Education

Source: Horizon Hospitality

When was the last time you were surprised in an interview? If you can’t remember, it may be time to develop some new questions or take a fresh approach. In some industries, candidates can interview poorly, but still excel on the job. That is seldom the case in the hospitality industry. Some of the very traits that make a top hotel manager – leadership, confidence, strong communication skills – should be evident in the professionalism with which a candidate conducts themselves in an interview.

Interviews can be a sort of game, where you try to get behind the candidate’s interview mask, and they try to keep their guard up to prevent revealing any negative traits. Know what characteristics you want from your next employee and then create an interview that finds those skills and attributes.

Consider the following:
What are the characteristics of your most successful people?
What are your must-haves and like-to-haves in employees?
What is more important to you; experience or attitude?
What challenges will your new employee need to be ready for?
Ask questions that will reveal how closely each interviewee comes to matching your ideal candidate.

Give the candidate some room
Minimize the number of questions that can be answered yes or no or with a short answer. Ask questions that require them to elaborate on salient points, tell meaningful stories and provide details. Follow up with clarifying questions that will allow you to get even deeper into the candidate’s thought process and personality.

Find out who you’re interviewing
Skills are important, but you can find those on their resume. Ask a few questions to clarify their experience and quantify their successes. Pay attention as well to how they interact with you and your team. Can they think on their feet? The hospitality business is 24/7 and managers are expected to put out fires around the clock. If they can’t take the pressure of the interview, they will never cut it on the job.

Have a sense of humor
This in-depth interview approach is probably unlike anything the candidate has experience. When you throw someone off their guard like this, their responses will not be as practiced and professional as in a typical interview. Do what you can to put the candidate at ease. You’re charting new territory for the both of you. A more relaxed attitude will yield better results.

Work with the Best Hospitality Recruiter
The hospitality business is like no other, so why ask typical interview questions. Step back and think about what makes your employees and your business succeed. Then craft a hiring plan that will identify candidates who have what it takes to keep your guests happy and your rooms filled.

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Source: Chron, by Ruth Mayhew

Many people believe the hospitality industry consists of hotels, motels and bed-and-breakfast establishments, which it does, but the industry officially is referred to as the "travel, tourism and hospital industry," according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. The hospitality business comprises less than 20 percent of the industry; three other subsectors include air travel, food service and recreation. If you're conducting interviews in this field, you could be looking for anyone from a freight carrier pilot to an actor to play Minnie Mouse at Disney World.

Overview
People who work in the hospitality industry enjoy interacting with customers, ensuring customer satisfaction, problem solving and having access to special perks, such as travel coupons, free meals and flexible work schedules. Despite at least four distinct subsectors, hospitality industry employees share many of the same core competencies. The successful ones are good communicators, and their personal pride and job satisfaction are often tied to helping others. Also, they tend to be flexible and capable of resolving and negotiating solutions for customer and employee issues.

Hotel Workers
Ask hotel manager candidates about their experience raising market share, sustaining maximum occupancy rates and achieving formal survey scores, such as J.D. Power and AAA diamond ratings. Interviews for staff positions, such as room attendants, front desk clerks and bell hops should focus on job knowledge and routine tasks such as the guest registration processes. Also, ask questions about business principles such as confidentiality and customer privacy. Behavioral interview questions will elicit information about how candidates resolve matters among staff or between staff and customers. Get candidates to describe previous job duties, from the mundane to the critical tasks for which they are responsible.

Food and Beverage
Food and beverage industry employees can be waiters, sous chefs, bartenders or restaurant managers. Many employees in the food and beverage industry must have health certifications from local regulatory bodies. When you conduct an interview with someone who handles or prepares food or serves alcoholic beverages, ask if they have the current required certifications. If they aren't eligible to get certification and it's a job requirement of the job, you are wasting your and the applicant's time. Ask questions about restaurant trends to test their job knowledge, service techniques and knowledge of front-of-house and back-of-house duties.

Air Travel
Besides the age requirement for airline pilots -- younger than 60 for certain assignments is a bona fide occupational qualification for pilots, according to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration -- pilots must have certified training and flight hours to be considered for employment. They also must be focused on timeliness, precision and details; therefore, ask questions that yield information about their conscientiousness as well as their people skills. A pilot might be alone or accompanied by a co-pilot in the cockpit, but she must still be capable of directing flight crew and addressing passengers' concerns, sometimes in an urgent manner.

Amusement and Recreation
Six Flags, Disney World and the county fair all are part of the hospitality's amusement and recreation subsector. Interviewing for jobs such as facilities, technicians and mechanical experts requires situational interview questions to test candidates' functional expertise. For example, how good of a troubleshooter is the potential roller-coaster engineer or how experienced the funnel cake maker is at juggling dozens of orders. Personality and cultural fit often are major factors in whether an employee in this sector will work out, or if she'll enjoy the work. Ask questions that give the candidate opportunities to show that they're outgoing, witty, congenial and resourceful.

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Source: Hotel Industry Magazine, by Anne Blackburn

NOTE: This article was originally published in the Q4 2014 edition of Hotel Industry Magazine.

Each member of your team chooses the attitude they bring to work every day, and this has a huge impact on their performance, your guest experience and hotel revenue.

Attitude is affected by how we think and feel. Through self-awareness and management of our emotions, a good attitude has a huge effect on the Guest Experience.

Staff with positive emotions and a positive, “can do” attitude add so much more value to hotel performance. They are more productive, demonstrate empathy and care for guests and deal effectively with challenging situations and difficult team members.

Excellent guest relationships can only be developed when staff are happy.

Positive thinking and emotions are needed to drive positive language to make your guests feel valued and special.

Happy guests stay longer, spend more, return and tell more positive stories about you.

Staff with a negative attitude and negative emotions damage team morale and performance, destroy the guest experience and your reputation. Their negative emotions inevitably end up at your door as a complaint or displayed on your TripAdvisor page.

As a hotel leader, here’s what you can do to support your team and positively influence your employees’ emotions:

1. Emotional Intelligence Training
Emotional Intelligence Training provides skills and strategies to develop self-awareness, self-management and coping strategies.

Help the team with rapport building and empathy skills too, as these are not natural for everyone.

2. Empowerment
Staff are happier, more productive and serve guests better when given the freedom to do their job.

Clear boundaries are needed to allow them to treat guests in the way they like to be treated. If there are too many rules, employees don’t act spontaneously to create magical moments for guests.

3. Manage Employee Expectations
Staff expect more from their employees today. They want regular, in the moment feedback. They want to know exactly what is expected of them and how their role affects the guest experience and the whole business performance.

Younger staff may seem impatient and want to challenge decisions, but they are hungry to learn and committed if you take the time to understand them.

A mentoring programmer creates positive staff who then feel you care about them.

Regular, honest and transparent company communication makes staff feel involved in the business.

4. Leadership Role Modelling
Visible, supportive leaders with excellent coaching skills are needed to create a positive environment. The hotel values and standards must be reflected in all managers’ behaviors. There must be no ‘say-do’ gap.

Employees watch their leaders and adopt what they perceive to be acceptable to the company. Leaders who are quick to recognize and reward success, give staff a voice, allow input into decisions that affect them and create meaning for their work have engaged and happy employees.

It is key to also find time for some appropriate fun at work and socialize with staff.

Hospitality is a demanding and tough environment. Fun workplaces are not only more productive, they attract the best staff and guests and profits.

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Source: HospitalityNet, by Deven Bhagwandin, Freelance Hospitality Content Writer

Training is one of the most overlooked aspects of every hospitality business. Perhaps it's because we're inherently expected to know what hospitality and good service is so we assume everyone can provide the two.

Unfortunately, that's not the case. Employees have to be taught the proper way to act and react when engaging with guests. They have to be given an arsenal of proper words to use. They need to know the services you offer backwards and forwards in order to give the best customer service. They have to be shown how to create the best guest experience possible.

None of this happens without proper training.

As you review your customer feedback take note of how many complaints or guest concerns come from situations which could have been handled at the employee level.

Did your staff member have the right information? Was it something the employee was empowered to fix? Does your employee know how to use all of the tools available to them to satisfy your guests?

The Importance of Training: Introduction

Let's take a look at training from an operator's standpoint. A lot of us may be hiring new staff members on a reactionary basis instead of planning ahead for times where we have scheduling holes.

