Courtyard by Marriott Pune, the hotel on Raja Bahadur Mill Road had organized a 'Shadow' programme for some employees who had joined the company a few weeks ago. Like a shadow, the chosen employees of the hotel followed top officials like general manager, finance head and others during their duty hours to get a hands-on experience. 

Harinder Jeet Singh, general manager of the hotel was accompanied by Daundkar. "The idea was to strengthen the bond between the senior officials and new employees. My shadow worked with me the entire day and offered her opinion during some meetings. I realized that we both had similar backgrounds, having started our careers from scratch," he said. 

"I never thought there would be so many departments or that every day so many reports would have to be generated about revenue and performance. What I do at my workstation is not just my job, but I also represent my company. Being with the GM is not an easy task, as he is busy with daily work, looking after functioning of all the departments and interacting with senior officials. I was part of that world today," an employee Suvarna Daundkar said. 

Singh also made her sign the appointment letter of a hotel employee issued on Thursday. Daundkar said, "It was a thrilling experience to sign an appointment letter." 

Singh said that he and Suvarna were from non-business backgrounds, but could get good jobs due to hard work. She said, "I was surprised to know that a person with a common background can reach a senior post and work efficiently. This changed my perspective about my career. I would certainly pursue my education and try for a senior post." 

James Michael, another employee of the hotel who was the shadow of a director of the finance, said, "It was a learning experience to work with him. My idea of running a finance department was limited to looking after salaries and expenses, but today I noticed various sections and sub-sections in the department. 

Detailed reporting about every expense made by the company was something completely new for me." An interaction with a vendor of the hotel was another learning experience, he added.

TOI