For years, the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel and Spa has been committed to building a diverse workplace. When it comes to hiring room attendants, banquet servers or front desk clerks, we, like many other L.A.-area hotels, seek to create an inclusive environment, representative of our city’s diversity.

But frankly, our policies on paper don’t always reflect the reality. Whether the right applicants aren’t applying or the recruitment tactics aren’t working, we aim for racially, ethnically and culturally diverse workplaces, but we haven’t met our goals – especially among African-Americans.

However, I’m proud to say a group of L.A.-area hotels, working with the hotel employee union Unite Here Local 11, took steps earlier this month to change that. Collaborating with local clergy and community activists, the Renaissance hosted a Hospitality Boot Camp. It was an intensive, five-day, unpaid training camp designed to provide out-of-work African-Americans the skills and information they need to land well-paying jobs in the hospitality industry.

Pounding the pavement, local clergy and community leaders spread the word. We received more than 100 applicants and took pains to select the 40 best potential hires with the right personality and spirit to excel in the hospitality industry. We worked with community college instructors and hotel human resource experts to develop a rigorous curriculum.

This effort had been in the works for a while. An outcome from the last contract negotiations in 2006 was the establishment of a Diversity Task Force that would create a plan to minimize obstacles for African-American applicants and boost outreach to the African-American community. This task force of hotels, labor activists, local clergy and community activists conceived the idea for the boot camp.

For management, this was a no-brainer. Boosting staff diversity has long been recognized as a smart business practice. A diverse staff can bring new perspectives, help attract a wider customer base and provide more tailored service to guests. It also brings a wider range of experiences to the workplace, enhancing the experience for employees and positively contributing to staff retention. The focus on diversity is also crucial because, as an industry, we are missing out on talented applicants, many under the impression that they do not belong.

I overheard one participant telling a union representative that he did not consider applying at a hotel. When you look around and see no one that looks like you, he said, you “just get a feeling that you’re not wanted.” Another applicant listening to the conversation nodded her head in agreement, “That’s right,” she said, “not wanted.”

Through miscommunication, jobs and job seekers have missed each other.

But through the Diversity Task Force, we are bridging this divide. Hotels gain access to talented and eager job seekers who have the personality and skills to participate in L.A.’s vibrant hospitality industry. And a marginalized work force gains access to career opportunities in the hospitality business.

This is a win-win in any context, but especially now given the bleak economic prospects facing African-Americans. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, while the overall unemployment rate hovers around 9 percent, the unemployment rate for African-Americans is 15.4 percent.

I’m not arguing we can change things overnight, but working with labor and community partners is a start.

There is, however, more work to be done. In order for this and future initiatives to be successful they must be tied to tangible results. The graduates from the boot camp are work ready and deserve a shot. Indeed, it’s in both sides’ interests to give them one. Congratulations to our first group of graduates.

Bruce Gorelick is general manager of the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel and Spa.