A University of Portsmouth student on placement at Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons has won Employee of the Month and Employee of the Year after only a few months with the company.
Claudiu Gheorghita was one of three people to be awarded Employee of the Year 2012 in the restaurant department. This came after winning Employee of the Month along with fellow placement student Hannibal Madsen. Both students, who are studying hospitality management and tourism at the University of Portsmouth Business School, are spending the third year of their course working at Raymond Blanc’s five-star hotel in Oxfordshire.
Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons is focused on employee development and training and the Employee of the Month award is a way of recognising the efforts and hard work of individual employees.
Julia Murrell, Director of Human Resources at Le Manoir, said: “We are delighted that Hannibal and Claudiu have both received Employee of the Month awards during their internships here. It demonstrates how much they are putting into their training, and shows how much they have learned and achieved so far.”
Hannibal, who is working in reception and guest relations at the hotel, said: “I was competing with industry professionals, so I feel honoured to win the award.”
Both students believe winning the award will help them in their future career plans. Hannibal said: “I hope that this will show any prospective employers that I am reliable, hard working and a good ambassador for my workplace.”
Claudiu, who is working in the Michelin-starred restaurant, said: “I believe that my future employers will see these awards as proof of my skills. It’s also about how much you want to achieve, and how much you want to develop yourself.”
Their tutor, Robin Shepherd, from the University’s Business School, said: “We are very proud of the many hundreds of our undergraduate students who spend a year in industry as part of their degree. They all perform well, sometimes brilliantly, for their host organisations.
“This award is of course Hannibal and Claudiu’s to enjoy but it is also ours to celebrate, as from their very first day, we have worked hard together to develop the sort of employability skills that are so highly valued by the industry.”
All winners of Employee of the Month at Le Manoir are nominated by their colleagues, before being shortlisted and then voted as winners by the team. The prize is dinner at Le Manoir, including sommelier selected wines and champagne on arrival for two.