So, when we're desperate, we'll find a potential candidate, call them, go through a 15-20 minute interview (if that), and then hire them on the spot in the hopes that they can start, "this weekend," or, "as soon as possible."

We do this for two reasons: laziness on our part, and to plug a hole where we think service will suffer.

How many times have you thrown your new employee into training on a busy night when their trainer had too much going on to provide proper service while monitoring the new employee?

The new employee is then frustrated and unlikely to come back, and if they do, they've seen or have already begun to develop bad habits and shortcuts to make their lives easier during a busy period.

If you've done any of this in the past, you can see that it's worth your while to spend the extra time, money, and effort on employee training.

Effects of Training

Being a business operator or owner, you probably make decisions based on how something will impact your business. Will it have consequences and if so, what will they be? And how will those decisions impact your business overall? (By overall, we mean: will this decision make money or cause you to lose money?

Over the course of the next few weeks, Serviceable is going to go in depth on some training tips to help you hire and train the right employees properly. To get you thinking about why it will be important to keep up with our management tips on the importance of training in the service industry here is a list of how proper training will affect your business:

You will have better customer service, so fewer complaints.
You will have employees who can competently handle problems or potential problems before you have to get involved.
You will have a better workflow/teamwork.
You will have better relationships between employees.
You will have happier employees who stay with the company longer.
You will show an increase in profitability.

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Source: Hotel News Now, by Birgit Radin

Businesses continue to erase the practice of one employee doing one job. In the hospitality industry, cross-training is not only a good practice but necessary with today’s economic challenges and competitive work environment. To support this, I’ve identified four key reasons on why you should adopt cross-training at your hotel.

1. Improve flexibility
Cross-training is a great way to improve your team’s versatility. At our property, we work with assistant management level employees and workers in an up-and-coming development level. This is a good way to get each individual exposure in other key areas of management. Having a front-desk manager who can knowledgeably fill in as a housekeeping manager in an emergency benefits the business and operations while also offering guest benefits. When properly trained, the two should have an understanding in terms of the tasks involved and labor required to do one another’s jobs. The cross communication that results from a good cross-training program is invaluable when it comes to mutual understanding across departments. This gives each department manager’s more realistic expectations of what the other department can do in a given situation.

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Source: Small Business Chron, by Colleen Reinhart

Wherever people live and work together, culture develops. Organizational culture refers to the beliefs, values and attitudes that define your company, and like cultures elsewhere, organizational culture develops spontaneously, whether you nurture it or not. Since hospitality staff directly serve people, your customers get a taste of what your business is all about every time they interact with your staff. Managing your organizational culture is crucial for delivering the right impression every time.

Training and Hiring
Culture is less about policy and more about people, especially in the service-oriented hospitality business. To create the organizational culture you want, it's important to define your mission and values, but the crucial second step is finding people committed to those principles. As a paper published at ScholarWorks@UMass Amhurst by Mary E. Dawson and JeAnna Abbott points out, choosing the right people improves retention rates and service levels. For example, if you want to run a bed and breakfast that's committed to conscientious service, job interview questions about attention to detail should be included in your hiring process. Once you have your work force onboard, nurture the positive qualities you're looking for. Dawson and Abbott point to the example of Disney University, which produces staff who are courteous and customer-focused for the company's theme parks.

Foster Commitment
When you hire people who fit well with your culture, you're more likely to secure a long-term commitment from them, but there's more you can do to get people engaged with the mission of your organization. If your company believes in continuous service improvement, for example, then inspire them by practicing continuous improvement at all levels of the organization. Invest in developing employee skill sets by sending people to conferences and continuing education courses. If you expect employees to deliver a certain experience to customers, you need to make that experience a reality throughout the company. Staff should feel the culture you talk about if they're going to remain enthusiastic.

Develop a Story
All cultures have great stories, and your business should have one too. Writing a history of where your company came from and where it's going makes your employees feel that they're part of something bigger. It also helps your customers to understand where your values come from. Think about why you started your business in the first place. Maybe you thought that fine dining was too expensive in your city, so you aimed to start a business offering delicious food without pretentiousness. That easy-going attitude is something your servers can embody, and they're more likely to get what you're after when they understand the restaurant's past.

Not About Programs
Managing your culture for success is more about a feeling you create than putting specific programs into place. Start with your values first, then brainstorm how to make them real. Your plan may or may not include employee perks like free day care and bonuses. For example, in a Delta Hotels organizational profile published by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, Bill Pallett, SVP of People and Quality said, "We do not have a health club. We do not have a day care center. But we have a high degree of trust between our manager and employee groups." Decide what values are most important, then make plans that let your employees live them.

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Source: Azcentral, by Michelle Reynolds

The hospitality field generally includes businesses such as restaurants and hotels. These establishments serve the public and frequently employ numerous staff members to efficiently accomplish this task. As an administrator of a hospitality organization's most valuable asset -- its human resource -- the HR department is called on to administer employee-related activities that may be critical to the continued success of the organization. The HR department's role is to support the organization by freeing up management to concentrate on the business of doing business.

Employment Concerns
The hospitality industry caters to people, and successful hospitality ventures make it a priority to expertly serve their guests. A role of the HR department in this endeavor is to recruit good employees and train them to become great employees who enjoy serving others, achieving a high level of customer service. The HR department's role also encompasses compensation and benefits administration. This includes making sure wages and benefits are competitive with other similar restaurants or hotels. If a hospitality organization is a "union shop," the HR department's role includes keeping a close eye on wages, as well as monitoring the division of labor among departments to guard against managers or staff over- or under-stepping wage and labor requirements set by the union.

Morale and Mentoring
The HR department is a champion of employee morale, creating employee programs that will allow the continued growth of a superior level of morale. The HR department also fosters employee development through mentoring both management and line staff, and guiding them through the various steps to actualizing their goals. HR might create specific plans for staff members to follow, applauding successes and providing direction for areas needing attention.

Legalities
Protecting employees from adverse employment practices, and safeguarding the organization from employee litigation is a weighty responsible of the HR department. Because of high business levels, hospitality organizations may employ too few or too many staff members. Both conditions can sometimes create situations where managers inadvertently schedule employees to work too many hours per shift or too many consecutive days, engendering a situation outside the limits of compliance with current labor law. A large and diverse staff may also create opportunities for harassment or other issues requiring intervention by the HR department. HR staff is expected to know employment law and to ensure the organization adheres to the law.

Strategic
In its role as people-manager, the human resources department is a strategic partner with the hospitality organization. As the organization expands or contracts, the HR department is inherently responsible for providing personnel for growth and also for implementing downsizing. Keeping control of the costs associated with employment, including those connected with wages and benefits, is a strategic and important role of the HR department. Indeed, the entire organizational structure of the hospitality organization may rely upon the HR department to ensure smooth business function.

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Source: Horizon Hospitality

What makes for a great hotel manager? Going far beyond the job description to help the hotel succeed! If you are a hotel manager or hope to become one, you need to put the needs of the hotel and its guests first. Here are few tips to help you make an asset of yourself in your hotel management job.

Look at the numbers.
Analyze all data available to you to see what areas are the most and least profitable, so that you can take steps to improve your hotel’s bottom line.

Monitor (and Improve) Online Reviews.
With a number of options available for customers, one important piece of information used during the reservation process is online review websites, especially TripAdvisor. If five hotels become an option, having a 4.5 rating compared to a 3.8 rating could make a significant difference in occupancy rates. Monitoring the feedback, reaching out to dissatisfied customers (and thanking happy customers), and addressing internal issues will lead to a better rating (and increased revenue) for your hotel.

Engage with the community.
Often out-of-towners ask locals for hotel recommendations. It’s tough for them to help, because typically, they haven’t stayed there. Network with local businesses and participate in community activities so that people will know what you have to offer. Host a networking event at your location to show locals the facility and amenities.

Know your competition.
Benchmarking is an important method of identifying ways to improve. Have local venues updated their common areas? Do they offer free wifi or a continental breakfast? Don’t fall short when potential guests compare you with others in the area.

Up sell to existing clients.
Go above and beyond for your current or regular guests. If someone comes on vacation, might they be interested in using your facility for their next business conference? If people are in town for a conference, can you market your area as a vacation area to them so that they return with their friends and family?

