & Resorts. "Goodwill and Interstate are each mission-focused on helping individuals grow and develop, which is what makes this collaboration a smart match. We hope to see many successes and long careers at Interstate through this initiative."

Job seekers interested in hospitality careers can learn more at www.goodprospects.org. To find your local Goodwill organization and get connected with Interstate Hotels & Resorts, visit www.goodwill.org/locator.

ABOUT GOODWILL INDUSTRIES INTERNATIONAL
Goodwill Industries International is a network of 165 community-based member organizations in the United States and Canada with a presence in 13 other countries. Goodwill is one of America's 20 most inspiring companies (Forbes, 2014). Goodwill organizations are innovative and sustainable social enterprises that help fund skills development, job training programs, employment placement services and other community-based programs by selling donated clothing and household items in more than 3,000 stores and online at shopgoodwill.com^®. Goodwill also keeps textiles and other goods out of landfills. Local Goodwill organizations also build revenue and create jobs by contracting with businesses and the government to provide a wide range of commercial services, including packaging and assembly, food services preparation, and document imaging and shredding. Last year, more than 426,000 people in the United States and Canada used Goodwill's intensive one-on-one career services to prepare for employment. In addition, more than 24 million people used computers and mobile devices to access Goodwill education, training, mentoring and online learning services to strengthen their skills.

To learn more or to find a Goodwill location near you, use the online locator at Goodwill.org, use the Goodwill Locator app at goodwill.org/apps, or call (800) GOODWILL. Follow us on Twitter: @GoodwillIntl and @GoodwillCapHill, and find us on Facebook: GoodwillIntl.

ABOUT INTERSTATE HOTELS & RESORTS
Interstate Hotels & Resorts, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of a 50/50 joint venture between subsidiaries of Thayer Lodging Group and Jin Jiang Hotels, is the leading U.S.-based global hotel management company, operating branded full- and select-service hotels and resorts, convention centers and independent hotels worldwide.  As of November 2015, Interstate and its affiliates manage nearly 430 hotels with over 76,500 rooms in North America, the UK, Europe, Russia and the CIS, and China, including ownership interest in 32 hotels. In addition, Interstate has executed agreements to manage 37 hotels with over 5,100 rooms under construction or development throughout the world.  For more information, please visit www.interstatehotels.com. Connect with Interstate at www.linkedin.com/company/interstate-hotels-resorts, www.facebook.com/InterstateHotels, and www.interstatehotels.com/careers.

ABOUT HOSPITALITY ONLINE
Hospitality Online is a recruiting software platform paired with the largest hospitality job board in the world. Founded in 1998, Hospitality Online has grown to over 1.5 million members and over 10,000 hotel and restaurant recruiters. Hospitality Online provides a full suite of talent acquisition software including job board advertising, job distribution, applicant tracking, and corporate career sites. Hospitality Online believes the candidate experience should be on par with the guest experience. They help employers create a favorable brand impression and engage candidates who identify with the company culture. For more information, visit www.hospitalityonline.com or call (800) 514-1787.

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SOURCE Goodwill Industries International

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