From Washing Dishes to Chief Operating Officer with Jason Reader of Davidson Hospitality Group

In this episode, we talk with Jason Reader, Chief Operating Officer of Davidson Hospitality Group. Jason began his hospitality career washing dishes at a Perkins in Pennsylvania, moving to Pyramid Hotel Group, Magna Hospitality, and Remington Hospitality before joining Davidson, where he now oversees nearly 90 hotels and resorts and more than 240 restaurants, bars, and lounges across the United States, Europe, and the Caribbean.We talk about why he hires for personality over experience, how Davidson keeps its people-first culture accountable without losing what makes it distinctive, and what a genuine résumé red flag looks like in practice.KEY TAKEAWAYS00:00 Introduction and Jason’s path from Perkins dishwasher to Davidson Hospitality Group COO.05:36 How Jason built his own restaurant inside a Perkins to win a catering contract.14:50 Why Jason has never applied for a hospitality job since his first GM role.22:19 Why "culture and accountability are not mutually exclusive."26:37 How promoting from within compounds trust across an organization.35:25 The hiring opinion most leaders would disagree with.40:03 The résumé pattern Jason treats as a genuine red flag.42:10 The craziest interview Jason has ever been part of.48:02 What Jason would tell his 20-year-old self.Thank you for listening to "Hire Learning with Oz Rashid." Don’t forget to leave us a review and subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. Connect with our host, Oz Rashid, on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ozrashid. To learn more about MSH, visit https://www.talentmsh.com.RESOURCES MENTIONEDDavidson Hospitality Group website:https://www.davidsonhospitality.com/Yuka (referenced by Oz):https://yuka.ioRoad Scholar, formerly Elderhostel (referenced by Jason):https://www.roadscholar.org"Shoe Dog" by Phil Knight (referenced by Jason):https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Shoe-Dog/Phil-Knight/9781501135927#TalentAcquisition #HiringStrategy #EnterpriseHiring