Lead your team.
Employees look to you to set the tone. Foster a culture of ownership – hard work and pride in the hotel to give each guest a positive experience. Have regular meetings with your staff and solicit ideas from them so that they are invested and you hear ideas you may not have come up with on your own.

Remain up to date.
Go out of your way to learn about developments in the industry so that you’ll always know what trends you should adopt, and what guests are likely to expect.

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Source: Horizon Hospitality

With all the time and energy that’s put into hiring, you would think employers would focus more on keeping great people. But like in many relationships, some restaurant and hotel managers often take their best people for granted. Why? They get the job done, they don’t need a lot of management and they are drama-free. It’s a recipe for the ideal employee, but can also be a danger zone for neglect.

Here are few tips for keeping top people around for the long haul.

Show them some trust.
Give top employees challenging projects or initiatives to work. This is a win-win for you and them, because they will enjoy the autonomy and you can be confident that the job will get done.

Show them some love.
Yes, we’re talking about compensation. There is plenty you can do that costs you little or even nothing. But if your compensation isn’t competitive, even the most loyal employees will be tempted to look elsewhere.

Show them the ropes.
Consider mentoring one of your top employees to help them to develop within the company and be ready for promotion. Employee development is a proven method to increase engagement.

Show them some appreciation.
Don’t spare the praise. It’s easy to assume that top performers know how good they are at their jobs and that you appreciate their efforts. Provide ongoing feedback, noting their specific talents to show you notice their efforts.

Show them you’re flexible.
Go out of your way to accommodate their needs. In most hospitality positions, working from home isn’t an option. Be accommodating where you can. For example, if an employee wanted to take a class to complete a degree or become eligible for promotion, be understanding.

Show them the way.
Just because an employee is outstanding doesn’t mean they understand their true potential. Discuss their goals with them and share strategies to reach those goals within your company.

Investing time and energy can go far in keeping top performers. The biggest factor in retention is hiring the right people in the first place.

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Source: ServiceThatSells

What’s harassment… and what’s humorous? What’s threatening… and what’s flattering? It depends who you ask… and who’s complaining. As a restaurant manager, your job is to err on the side of what an employee could be feeling. Don’t try to read what your employee is thinking, ask. And act.

Sexual harassment is, unfortunately, a common type of harassment or discrimination seen in the hospitality business. However, discrimination based on race, religion, disability or sexual orientation can be equally damaging to a person’s well-being as well as a restaurant’s bottom line.

When any form of harassment is reported in your operation, you have to react quickly, appropriately and definitively. Follow your company guidelines – or check out the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for legal procedures – as soon as the first complaint is made. In the meantime – before problems occur – implement these steps to prevent harassment in your workplace:

Study, post and train employees on your harassment policies. Communicate to your team that you are taking a “zero tolerance” approach toward discrimination and harassment and ask them to sign the policy, acknowledging that they have read and understood its contents. (If you have employees whose primary language is not English, have the policy translated.)

Train, train, train. There are countless harassment training options out there. Some are even specifically focused on the hospitality industry. Find the program that works best for your operation and make sure all employees participate.

Make it easy for employees to complain. Provide a few people (team leaders, managers, etc.) who an employee can confide in. Give the option for a male or a female and make sure all employees know who they can talk to if they’re being harassed in any way.

Conduct a survey. Ask employees to anonymously complete a questionnaire that asks if they’ve been harassed in your operation. Often this simple tool will let you know that there’s a problem, even if nobody’s talking about it.

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Source: Hotel Executive, by Barry J. Vogt,

Facilitating Employees' Return-to-Work

Many injuries, including even minor sprains and strains, can result in weeks or months off the job. The longer injured workers remain away from work, the more difficult it often is for them to return to gainful employment. In fact, research from the New York State Workers' Compensation Board has shown that there is only a 50 percent chance that an injured employee will return to work after a six-month absence. This declines to a 25 percent chance following a one-year absence and a 1 percent chance after a two-year absence.

The primary goal of a return-to-work program is simple - help injured or ill employees become productive again as quickly and safely as possible. These programs help keep workers off of long-term disability and can potentially lower employers' experience modification rating by reducing lost workdays, which are factored into workers' compensation insurance premium costs.

Many businesses offer transitional or modified jobs as part of their return-to-work programs. There can be a lot of flexibility in these arrangements and they are well-suited to employees who are medically cleared to work by a physician, but are unable to perform their previous job duties. Transitional modified jobs do not have to be in the same role or department, for the same number of hours, or at the prior compensation level.

Commitment to Caring

Employers have the ability to control or influence many of the factors that contribute to worker's satisfaction levels, return-to-work outcomes, and claim costs.
Showing injured workers that their employer genuinely cares about them and their recovery can go a long way. Management should keep the lines of communication open with injured employees. Typically, employers who maintain compassionate contact with their injured employees during the recovery period tend to have better return-to-work results.

Taking the time and effort to identify and establish a relationship with a medical provider as well as to plan for transitional modified jobs or alternate duty opportunities can facilitate speedier return-to-work and improve morale.

By committing to making safety a priority, and being prepared for potential work-related injuries or illnesses, hotel managers can set themselves - and their employees - up for success.

Republished from the Hotel Business Review with permission from www.HotelExecutive.com

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Source: Hotel Executive, by Roberta Matuson

1. Empower Your Hiring Managers

Turn your recruitment department upside down by - The traditional model of hiring begins with a member of the HR team sourcing and screening candidates for those in need of new hires, while hiring managers passively wait for candidates to walk in their door. It seems that lately, days have been turning to weeks and weeks into months, as job openings remain unfilled. In the mean time, managers are asking their employees to work overtime to ensure all shifts are covered. Tempers are rising while positive guest reviews are declining.

Now imagine how differently this scenario might play out if you turned things around and you empowered hiring managers to bring their own candidates forward. Here's an example of what I mean by this. A hiring manager encounters great service while dining out with his family. So much so, that the waiter has managed to upsell him a three course meal when all he really wanted was an appetizer. The manager immediately recognizes this person would be a terrific addition to his sales team. Upon paying his check he hands the waiter his business card and tells him to give him a call to discuss a great career opportunity. The waiter calls, immediately receives an interview with the manager and is then passed on to the recruiter for reference checking. Within a week, the waiter has an offer letter in hand and is scheduled for orientation. This could and should be happening in your organization.

Now before you tell me you'll have a revolt in HR should you attempt this in your organization, think again. I don't know of a confident HR person who wouldn't be thrilled to have his or her hiring managers do most of the heavy lifting, especially in today's crazy hiring environment.

2. Provide Hiring Managers With Tools and Skills

They will need to transform themselves into talent magnets. Remember what it felt like when you stepped into your first leadership role? Does the word terrifying accurately describe that feeling? Somewhere along the line, you acquired the skills necessary to be successful in your new role and eventually your confidence grew. The same thing will happen to those you manage, if you take the time to invest in their development and encourage them to learn by doing.

Talent magnetism is a skill that can be taught. To do so, you must lead by example. Try this. Partner with a member of your HR team and demonstrate talent magnetism in action. Attend a meeting at your local Chamber of Commerce and bring along one of your managers for some on-the-job training. Strike up a conversation with those who look like they could use a friend. During your exchange, make mention of how great it is to work for your company and ask if this person knows of others who might be seeking a new opportunity.

Don't stop there. Sometimes the pump needs priming. Let people know that you frequently hire retirees who are interested in earning additional income or stay-at-home parents who are looking to get back into the job market. End each conversation by setting up a date and time to speak further so you can gain the names and contact information of their referrals.

3. Simplify the Hiring Process

You would think that with the addition of technology, the hiring process would be simple. The exact opposite is true. Many of these new technological advances are more time consuming and less effective than the hiring processes we had back in the eighties.

One can imagine how frustrating all of this must be for those in the hotel industry where desk jobs are the exception rather than the norm. Simply put, who has time to fill out a requisition on line and send it to the dozens of people who must approve each and every position? We're in a crisis people!

Partner with your HR team and examine every step of your hiring process. Ask yourself, "Is this step absolutely necessary?" If the answer is no or "well sort of" remove that step from your process. Every stage of the hiring process should add value and result in a quality hire.

