In what little ‘me time’ she has, my wife is an avid baker. As such, she has long maintained that “great cakes start with great ingredients.” That axiom is every bit as true in the workspace as it is in the kitchen, most especially when it comes to management talent.

I was reminded of this in a conversation with Junior Lacayo, an Atlanta area Marriott hotel exec. In discussing the approach at his property to filling the management bench, he indicated that, because of a strong promote from within preference, candidates for every job at the hotel are viewed as (and screened for being) future leaders. To wit, no job is filled until the successful candidate has passed muster with the hiring manager and the entire management chain up to and including the property’s GM.

Mr. Lacayo was quick to add that these aren’t merely courtesy interviews, “We really question them, then we meet and discuss our observations and opinions.” Is that effort overkill for hiring a doorman or housekeeper? Perhaps, but remember, they’re not just hiring a doorman or housekeeper. They truly look at people strategically and are looking for long-term partners. They are filling a pipeline. To them, it’s worth the trouble, and the effort shows. Having put my head on Marriott pillows more than 800 times, I can vouch for the return on that practice.

I got a similar message a few years ago from a courtesy bus driver at Pebble Beach Resort. Having signed on to work the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am tournament (If you love golf, put this event on your bucket list.) early one morning I was riding the crew van from The Inn at Spanish Bay to the course. In the pre-dawn darkness I chatted up the driver, a twenty-something Pebble Beach Company employee, about what it’s like working there. When asked what she liked most about her job, her immediate answer was, “I like the fact that not everyone can get a job here. In fact, they are extremely selective” she said. Translation: I feel like I’m part of an elite unit, and thus, don’t have to work with turkeys. You wouldn’t believe how much that means to people!

Yes, great cakes do start with great ingredients.