Stefan Schmid, General Manager of the DoubleTree by Hilton, Beijing, talks about the hotel’s innovative partnership with Bethel orphanage
Interview by Jennifer Thomé, photo by Nature Zhang

For many, doing charitable work is an occasional gesture, but the DoubleTree by Hilton, Beijing has innovated the way they think about charity. Their “Teaching Kids to Care” program gets China’s youth motivated towards positive change, but more interestingly, their cooperation with the Bethel orphanage allows them to use their strongest asset – industrial knowledge in nutrition, management and hygiene – to make a significant impact on the operations of the orphanage.

Tell us about your CSR commitments.

The DoubleTree brand is built on their care culture. Each hotel has a care committee that meets at least once a month, and it discusses how we can take better care of our guests, our employees, and the community we work in. Part of our commitment is the “Teaching Kids to Care” program, which takes place twice a year. We’ve planted trees, talked about hunger, watched rare birds, and last year we donated materials and money collected both by us and our guests to the Guangai School, which takes care of orphaned children. The Teaching Kids to Care program has been underway since we opened the hotel, and we have a really good relationship with a nearby primary school, and twice a year we work with them.

            In the fall, we’re having an event that’s about cookies. When you check in to our hotel, you get a warm chocolate chip cookie, and this year the global initiative is to donate 2,500 cookies to various people, and whatever we donate will be matched. So in the fall, we will be heading to a local primary school to talk to them about caring, and we will also ask them who they think the cookies should be donated to: nurses, fire fighters, police men, or the poor. We’ll take them to the different communities, and will help them make a donation.

“Our relationship with Bethel is very special: it’s not just CSR, but a real partnership”

What about your partnership with Bethel?

Our relationship with Bethel is very special: it’s not just CSR, but a real partnership. Last year we brought them here to sing at the Christmas tree lighting, and we realized that what they are missing isn’t necessarily money, but the skills to run their facility. We decided to assist them in terms of knowledge, and skills. That’s how our cooperation with Bethel started.

             We had a chef exchange where our chefs taught them about making meal plans, and our cleaning staff went there, helped them clean, and showed them how to maintain proper hygiene on an industrial scale. We did some upholstery for them as well.

            I was actually very impressed with Bethel’s setup. It’s not what you normally expect from an orphanage. It’s more like a village! They have little houses where the children live, and the main building with the school, and they have a farm that has chickens, goats, sheep, and even cows and pigs, and they grow their own corn, salad, etc. They’ve created a self-sustained environment. It’s very nicely done!

This seems like it requires a lot of logistical planning. Is it worth the effort, or would it be easier to donate money?

Giving money is always a risk: You need to know who you are giving it to, and what they are going to do with it. You need to follow up on the outcome. Partnering with a charity is effective, and has immediate, tangible benefits. It’s also really beneficial for the charity, because buying this kind of expertise is very expensive.

I hear you also bring in some of the orphans to train at the hotel. How’s that going?

 This is one of the benefits of the partnership! We brought in Bridget for six months of training, and now we’re looking at hiring her. It’s tricky, actually, because being an orphan she doesn’t have the usual ID documents, so we have to work extra hard to comply with the demands of the new labor laws, but we are willing to do it to provide employment to the less fortunate.

“Giving money is always a risk: You need to know who you are giving it to, and what they are going to do with it. You need to follow up on the outcome. Partnering with a charity is effective, and has immediate, tangible benefits”

So how did this girl perform in her duties?

She did pretty well. Our team took really good care of her, so she became very well acquainted with them, which was an advantage and a disadvantage. When we spoke to Bethel they encouraged us not to take too much care of her, because she needs to stay independent.

Hiring a disabled person presents a challenge to companies. What would your advice to other leaders looking at these kinds of initiatives?

You just have to have the guts to do it, and the right environment. We have three team members who are disabled: two of them are deaf, and they work in the laundry, plus our blind housekeeper from Bethel. They are all doing a really good job. The key for me is that you have to respect them, and treat them like anyone else. When you respect them, train them, teach them, and give them responsibilities, I think anyone can do a good job.

Of course, there are limitations. Bridget will never be able to work in the front of the house, but that’s ok. And she might not be as efficient as a team member who has their full sight, but she delivers her job at 80 percent. Everyone is looking for efficiency, but there are certain people in the world who need to be integrated, especially here in China. It’s just something you have to be committed to. If you’re committed, and your team is behind you, then there is no need to be afraid.

Do you have to work with your team to adapt to this?

It takes some time to get used to. I think it’s easier for me, because I have a blind cousin. Because I don’t have this barrier between myself and handicapped people.