Place a moratorium on technology and give your hiring managers permission to go back to pen and paper. If you must track your hiring process electronically, then have this task done by someone on your administrative staff. Doing so will free up your leaders so they have the time to hunt for talent.

4. Teach Everyone with Hiring Responsibility How to Select for Success

I've personally trained hundreds of hiring managers on how to select for success with finesse. The results speak for themselves. Fewer arguments, less time wasted on candidates who aren't the right fit and better hires, as a result of HR and operations working in alignment with one another to hire the best. When everyone is trained, HR can spend less time coaching and more time ensuring new hires are properly assimilated into the organization.

Preserving your organization's employment brand, which is how your employees and others perceive your company as an employer, is key when seeking talent. After all, no one wants to work for an employer with a bad reputation.

All of us have either experienced negative interactions when seeking employment or have listened to horror stories from friends and associates with regards to their interview experience. Once such story involves a young professional who took three modes of mass transportation to get to an interview with a well-known company. She spent over an hour of her time talking to the hiring team only to be told at the end of the interview that the position she was being considered for was recently put on hold. Upon her departure she immediately texted all of her friends (many of whom were in job seeking mode) posted her tale on Facebook and left a review on one of the career sites. She did this all on her mobile phone.

In today's online world, there are no secrets. Reputation matters. That's great news for those organizations with stellar reputations. A study published by CareerBuilder in October 2013 found that 68% of employees are willing to accept a lower salary in order to work for a company with a great employer brand.

HR pros cannot and should not be the only ones promoting what a great place your organization is to work. This needs to be done in partnership with managers and their employees as well. Here's what I mean by this. It's not uncommon for people to take the time to post bad reviews when they are unhappy, which is why career sites such as Vault and Glassdoor tend to be somewhat weighted with more negative reviews than positive reviews. However, you can tip the scales in your favor by encouraging people who are happy in their jobs to post a favorable review. At the same time, it's wise to be looking for patterns in those less than flattering reviews so you can take steps to improve your workplace accordingly.

5. Rebuild Your HR Team

A great HR team is vital in an industry where guest satisfaction rests heavily on service. Take stock of your current HR staff and add positions where needed. In particular, recruiting and learning and development. By doing so, you'll be able to more easily attract and develop talent that will be sticking around for a long time to come.

Republished from the Hotel Business Review with permission from www.HotelExecutive.com

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Source: Spark Hire, by Lauren Levine

A hotel’s staff directly correlates to that facility’s success. Hotel staff members have a major impact on a guest’s stay, for better or for worse. To ensure that your customers are anxious to return for another visit soon, keep the focus on hiring the very best that your industry has to offer. Here’s how you can recruit top talent in hospitality:

Write out a job description

This helps you to understand where your priorities lie in terms of skills and abilities that a potential candidate must have. Once you figure out what’s most important, you can go through the interview process with a clearer picture of who and what you’re looking for. A job description is also helpful for a candidate, as it allows them to learn exactly what the role would include should they receive an offer.

Focus on both internal and external recruiting

Divide your time equally between internal recruiting efforts and spreading your message to outside candidates. Both types of recruiting have value, but many businesses inadvertently end up focusing too much attention on one over the other. If you have an employee working the front desk who appears to have potential to fill another role, start talking to them about these opportunities early. Let them know what the other position would look like, and find out whether they have the drive to handle this new job.

However, if you’re out at an event and meet someone who you think would be perfect for your team, exchange contact information and stay in touch. Even if they’re not currently working in hospitality, you may find that they’re your next great hire. It’s easy to teach someone how to use a particular computer program or tool. It’s much harder to teach them customer service abilities. If you think they’d represent your hotel well, contact them when an opening pops up.

Don’t forget about background checks

Background checks are especially important in the hospitality industry, as your staff will have access to guests’ personal possessions and information. As swamped as you may be during the hiring process, never neglect this key step.

You’ll also want to make sure that your hotel has a strong training program in place. Everyone who works in your facility, regardless of their duty, should know what’s expected of them. They should understand how guests should be treated, how they should handle a dissatisfied customer, and who to talk to if they have concerns.

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Source: Azcentral, by Linda Ray, Demand Media

While customers might initially choose a hotel for its location, rooms and amenities, your staff will make the biggest impression on visitors, who often base their subsequent decisions about where to stay on past customer service experiences. The more you can motivate your staff to take extraordinary care of your guests, the more successful you are likely be.

Recognize Greatness

Employees appreciate being recognized, especially when they go above and beyond the scope of their everyday duties to satisfy a guest. Ritz-Carlton is a worldwide hotel chain that prides itself on attention to details. You can incorporate one of their techniques for recognizing employees. Each day, staff members at all the chain's hotels gather for a teleconference, during which they share extraordinary stories of how they managed to meet guest expectations. Employees are proud to be recognized in front of their peers, and strive to make it into the presentation as a result.

Model Enthusiasm

The motivation levels of a staff at any organization often follow the example of the company’s leaders. If you are a hotel manger or owner, the enthusiasm for your work and the opportunities it affords should start with you. Let employees see you smile as you walk through the lobby, and greet each staff member by name. Leave your office regularly throughout the day and interact with guests. Pitch in to help employees when you see they need a hand. You will instill respect and loyalty when you demonstrate those qualities to your employees, who then will be motivated to provide the best possible service and be a part of the hotel’s success.

Empower Employees

When employees feel empowered to make decisions and have all the tools they need to properly perform their duties, they are more motivated and tend to stick with their jobs longer than staff members who don’t feel they have management support. Turnover rates tend to range between 78.3 and 95.4 percent in the hospitality industry, according to the Incentive Performance Center. To keep your rates at the lower end of the range, keep your employees motivated and happy by listening to their concerns and taking action to help them perform their jobs. That increases customer satisfaction and productivity, and also saves you money you’d have to spend hiring and training a constant stream of new employees.

Provide Incentives

While money may not be the only reason a hotel employee stays or leaves a certain job, it does play a significant role in job satisfaction. Set up a bonus structure in which all staff members can participate, and recognize excellent performance with regular raises and promotions. Set up a profit-sharing program that is directly impacted by employee productivity and customer service. Find creative ways to reward outstanding performance, such as offering the use of a sports car for a weekend, extended stays in the hotel for employees and their families, trips, and gift cards. Ask guests for feedback on the service they’ve received during their stay, and reward employees who consistently get high ratings from customers.

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Source: Our Every Day Life, by Audra Bianca, studioD

If you're considering a career in human resource management, know that this profession has changed dramatically in the past decade. In the past, HR was mainly concerned with administrative aspects of managing personnel. In this new century, an HR manager acts more as a consultant to senior management. This career demands that you balance administrative and leadership duties.

Focusing on the Definition

"Administrative" is related to the management side of the organization. One could view everything an HR manager does as being related to management. Most tasks are either related to managing HR issues or running the whole organization. HR managers perform specific duties that help their departments and the organization operate more efficiently. For example, an HR manager helps the organization maintain compliance with many employment laws and standard practices. Organizations do this more efficiently through effective implementation of a human resources information system. This gives managers automated ways to ensure that personnel processes comply with the law.

Being a Strategic Leader

HR managers help their departments build more clout in the organization by joining the senior leadership team. Some do this by discussing the impact of senior leadership initiatives on personnel and by recommending how those initiatives could be implemented more effectively by addressing staff needs. For example, when management discusses how to overhaul the accounting system, you might focus on the payroll aspect of the system and also on the training and development needs of the accounting staff.

Influencing Hiring and HR Development

You will be at the head of the HR function because of your expertise. Your career focus might be coordination of compensation and benefits, or recruitment and selection. Or, you might bring deep operational knowledge from another part of an organization. Wherever your expertise lies, your job gives you a chance to have a greater impact on the business processes of the organization. Just as U.S. presidents impact the legislative future by appointing Supreme Court Justices, you can influence the future of an organization by determining how people are recruited and developed as strategic assets.

Facilitating Organizational Change

Typically, HR managers need a working knowledge of the organizational structure, business processes and major policies of the organization. HR leaders must apply their expertise to facilitate transitions for their entire workforce. For example, you can help with agile HR management, ensuring that your employer recruits employees and develops existing employees effectively to narrow the gap between current personnel capacity and the capacity needed to stay competitive in the global marketplace.

