Conor Kennedy, HYDE Hotel Duty Manager: “There’s a lot of diversity within the role”

In the latest edition of the Connacht Hospitality Group ‘Employee Stories’ series, we chatted with Conor Kennedy to hear all about his experience as a Duty Manager at HYDE Hotel.

Moving On Up

Conor Kennedy has been with the company for a year and a half, and it was fascinating to hear all about his experience working at one of the most popular and eye-catching venues in Galway City.

“So, I joined in June 2022 as a Food and Beverage Assistant and then this June I got promoted to a Food and Beverage Supervisor.

Shortly afterwards, Conor was promoted to Duty Manager – at the end of August. It’s a testament to Conor’s hard work and diligence that he has reached such great heights within the hospitality sector.

“I’m still transitioning to the new responsibilities, but it’s great because the staff and management have been really supportive along the way, and I’ve had a lot of freedom to be independent while knowing that I can turn to someone for help if needed,” Conor added.

Fantastic Team Ethic

So, what does a typical week look like when you’re working in HYDE where events are always happening, new guests are constantly arriving, and different days present diverse challenges?

“It’s a very fast-paced environment. For Race Week 2023, it was very busy, but it always attracts a diverse clientele between work functions, wedding parties, hen parties, and more. So, yeah, it’s always busy no matter what day of the week we’re in, and I definitely feed off that energy,” the HYDE Duty Manager said.

The business of HYDE has certainly fostered a fantastic team ethic among the group there, and a testament to their work is the number of awards received over the last few years including winning Best Hotel Restaurant at the Irish Hotel Awards 2023.

“It’s a good group,” Conor says.

“Staff training across the board means that people can move up. A lot of people have progressed at HYDE so it’s great to see.”

Elevating Those Skills

A lot of that comes down, too, to the fact that hospitality breeds a capacity to be flexible – which is a huge plus for anyone who wants to explore new avenues within their company and test themselves with new challenges.

“The very nature of hospitality means that you don’t always have one singular role, there’s a lot of diversity within the role. We’re always supportive of the different departments. If needed, you might need to help out with housekeeping or you might need to lend a hand in WYLDE.

“It’s great that we’re all cross-trained,” Conor adds.

It has led to so many people who have been able to move across departments and use their transferable skills to experience new roles, ultimately elevating their core skills and getting exposed to other types of work, which benefits team members in the long run.

Interested in joining Conor at HYDE Hotel? Check out the Connacht Hospitality Group’s Careers webpage here to see if there are any openings right now.