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Human Resources Manager

Sonesta Hotels · Chicago, IL · $77,000–$87,000 a year · Full time

Posted Sep 9, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about the HR work you have done in hospitality or another fast-paced, hourly workforce.

What they are checking: Whether they understand the pace and turnover of hotel employment.

How do you build trust with employees across departments who may not see HR often?

What they are checking: Whether they are approachable and visible, which the posting asks for directly.

Tell me about a time you helped a manager improve how they handled performance problems.

What they are checking: Whether they coach leaders rather than handling every issue themselves.

How do you stay organized when you are handling hiring, investigations and compliance in the same week?

What they are checking: Whether they can manage the full employee lifecycle without letting important work slip.

What would you do

A department head wants to fire an employee who has a pending complaint against them. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they recognize retaliation risk and guide managers to a careful, documented decision.

Engagement scores are low in one department. What would you do?

What they are checking: Whether they can find causes and work with leaders on real fixes instead of just running events.

About the work

How would you fill open housekeeping and front desk roles quickly without lowering hiring standards?

What they are checking: Whether they have practical recruiting ideas for hard-to-fill hourly hotel jobs.

Walk me through how you run an employee relations investigation from first report to resolution.

What they are checking: Whether they run fair, confidential and well-documented investigations.

What compliance areas matter most in a Chicago hotel, and how do you keep the property current?

What they are checking: Whether they stay on top of local, state and federal rules that affect hotel workers.

How would you make onboarding feel welcoming for a new hourly employee at a busy hotel?

What they are checking: Whether they can design onboarding that helps keep new hires past the first few weeks.

Practice this interview out loud.

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The full job description

As published by Sonesta Hotels.

We’re People People. Are you? We’re Sonesta International Hotels—the 8th largest hotel company in the U.S. (and growing fast 🚀). With a dynamic mix of full-service and focused hotels across major cities, our diverse portfolio of owned, managed, and franchised properties means we’re everywhere our guests need us to be. But here’s the thing—we’re not just in the business of hotels, we’re in the business of people. We bring service with passion, loyalty with purpose, and create experiences that genuinely connect—delivering quality, value, and memorable stays across 1,000+ properties in eight countries (and counting). What this role is all about As the Human Resources Manager, you’ll play a key role in creating that experience for our employees every single day. This is an exciting opportunity for an HR professional who loves building relationships, solving problems, supporting leaders, and creating positive employee experiences in a fast-paced hospitality environment. You’ll partner closely with hotel leadership and employees across all departments to support the full employee lifecycle — from recruitment and onboarding to employee relations, engagement, performance management, compliance, and development. If you’re approachable, organized, solutions-focused, and passionate about people and culture — we’d love to meet you. What you’ll be doing • Support day-to-day Human Resources operations for the hotel, ensuring a positive and engaging employee experience. • Partner with department leaders on recruitment, interviewing, hiring, onboarding, retention, and workforce planning initiatives. • Provide guidance and support on employee relations matters including performance management, coaching conversations, investigations, corrective actions, accommodations, and conflict resolution. • Help drive employee engagement, recognition, training, culture, and team member communication initiatives. • Support compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws, HR policies, labor regulations, and company procedures. • Maintain employee records, HR documentation, reporting, audits, and HRIS system updates with accuracy and confidentiality. • Assist with leave management, benefits support, payroll coordination, and employee inquiries. • Partner closely with Talent Acquisition, Payroll, Benefits, and Operations teams to support business needs and staffing priorities. • Monitor turnover trends, staffing challenges, and employee feedback to identify opportunities for improvement. • Support training and development initiatives including onboarding, leadership development, and compliance training. • Help foster an inclusive, collaborative, and positive workplace culture aligned with Sonesta’s People People philosophy. • Assist with HR projects, process improvements, and employee experience initiatives that support operational success. • Any other duties as assigned. • Spanish Bi-lingual a plus What great looks like • Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Hospitality Management, or related field preferred. • 3+ years of Human Resources experience, ideally within hospitality, hotels, retail, healthcare, restaurants, or other fast-paced service environments. • Strong knowledge of employee relations, HR compliance, recruitment, onboarding, performance management, and employment law. • Experience supporting high-volume operational teams and partnering with frontline leaders. • Working knowledge of HRIS systems such as Workday and familiarity with HR reporting and analytics. • Excellent communication, interpersonal, and conflict resolution skills. • Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment. • Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with professionalism and discretion. • Collaborative, positive, and solutions-oriented mindset with a strong customer service approach. • SHRM Certification, or hospitality HR experience preferred. • A passion for hospitality, people leadership, employee engagement, and creating exceptional workplace experiences. Anticipated Pay Range & Additional Job Information Pay Range $77,000 - $87,000 yearly. Base pay offered may vary depending on various factors including but not limited to job related knowledge, skills and job specific experience/overall experience. Sonesta recognizes that benefits play a vital role in helping ensure the health and financial security of employees and their families. We offer a variety of benefits to our employees including: • Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance • Health Savings Account with Company Match • 401(k) Retirement Plan with Company Match • Paid Vacation and Sick Days • Sonesta Hotel Discounts • Educational Assistance • Paid Parental Leave • Company Paid Life Insurance • Company Paid Short Term and Long Term Disability Insurance • Various Employee Perks and Discounts • Hospital Indemnity • Critical Illness Insurance • Accident Insurance Our Commitment to You Sonesta is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Before You Apply To be considered, please complete the full application in addition to submitting your resume. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

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