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Source: HotelNewsNow, by Charles Conine

A basic competency model builds a job description and analyzes job duties to determine required skills and attributes. If hiring a bus person, for example, we know physical stamina, ability to follow directions and a pleasant demeanor are required. At the reception desk, fluency in a second language and diplomatic savvy might be key competency requirements.
As jobs grow in complexity—and HR is one of the most challenging in any hotel—required competencies and our mastery of them expand exponentially.

Which of these competencies does your hotel’s HR team possess, and which are yet to be acquired?

1. Language skills. HR staff must be able to communicate with employees whose first language is not English. Once a “nice to have” competency, this is no longer optional if all employees are to have the same access to HR services. Why do advertisers and advocacy groups such as unions and government regulators sometimes do a better job of reaching out to employees than HR does? They speak the employees’ language.

2. Cultural diversity skills. To compete for the best employees and to help employees find a home at your hotel, HR must understand and respect cultural differences among the hotel’s work force.

3. Financial skills. An oft-heard complaint of senior management is that HR doesn’t always have a good basic understanding of the hotel’s financial statement. Set aside time for each member of the HR staff to meet with the hotel’s controller or financial manager.

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Source: HMG Hospitality, by HMG Hospitality Team

First and foremost, the hospitality industry is a people business. All of the technology in the world cannot replace those crucial face to face interactions, which often literally make or break a guests experience and a hotel’s bottom line. You’ve worked diligently to attract, recruit, and train your team of all star players, and they’ve been able to turn frowns upside down left and right. Imagine how devastating it would be for your hotel to lose them, especially if it’s due to a variety of reasons that can be easily remedied. Investing in and improving recruitment was the first step, and learning how to protect your investment is the next step. After the NFL teams battle it out to get the most talented players, you better believe they do everything they can to keep them there.

Training, in-house policies, salary, incentives, work culture, leadership, and so much more all influence retention. There isn’t a perfect recipe for retention, and different strategies and tactics will work better or worse in different environments. The key is to self-analyze and determine where improvements can be made. Revenue and reputation are both at stake if your hotel has high turnover, so take note of the following suggestions, and perhaps you’ll discover how to hold onto your star quarterback.

Embrace and Support Diversity
Diversity in hospitality is crucial, and if you’ve already achieved a diversified team, be sure to protect it. It’s one thing to have diversity-friendly policies in place, but it can be a lot trickier to make sure that a disconnect between the policies and the day-to-day atmosphere doesn’t arise. If team members feel a disconnect regarding diversity, that could prove to be a key component in any retention issues you may be facing. A solution is to constantly receive feedback from your team, in such a way that no one fears backlash or punishment based on their responses. Have a liberal open door policy, and be sure to make each team member feel heard. The better management listens to the team, the stronger and more supported the team will be.

Don’t Discourage Fun
Work culture is everything. Frankly, no one wants to work somewhere that has a stifling, un-fun, boring, or un-friendly environment. Have fun at work. Yes, productivity is key to profit, but that doesn’t mean you should discourage fun, and/or times of relaxation. News flash, breaks are essential to replenishing the mind, and fun is crucial to replenishing the spirit. Organize healthy work challenges, host outside-of-work social events, and make sure the break room is a pleasant space to be in, with lots of goodies to keep the team going.

Illuminate the Path to Upward Mobility
Motivated team members are going to want to have the opportunity to reach for the stars, and you should let them. Find out where your team members want to go, what their goals are, and help them get there. Provide training, support, and development. Team members that advance within your company, are much more likely to stay loyal, and will continue to want to be a part of your company for years to come. Allow for cross training, if you have curious and intelligent team members who want to know more about the industry, teach them! A well-rounded

Everyone Loves A Good Perk or Two
Not only do you want your team members to be satisfied and happy, but you want them to rave about their job. Why? Because then you won’t have to invest as much in recruitment later on. Top candidates will always strive to find a position in the best work environments, and if it’s well known that you hotel offers that, then you’re all set! One way to retain current talent, while attracting new, is to offer work perks. Offer team members deep discounts at the hotel spa or restaurants. Is your hotel part of a chain or family of hotels? Give your team a certain number of free nights at the other locations. Provide a monthly outing to explore the city = fun for the team, while also giving everyone knowledge they can later share with the guests. Get creative!

Finding and acquiring talent is only half the battle, it’s up to you and your team to ensure that those investments are protected and cherished. The more you invest in your team, the more your team will invest in the company/hotel. Be the hotel everyone wants to work at. Be the hotel whose team has been rockin’ it for years. Be the hotel that guests return to over and over again, just so they can say hi and receive a smile from their favorite hospitality staff.

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Source: Horizon Hospitality

The new year is getting off to a rapid start. Do you have the talent you need to be ready for your busy season? The talent market continues to be tight, with more competition for the strongest candidates. In the coming year, employers will have to work a bit harder to find and attract the best people. Consider these trends savvy employers are using to compete for in-demand hospitality professionals. Choose the ones that will give you an edge in restaurant recruitment and in the hospitality industry.

Social Media
Engage with potential employees on social media. Advertise your opportunities on your Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn accounts. Your advantage here is two-fold. You’re reaching people who already have some interest in your business, and you are interacting with them on a more informal basis than you typically can. It’s also simple for them to share with their friends and colleagues.

Referrals
One of the oldest recruiting methods, whether it’s in hotel recruitment or any hospitality field, has become new again in a tight talent market. Why take chances on making a bad hire when you can ask your best people for recommendations. Emphasize to your employees that they should focus on colleagues who would fit into your organization, not just friends who need a job. Ask why they are recommending them. To motivate your current employees to provide great referrals and not just supply names for the sake of supplying names, provide a financial incentive or a reward when referrals join your team. Pay a portion of the incentive or reward when the new hire starts with your company and then pay the remaining part after a pre-established period of time (90 days).

Data-Based Hiring
Can you quantify what makes your current employees successful? Use this information to assess incoming resumes. Take full advantage of your ATS to compile and analyze data that can help you predict who will be a successful candidate. Eliminate some of the human error associated with hiring by putting the focus on the quantifiable.

Candidate Experience
In a tight talent market, a positive candidate experience can be critical. Good people have plenty of jobs to choose from. They are evaluating you along every step of the interview and the hiring process. Make a great first impression by letting them know what to expect and providing consistent follow-up.

Better Job Descriptions
Your job postings should not be just a dry recitation of requirements. Treat them as a selling tool that excites potential candidates about your opportunity. With thousands of postings being added to job boards every day, it’s vital that yours jumps off the screen if you want to grab their attention.

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Source: Small Business Chron, by Laura Jerpi, Demand Media

Owning a company in the hospitality industry can be a challenge for many small business owners. Although working in this industry can be very satisfying for those who enjoy being around people, the fast-paced nature can make it difficult for owners to keep up with it. A successful hospitality-oriented business owner must thrive under pressure, have the ability to think quickly, and understand the importance of keeping up with constantly changing rules and regulations.

Management Skills
Employees in the hospitality industry are often promoted to management positions without receiving proper training. If a manager is unable to perform his job properly, your business will suffer. The manager needs to have people skills, so he can relate to both employees and customers. He also needs to have experience in a leadership position, so he is comfortable leading and managing your staff. Simply promoting a long-term employee to a leadership position and expecting him to know how to be a manager does not work.

Company Policies and Procedures
Many small businesses in the hospitality industry do not have a clear set of policies and procedures for employees to follow. Not only can this create confusion for members of your staff, it can also cause health and safety issues for your business. You should have a set of written standard operating procedures so your employees know what is expected of them. If an accident happens or a legal complaint is filed against your business, you may even need to use your set of policies and procedures as part of a defense in a court of law. Many employees in the hospitality industry have taken their employer to court over job-related issues and have won their case because the company did not have a set of written policies and procedures to use in its defense.

Theft
Many businesses in the hospitality industry have major issues with employee theft. Your employees have access to the products it takes to run your business. For a restaurant this includes items such as food, alcohol, decor objects and even cash. It can be relatively easy for a dishonest employee to steal these items from you. It is important to regularly check inventory levels and monitor employee behavior to ensure your business is not the victim of employee theft. If a staff member is stealing from your business, this can have a major impact on profit levels and the financial stability of your company.

