Employ efficient hospitality staff

 The issue of hospitality staff hire is probably the most widely-discussed topic amongst employers in the industry. Here is a scene that you, the employer, are probably familiar with; you have a job vacancy, and have placed a job advertisement. You have received a whole lot of job applications and have short-listed those that seemed most suitable for the job.

It's interview time; in an ideal world, you would be interviewing experienced people, trained in a recognized training institution, with references from hospitality establishments that you are familiar with. Evaluating the qualification of your potential employee and their skills would be a piece of cake, and in no time you will have just the right person for the job.

Ideally, of course, vary rarely happens.

What you are most likely to encounter are potential employees with self-inflated résumés, that cite past workplaces that you have never heard of, and insist they will be able to tackle any job you have for them. It is often up to your intuitive judgement to decide how much of the information you get from the interview is reliable and correct, and if that person will be the right one for the job or not.

Hospitality staff hire is problematic because it is a 'people`s' industry. Your product is the service you provide, your guests have come to your hotel or cafe not to do some shopping, but to feel good; to relax, in a comfortable atmosphere, and to get the best service, because they feel they deserve it. Your staff are there to provide that environment, not just the room and bed, or the food.

An excellent meal served sloppily by a carelessly-dressed waiter with a gloomy face is not going to promote your restaurant. You need staff who are positive, caring, responsible and committed.

The screening process is often difficult, with many people looking for jobs, but few that are highly skilled for it.

· What should the employer be looking out for in an interview?

Make a list of all the credentials, skills, experience, and personality traits that are important for the job. Ask questions that will give you an indication on the applicant's personality, and rely on your gut feeling. If you have worked in the hospitality industry for a while, you will know what it takes to be successful in the particular work environment you are hiring for.

You should carefully check all credentials. Fake degrees and qualifications are all too common these days, and easy to purchase for a few dollars over the internet.

Contact past employers to verify the applicant's claims, and check all references.

But how do you check and verify that a person is motivated, committed, or able to take the initiative?

· How do you evaluate personality trends like caring, adaptability and positive outlook?

Unfortunately, there is no easy answer to that question.

Asking the right questions during a job interview can provide some answers. But not always. Part of job training these days is preparing students for their job interviews. So, if they've had a good teacher, they will come to the interview equipped with all the right answers. And that doesn't really help you, the employer, in trying to assess their true personality and social abilities.

Intuition, or 'gut feeling', or even a degree in psychology or the social sciences might still leave you with many unanswered questions as to your potential employee's suitability for the job. If you really want to find out about their personality trends, which are so important in the hospitality industry, especially if you are looking at hiring someone for the long run, consider psychometric testing. These tests are used by employers and management worldwide, and provide a profile of the personality. The tests can focus on selected trends that you will be looking at for your specific requirements. They are extremely helpful for people seeking advice on career choices, and also for employers who are trying to assess future employees or fulfil the maximum potential of their existing employees.

· Hospitality staff hire with newly-acquired qualifications?

Make sure they have had some hands-on experience. Most training institutions provide many opportunities for work experience during training.

Verify your interviewees' claims of work experience. They might have scored top of the class at the knowledge-based tests, and performed to the highest standards in the practical tests, but without experience in the workplace, it is hard to know how they will actually perform at work.

Will they be able to work under stress? Will they be 100% reliable?

Do they have what it takes to deal amicably with customers, even under difficult situations? Will they have a positive outlook after long hours of dealing with problems at work?

Relationship skills and the personality trends that are needed to be successful in the hospitality industry, are very hard to assess during job interviews.

This is true for every position, from wait-staff to management positions. Trustworthiness and a genuinely cheerful personality are just as hard to evaluate as conflict resolution abilities, and the capability to take initiatives.

Many times, it is just 'gut feeling' that will help make the final decision.

In short, you will need a careful screening process and good interview strategy combined with tests for personality assessment, to filter out the best applicants. Good intuition based on experience in the hospitality industry, will increase the chances of finding the right person for your job advertisement, and retaining her or him for many years.

 

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Hospitality Staff