In the hospitality industry, the best way to differentiate yourself from your competitors is by providing an exceptional guest experience. While the quality of your food and the décor of your establishment all play a role in the experience you provide, your staff is by far the most critical component of delivering an excellent customer experience.
Unfortunately, attracting and retaining quality hospitality employees has become harder than ever. With so much turnover in the hospitality industry, it’s crucial that you get your hiring decisions right. Prior experience is always a plus, but that doesn’t necessarily always translate into a great employee. Below are 7 essential qualities to look for when hiring your hospitality staff.
Customer service lies at the core of every hospitality business, and your employees must be committed to delivering the high standard of service that will set you apart as an industry leader. While it’s easy for people to talk about caring about customer service, it can often be harder to live this day in and day out.
Hospitality work involves long hours and dealing with difficult customers. It can often feel like a thankless job. It’s important for your employees to be able to persevere through challenging work conditions to constantly place the needs of your customers first. This involves going out of their way on a daily basis to make sure your guests are happy and finding solutions to issues whenever they arise to turn an unhappy customer into one who feels you exceeded their expectations.
The best hospitality employees will find fulfillment from being able to deliver the high quality service your guests expect. These individuals will understand that when they make others happy, it’s a sign of a job well done.
In addition to their verbal communication ability, other signs of strong communication skills include:
Hospitality jobs are often fast paced and chaotic. In order to be successful, you must be able to handle a variety of responsibilities at once and cater to the needs of multiple guests at the same time. To do this, you must be highly organized and have the ability to multitask. Without strong organization and multitasking skills, it will be extremely difficult for your staff to stay on top of all the different demands required of them throughout their shift.
In the hospitality industry, the little things often go a long way to providing an exceptional experience. Making sure the tables are set properly and consistently, the food is presented in an aesthetically pleasing way, and hotel rooms are made up properly are important ways to make a strong impression on your guests.
Great hospitality employees will have strong attention to detail, ensuring these little items are performed right at all times. They will make sure procedures are followed properly and all tasks are completed according to established protocol.
All of these items require flexibility and adaptability. The best hospitality workers are very flexible and can easily handle the needs associated with the job at a moment’s notice.
While it’s easy to see why this skill is required of your managers and supervisors who are tasked with running a team, strong leadership skills are also essential for all your team members. At any moment in a given shift, your employees may need to step up and handle an unexpected crisis or challenging situation. They may need to give direction or take control of a situation without guidance from a manager who is busy dealing with something else. You need to feel confident that everyone on your team has the leadership skills to handle whatever is thrown at them during a shift.
While leadership skills are certainly important, you also want your hospitality staff to understand the importance of teamwork. Successful hospitality employees must work well with others and be a productive member of a team. While there will inevitably be times where your workers are asked to lead, there are also going to be numerous occasions where they must contribute in a complementary role.
Good team players will support the efforts of everyone else on your staff. They will be reliable when called upon to perform tasks that aren’t always considered part of their primary responsibilities. They will foster a positive attitude that brings your entire team together, boosting overall staff morale. In an industry where shifts can be long and challenging, this is critical to success.
Finding quality hospitality staff can be challenging. It can be hard to create an interview process that effectively identifies the individuals who possess the qualities that translate to success in these jobs. If you’d prefer to have a dedicated staffing partner to streamline this process, Xclusive Services can help.
We provide comprehensive staffing solutions for just about any hospitality industry position you may need to fill. We’ve helped restaurants, hotels and other hospitality businesses across the country fill their staffing needs at all levels, from entry-level team members to management positions. We can provide short-term employees if you need extra staffing for a specific event or to address unexpected staffing issues. If you prefer to outsource your staffing entirely, we can also provide you with an entire team of experienced, high quality hospitality professionals.
Our Xclusive Excellence™ commitment gives you peace of mind that you’ll have quality staff that elevates the success of your business. Some of the benefits of our Xclusive Excellence™ commitment include:
To find out how Xclusive Services can help address your hospitality staffing needs, please request a quote, or call a local office for immediate staffing needs.