Training
High turnover in the hospitality industry commonly leads to staffs composed of poorly trained employees. If your business is short-staffed the first thing on your mind might be putting a new employee to work instead of teaching him to do his job the right way. While this may provide a short-term solution to your staffing issues, it will ultimately hurt your business in the long run. An employee who has not received proper training can’t do his job properly, which can result in safety hazards, frustration, unsatisfied customers and frustrated senior staffers.

Morale
The morale of your staff needs to be high to provide good customer service, but this can be difficult to achieve in the hospitality industry. High employee turnover can lead to low morale. This results from a mixture of skilled and unskilled employees, which can be very frustrating for talented workers. Long hours and stressful working conditions, especially when your business is understaffed, cause also have a negative impact on employee morale.

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Source: Chron, by Dee Dee Smith, Demand Media

Hospitality encompasses a number of duties, jobs and industries. It includes hotel and resort administration as well as restaurant, cruise, travel and airline management. You can begin a career in hospitality as a hostess, server or front-desk clerk. With a hospitality, business or culinary arts degree, however, you may start your career at a higher level such as that of event planner or reservation/sales specialist.

Entry-Level Service Jobs
If you do not have a degree, you may qualify for only entry-level service jobs in hospitality. This includes positions such as prep cook, waitress or hostess, along with other service jobs such as housekeeper or valet. With strong computer and customer service skills, you may also be hired for a front-office clerk job at a hotel, or a ticket-agent position for a cruise line. In all of these roles you will gain valuable skills and experience that will help you advance in the field of hospitality management.

Office or Supervisory Jobs
With a degree, you may be trusted with more responsibility. You may also qualify for more advanced jobs after some years of experience on the service end. Some jobs you may be hired for with education or experience in hospitality include sales and marketing, event planner, catering manager or a supervisory job such as executive housekeeper. All of these jobs involve working with customers and possibly some staff supervision.

Assistant Manager
With a few years of experience managing a hotel's front desk or a facilities banquet center, you may be ready to take on the task of being an assistant manager. In this role, you are second in command and the authority in the absence of the general manager. As the assistant manager of a restaurant or hotel, you are responsible for overseeing all of the operations of that business and facility, including staffing, guest relations, purchasing, and special projects.

General Manager
After five to ten years of experience and formal education in the hospitality industry, you may be ready for the position of general manager. In this position, you would oversee every aspect of management from operations to human resources, customer service, public relations, accounting and improving sales revenue. This is considered an executive level position, so you will often report to a corporate vice president or in smaller operations, directly to the owner.

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Source: Elm Blog, by Elm

Businesses nowadays are increasingly facing litigation due to employment practices, especially with the scrutiny that the EEOC places on work practices, such as wellness programs. The hospitality industry is no exception. While your clients can protect themselves financially with the right Hotels Employment Practices Liability policy, it’s imperative that they also understand where their exposure occurs.

One of the leading causes of employment practices liability claims is the allegation of discrimination, whether it’s ethnicity, gender, or disability. Even if the discrimination is non-intentional and only perceived by the employee, hotel managers can still find themselves facing a claim. This is especially true since a high proportion of minority employees in hotels and restaurants. There is also statistically a higher number of younger employees in the industry. Age Discrimination could potentially be behind many EPLI claims.

Another common reason for employment practices liability claims is the allegation of wrongful termination. Given that the hospitality industry is highly vulnerable to market pressures, layoffs in the industry are not rare. This, and wage and hour disputes, are frequent issues for hotel managers and owners.

It’s imperative that your hotel clients recognize that not all businesses need the same coverage, and not all EPLI policies are created equal. Policies range in coverage terms and exclusions, requiring the insured to carefully assess the most frequent or likely employment-related claims they may face in their facility, and discuss what type of policy best suits their individual needs.

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Source: Small Business Chron, by Ruth Mayhew, Demand Media

Human resources metrics, or tracking employee and employer data, is key to effective HR management. Many forms of data are required by law to be maintained by employers, while other data is helpful to delivering efficient services to employees and determining HR staffers' abilities to meet the needs of the workforce. More than 60 percent of organizations track turnover rates according to Houston-based management consulting firm Birkman International's 2007-08 "Birkman Metrics Survey." However, many other forms of HR data should be tracked manually or electronically, maintained confidentially and monitored closely.

Employee Count
The employee base, or the number of workers employed, is critical data for HR to track. Everything from the ratio of HR staffers to employees to the organization's ability to negotiate group health insurance rates depends on the number of employees. For example, HR best practices suggest a ratio of one full-time HR staffer for every 100 employees. Companies in their growth stages should track employee base numbers to determine how many HR staffers they should hire.

Voluntary EEO
Government contractors are required to track applicant and employee data such as race, age, sex, disability and veteran status to use when analyzing their companies' diversity representation. Applicants and employees voluntarily provide this information; however, some organizations report the data based on observation. Regardless of the method, HR tracks this data to demonstrate equal employment opportunity practices and to determine if the company should embark upon specific outreach measures to attract a diverse pool of qualified applicants.

Wages
HR should track current and historical compensation data. Current salaries and wages are obviously tracked for accurate payroll processing; however, tracking historical data on the company's wages is equally important. Historical compensation data is essential for record keeping purposes, such as the company being required to justify wage-setting practices or investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor Wage & Hour Division for minimum wage and overtime pay practices. Compensation data also is important for conducting wage surveys and comparison to similar businesses to determine if the company is paying competitive wages.

Training Expense
Tracking data concerning employee training can assist in illustrating the return on investment in employees' professional development. A return on investment can be measured by the number of employees who take advantage of professional development opportunities versus the number who apply what they've learned to their current jobs or use the training to advance within the company. Many organizations track this data according to the average amount expended per employee or the aggregate amount for the HR department's fiscal year spending. Data related to training expense also is useful in determining whether to conduct in-house training to outsource it.

Employee Eligibility
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services enforces the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, which requires that employers document proof of employees' eligibility to work. The act requires employers to maintain records, such as I-9 forms that contain employees' identification and proof of eligibility, for three years. Tracking this data is imperative and failure to do so can result in serious consequences for employers. In addition, documentation related to foreign workers is important for justifying the employer's sponsorship of a foreign worker.

Recruitment and Retention
Recruitment data may include applicant counts, number of interviews granted and hiring process outcomes for measuring the effectiveness of the company's recruitment and selection methods. Cost-per-hire metrics require this data and, in some cases, analyzing selection data can determine whether hiring managers are conducting appropriate and effective interviews. Retention data, as in the number of employees who stay with the company, and turnover data are valuable data for calculating cost per hire as well.

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Source: Azcentral by Michelle Reynolds, Demand Media

The hospitality industry revolves around people: guests and the employees serving them. Combined with the fact that hospitality is highly competitive and fast-paced, it's no wonder human resources departments encounter myriad problems on a daily basis. The good news: HR can mitigate many challenging issues through preventative measures. Add leadership and employee appreciation, and you can keep problems in hospitality to a minimum. Step one is knowing what the problems are.

Turnover and Retention

A poorly managed restaurant or hotel is an invitation for employee turnover. Losing employees for nearly any reason is a costly undertaking because of the time and finances involved for HR to locate, interview, hire and train new staff members. Hospitality is an exciting field with the potential for lots of action. The phrase "never a dull moment" certainly applies. However, for some employees, serving people can be especially taxing work causing high levels of stress, which many employees find they simply cannot tolerate.

Non-existent Policies and Procedures

In the hospitality field, HR may find itself mired in legal proceedings such as unemployment hearings and employment-related lawsuits. Many hospitality businesses, particularly smaller ones, are fail to maintain accurate and current employee documentation. Without this type of supporting documentation, your HR department, and thus your business, may find itself at the mercy of the courts. HR personnel know that employment law favors employees to ensure they are not being unfairly treated or taken advantage of. Accurate and timely documentation is often your business's only defense.

Inexperienced Managers

Frequently in hospitality, managers are asked to oversee departments with many employees. Just as often, managers are not properly trained to be effective but are rather thrown into a position of authority without the benefit of experience or adequate management skills. Untrained or inexperienced managers can result in an entire department of inefficient, disgruntled employees. Managers who don't know what their jobs encompass can become frustrated and counterproductive, creating a negative trickle-down effect on their employees.

Harassment Claims

The adverse impact of harassment occurring in your hospitality business can affect your entire staff. In a hotel or restaurant environment, there may be ample opportunity for harassment in all its detrimental forms. Harassment is a situation HR is charged with preventing and, if it occurs, resolving. Employees who are suffering through episodes of harassment become fearful and are unable to properly perform their jobs or concentrate on providing the best service for your guests. HR is charged with investigating and possibly firing or relocating involved employees.

Theft

Restaurants and hotels usually have a large supply of expensive wine, unlimited food, and high-end equipment. Some employees can't resist the temptation to steal these items from you. Theft of this type is unfortunately commonplace in the hospitality industry and is extremely costly to your business. Though HR may try to instill a sense of loyalty in employees, it often is not enough to alleviate this cost.

Safety Problems

Employees in the hospitality industry frequently find themselves in unsafe situations as part of their jobs. HR professionals realize the importance of following occupational safety rules to avoid injuries and lawsuits. However, many HR personnel find that their hotel or restaurant has no safety rules in place, or that rules that are in place are not being followed. With so many opportunities for injury -- on ladders, in the kitchen, with breaking glass, cleaning chemicals, and more -- it becomes a considerable HR worry to ensure safety rules are followed.

Internet Use

HR personnel in the hospitality field have seen steadily increasing use of the Internet by employees -- not for work-related activities but for personal use such as shopping or viewing adult sites. The cost to your business of this type of activity quickly mounts as hospitality staff wastes time on the clock to surf the Web for hours on end. Using hotels' and restaurants' Internet connections in this manner has become so prevalent that many hospitality businesses have installed features on all their computers that will notify management of Internet use.

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Source: LinkedIn, by Rupesh Patel

Running a hotel day in and day out gives us so much joy and fulfillment! But we shouldn't kid ourselves, it’s not always a walk in the park. There are good days and there are bad days (remember that time when room 512 got flooded and so did most of the rooms below it?). There are slow days and there are busy days. That said, there’s no denying that feeling of being burnt out is a likely possibility.

Which is probably why the hotel business has one of the highest employee attrition rates across all industries. And it also underscores the importance of having programs and strategies in place to keep us and our staff motivated.

Here are a few things that I've learned to be really effective when it comes to keeping our hotel teams enthusiastic and energized.

1) Turn Every Day into a Learning Experience
One of the primary reasons why a lot of hotel employees resign is because they feel stuck, that they’re not growing or evolving in their jobs. They feel bored and discouraged and it’s only a matter of time and finally, they will find themselves resenting their jobs.

This is why it is extremely important that we should “turn our hotels into a classroom” and provide learning opportunities every day. This can be in the form of trainings, one-on-one coaching, end-of-day mini-performance evaluations and mentoring, and sending them to conferences and workshops.

2) Talk to Them about Career Growth
One of the best ways to keep your hotel employees motivated is to make them feel that their hard work will advance their careers forward.

During your regular coaching sessions, talk to them about their career path and what’s in-store for them, what it would take for them to get promoted, and how they can prosper financially, personally and professionally if they stay and work hard at your hotel.

3) Incentivize, Incentivize, Incentivize!
If you’re an employee, why would you feel motivated to deliver good work performance if you’re getting the same thing as the non-performing colleagues, right? So, it is extremely important to praise and incentivize those who are performing well to keep them motivated and to inspire those who are not doing so well to step up.

You can show your appreciation to your deserving hotel staff in many ways, such as a day off, spa gift card, take them out for lunch/meal or even a genuine pat on the back.

Thank them! Through incentives, you are bringing out the natural competitiveness of your employees to get these incentives. Just make sure the competition remains healthy and productive.

4) Give Them Business Cards
You might be asking how giving business cards to your employees motivate them. Well, do you remember the first time you received your first set of business cards? I do! It gave me a sense of belonging, importance, and that I am a part of something bigger than myself.

This simple act will do the same for your employees. It will make them feel empowered. Plus, it will benefit your hotel as well because it will give your employees a tool that will give them confidence to interact with your guests which is great for customer service. Staff Review cards can help get more hotel reviews.

5) Team Building
It’s not only important for employees to like their work in order to stay motivated, they also have to like the people they are working with.

It is important that you foster teamwork and a culture of mutual respect among your hotel staff. Schedule regular team building sessions where you can have fun and feel more connected to each other. Have lunch catered in. Go to dinner with your team. You can also do a survey among your employees on what they like to do for a team building activity to give you an idea.

Teamwork is very important among our hotel employees if you want them to come to their jobs every day with renewed enthusiasm.

The pressure that our hotel staff are facing every day can be daunting and demoralizing. It is important today more than ever to motivate our employees, keep their spirits up and inspire them to continue to work.

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Source: HCareers, by J.Stone

Trying to be a hotel manager is not as simple as it once was. For a job that previously involved simply being good at talking to people, the job of a hotel manager has spread to a large number of responsibilities and tasks over the years. In order to ensure that you are putting the best foot forward possible you should keep a few things in mind during your career. A successful hotel manager is not simply created overnight; rather they are the creation of many years of training and a large amount of experience on the job.

Be open to learning new things. The hotel industry has a large history of providing great opportunities to those who want them. However, in order to really benefit from these opportunities, you have to take some time to really consider how you are going to benefit from things. In order to ensure that this is the right job for you, it is a good idea to think about your own personal learning style. Do you enjoy learning while talking to people and actually engaging in some hands on experience? If so, you will typically find that a good job is possible for you in the hotel business.

Additionally, a good hotel manager is someone who is very well organized. In order to keep track of staffing, scheduling, employee needs, uniforms, hotel reservations, guest needs and so much more, you need to be a very organized person. Part of this will require the usage of delegating. If you have issues with this simple managerial task, you will need to overcome this in order to actually succeed. It is impossible for a single person to run a hotel entirely on their own. Rather, a manager oversees the operation by delegating the tasks to the appropriate employees. Using the delegating skills that you have should make it much easier to actually watch the organization of your hotel begin to fall into place and things should run much smoother.

Provide performance reviews for staff periodically and use this as a time to find out what you can do to help the staff as well. In order to run a successful hotel, your staff needs to know that you care about their feelings and thoughts. If the staff believes that you simply do not care, they are much less likely to put forth the best effort in the hotel. This in turn can create huge issues for guests since the overall satisfaction is much lower than they expect and also find you struggling to correct problems after they have become huge concerns.

A good hotel manager always realizes as well that there is plenty of room to improve. Business can always be better; things can always be cleaner, guests happier and so forth. Taking advantage of this to constantly strive to be better will help your staff to attain greater achievements as well and help you to truly develop into a successful hotel manager.

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Source: HCareers

Follow seven engaging habits of all effective networkers.

No matter what hospitality field a person chooses, networking becomes a vital aspect of his or her career because it opens up the doors to more opportunities and more money–both of which are vital in this economy. Although a person may be good at marketing themselves or a company, he or she may not be taking full advantage of his or her opportunities because of an unawareness that every habit they display is important when it comes to networking.

Not knowing the key traits of the most effective networking techniques can lead to missed chances for career advancement, particularly in the hospitality industry. In fact, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the hospitality industry has added 390,000 jobs over the past 12 months; therefore, networking is more vital than ever to make the most of a hospitality career.

By adopting seven key habits of all super networkers, hospitality workers will be well on their way to becoming more effective networkers.

1. Positive attitude.

Those who are most successful when it comes to networking are the ones with a positive attitude. People don't like to do business, and in some cases, even associate with someone who is negative and very pessimistic. This is mainly because a negative disposition can impact how a person works.

Unlike people with a negative disposition, successful networkers radiate positivity and this ultimately contributes to their determination, internal motivation, and their drive for career success. With their positive outlook, they act like magnets and compel people to want to associate and cooperate with them. This results in forming more engaging networking relationships.

2. Never misses an opportunity.

A super networker never misses an opportunity to network. Even when he or she is under the weather, marketing is still important. He or she may go out of his or her way to network, but in the end, this drive is what makes for a successful hospitality career. Even going to the grocery store can be a time to network and those who are best at it are well aware of this. Based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' data, with 321,400 jobs in food service management in 2012, it's not in anyone's benefit to miss out on a prime opportunity to market themselves.

3. Gracious.

It's not uncommon nowadays to go out of the way for someone to send a thank you note or some form of acknowledgement. People today really take notice of those who are gracious and who realize that a person's time is valuable. By showing gratitude and basic courtesy, super networkers cultivate relationships which can lead to an increased number of referrals. This trait also allows them to stand out from the crowd and make themselves more memorable, thereby advancing their career advancement opportunities.

4. Good observational and listening skills.

Those who work magic at networking listen to others and know what's going on around them. Rather than steering the entire focus of a conversation on his or herself, someone who excels at networking will ask questions and will be attentive to that person’s needs.

5. Interest in others.

By showing an active interest in others, especially to their needs, a person can better market his or herself, due to a genuine concern for others. Not only that, an individual who is insincere and doesn't give his or her undivided attention during a meeting can really turn off prospective opportunities.

6. Trustworthy.

Being caught in one small lie may break a person when it comes to marketing and can ruin their credibility. Once a person has been thought of as untrustworthy, people no longer want to pass on the person's name as a referral.

7. Enthusiastic and motivated.

According Ashland University's article titled Hospitality: Hot or Not?, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics noted that "12.4 million people are currently employed in the hospitality field." The industry is predicted to grow 17 percent through the end of 2014. Hospitality is a broad field that includes work in different areas including restaurant, hotels, casinos, and even tourism. The growing industry will need workers to fill these positions. For this reason, it's vital for someone to network him or herself, so that he or she can be a big part of these potential hospitality careers. Plus, enthusiasm will be a top characteristic that others would like to see.

Knowing the traits of those who are most successful at networking just might be key to becoming more successful at networking or even at becoming a super networker. Overall, being positive and enthusiastic leads to hospitality job advancement. And when combined with other factors like being trustworthy, a person may convert his or her so-so marketing skills into super networking skills.

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Source: Small Business Chron, by Paul Merchant

The United States Department of Commerce statistics estimated that a total of 59.7 million tourists from different part of the world visited the U.S. in 2010. Similarly, a total of 2 million U.S. citizens visited China alone as tourists in 2010. Statistics show that 8 million people are employed in the travel and tourism industry and the report further reported that 1.2 million are linked directly with international tourists. These statistics confirm just how diverse the workforce composition in the industry has become. Workplace diversity in hospitality and tourism is therefore a key factor in facilitating cultural exchange on a global level.

Nature of Hospitality and Tourism
Globalization has enhanced the diversity experienced in the hospitality and tourism industry because of its multicultural nature. Tourism involves the movement of people from their usual surroundings to places of interest either within the country or across international borders for leisure, business, fun or adventure. Hospitality, on the other hand, involves providing services such as travel, accommodation and entertainment to meet the needs of tourists. Hospitality and tourism aims at optimizing the experience of tourists in cultural environments that differ from those of their home countries or regions.

Understanding Workplace Diversity in Hospitality and Tourism
Hospitality and tourism present a unique opportunity to understand new cultural experiences for both employees and the tourists. It is important for the personnel to understand and appreciate different cultures to enhance the nature of their interactions with tourists of different cultures, religions, races, creeds, colors, ages, genders and sexual orientations. It is for this reason that businesses plying their trade in this industry must endeavor to train their personnel to appreciate and accommodate people from diverse backgrounds around the world. As such, workplace diversity not only facilitates easy understanding of different cultural, social and economic perspectives but also enhances the delivery of satisfactory services through communication and observation.

Influence of Workplace Diversity in Hospitality and Tourism
The workforce composition in the hospitality and tourism establishments is definitely vast and diverse. Indeed, it is necessary to employ people from all walks of life and nationalities so as to nurture workplace diversity that portends positive influence and enhanced productivity in the hospitality and tourism industry. Workplace diversity also enables businesses in the hospitality and tourism industry to nurture and portray a positive image of inclusive equal employment opportunities for all without regard to race, gender or nationality.

Appreciating Workplace Diversity in Hospitality and Tourism
Workplace diversity in the hospitality and tourism industry is enhanced through visions that promote equal employment opportunity to cater for the different nationalities in the market. The industry gets to appreciate the world's socio-cultural and economic differences through the recruitment of people of diverse backgrounds. As such, businesses in this industry need to establish organizational policies that not only discourage discrimination but also encourage intercultural activities such as cultural educational programs and forums. Businesses also should employ organizational structure that comprise of people from different regions and races and spread key appointments to qualified staff from across the board.

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Source: Small Business Chron, by Michelle Reynolds

The chief function of businesses in the hospitality industry is to serve people -- whether it's food, lodging or a combination of these and other services. The importance of employee training and development in hospitality can’t be overstated, because every job ultimately aims for guest satisfaction. Workers in every facet of hospitality, from dishwashers to managers and owners, affect the guest experience. Without proper training, employee-guest encounters can go off track, affecting your bottom line. Training can be expensive, but the benefits can outweigh the costs involved.

Needs Assessment

You can get the best results from a training program by targeting specific areas that need improvement. For example, if you’ve noticed an increase in complaints from guests about food quality and service, your training efforts might concentrate on these two areas. You might compel your cooks to enroll in company-paid culinary classes or bring in servers from notable established restaurants to provide instruction for your wait staff. The importance of these efforts will be apparent when customer complaints turn to praises and you begin to notice an increase in repeat business.

New Recruits

It’s important to begin training your new recruits soon after hire, instructing them on your standard operating procedures and the specifics of their jobs. Doing so places them on the right path from the beginning of their employment and thwarts the development of bad habits. Job training for new hires should go well beyond the initial orientation, which typically focuses on your company policies and employee benefits; consistent training can contribute considerably to the advancement of your organization. When you invest in new employees by providing learning opportunities, they may be inspired to do more than the minimum required of them. Adequate and appropriate training furthers your ability to determine the potential superstars who might be shaped into leaders. And focused training has a trickle-down effect: New employees learn from well-trained workers optimum ways to advance customer satisfaction. Human resources professionals, seasoned employees or consultants can train new workers.

Development

Developing your employees is essential to providing a consistent level of guest satisfaction over time. After you’ve built a reputation for excellent service, you might select your top performers to take part in advanced training that may be associated with promotions. The importance of progressive employee advancement is not lost on your workers. Your investment in fostering new supervisors and managers demonstrates your confidence in the people who work for you. The hospitality industry, with its high turnover rates, can benefit from grooming outstanding individuals. Doing so retains consistency within the business as well as enhancing your future work force.

Additional Benefits

Providing ongoing attention to training and development affects your business’s ability to remain competitive. Hospitality is fast paced and constantly evolving. The best way to beat your competitors may be through ensuring your employees' expertise in performing the day-to-day necessities, such as maintaining exceptionally high levels of housekeeping or making sure front desk employees are adept with computers and other technological tools required in their jobs. Frequently revisiting customer service training, such as how to address visitors in both positive and negative situations, can ensure your guests enjoy their stay and depart with plans to return.

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Source: Horizon Hospitality

Winning a promotion is exciting. You put in a lot of hard work to get there and you’re probably eager to show what you can do. It’s natural to want to make a great first impression on the job, but it’s important not to bite off more than you can chew. Choose just a few achievable goals to begin with and build on your success.

Understand what is expected of you.

Nothing can get you off track faster than not having a firm understanding of your role. If your manager doesn’t approach you first, ask for some time to meet and discuss your new position and what he expects of you in the first 30, 60 and 90 days. Come prepared to discuss your own ideas to show that you are putting some thought into your responsibilities.

Build relationships.

Take some time to get to know the people you will be working with at all levels. Include superiors, peers and subordinates, and also third parties such as vendors. The more people you have in your corner, the better your chances of success. It’s impossible to underestimate the value of relationship building.

Assess your team.

Take your time evaluating the employees you will manage. See how they interact with each other and identify their strengths and weaknesses. Encourage them to come to you with any ideas, questions or concerns they want to share. Watch especially for anyone who may have been interviewed for your job because they may be resentful. It could take some time to recover and their performance could be affected. Look for skills gaps in your team that you must hire to fill. Conversely, be sure you are not overstaffed.

Analyze areas for improvement.

The first few months of your tenure are all about information gathering. You bring a fresh set of eyes to the establishment and can see things others may not. Bringing sweeping changes will not earn you any good will, but well-thought-out improvements always have their place. Identify underperformers and determine if they are willing and able to improve or if they must be terminated.

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