Top 10 Qualities of a Great Hospitality Employee- All ace hoteliers have a few things in common, the passion for food and innovativeness. But there are certain qualities of a great hospitality employee that makes you give a clear competitive edge to other hoteliers. Success in this sector is assured if you plan and do things differently which are uncommon in other hotels. Employees can look forward to a great career in hospitality management as jobs in this industry are growing at the fastest rate. If you have graduated from some of the top hotel management colleges in India, they automatically make you acquire the hospitality skills and attributes through internships in top hotels. So what is that X- factor in the hospitality industry required to make you a great hospitality employee? Here is the list of the top 10 qualities of a Good Hotelier and a great Hospitality employee.
It is imperative for you to have a commitment towards your job. In order to successfully carry out the responsibilities, you need to devote yourself to ensure that your guests’ are satisfied and happy. Only when you have strong commitment, you will be willing to do whatever it takes to please your guests. A hotel which has such a dedicated employee is a business without a fuss. Why is such a dedication needed? This is because the level of intensity and energy required to carry out the tasks is huge.
Needless to say, these interpersonal skills are crucial in fostering easy going communication with the guests and providing spectacular customer service. You must be able to communicate effectively with everyone be it patrons, guests or the other hotel staff or your colleagues. This is because hospitality in itself means welcoming and pleasing. You must have such good language skills that ooze out your personality. This is not just in the hospitality sector but will also help you in the world anywhere. At times these communication and language skills will make you get a raise in your pay hence leading to quicker promotions.
The great hospitality employees work well with others cooperating with each other. They also have a problem solving attitude which shows their leadership skill and this helps in building up teamwork. Leadership and teamwork are two of the most desirable hospitality personality traits that employers look for. A leader is someone whom others look up to, whom they wish to be like. If you are at a good position in the hospitality industry where you have to guide and get along with other hospitality employees you must have a great deal of confidence with enthusiasm. A leader must be able to command certain projects and make sure that the operations run efficiently. You must be able to make significant and noteworthy contributions to your client's overall success.
Read more- Hotel Management: Types of Job Profiles
Working in the hospitality industry can be challenging especially because it is characterised by chaos and doing multiple works at the same time. To deal with everything that goes around you, you must be able to multi-task and adapt to the changes that occur. No day is the same in the hospitality industry, customer footfalls vary on a daily basis. So you must be able to deal with a potentially high number of jobs being at any profile in the same day. The ability to multitasking is one of the qualities of a good hotelier that is unique and and valuable in the hospitality industry. In fact, there’s a famous saying in the hotel business arena and it goes like this:
“A good hotelier is a Democrat, a diplomat, an acrobat, an autocrat, and a doormat, all wrapped in one."
The world is changing, and hospitality is no exception. You must be familiar with the number of technology applications and the tools that are used in the hospitality industry. To stay abreast of the advances of technology, you need to equip yourself with good computer skills and familiarise yourself with new applications used in the business. Technology-savviness is a great asset for you to thrive in the hospitality industry as well.
It is in the qualities of a hospitality workforce to have an eye for detail. If you ask, it is the little little things that matter the most. You should be able to figure out details about your guest if they have just mentioned to you crisp what their requirements are. Here even the slightest mistake might result in guests’ dissatisfaction and hence resulting in your poor rating and impression of your hotel manager. Additionally, you should master the art of multitasking to juggle between one task and the others smoothly. You should be able to understand the gestures of your guests and even the slightest cues, their preferences because that is what makes you a loyal and reliable employee. Attention to detail is another hospitality personality trait that shows your professionalism and care for your customers.
10 Reason to choose a career in hospitality
Top 5 choices for hotel management internship
Cultural awareness is a basic knowledge that every employee in a hospitality and hotel industry must have. In this sector, there are positive outcomes that could be availed if the staff and a manager could appreciate the cultural value, attitude differences of each person. Cultural awareness is one of the most important qualities of a hospitality workforce as they deal with diverse customers and cultures. A high level of cultural awareness is most certainly the topmost hospitality skill. There will always not be one type of guest that will visit you or dine in your restaurant. Some would like to be treated in a different way, the way that is adopted in their culture. They might find your hotel establishment and the deals they get quite pleasing and welcoming if you know their culture. Thus understanding culture helps you get along well with everyone.
High standards of safety and hygiene are expected from each hospitality employee. It is undoubtedly one of the key aspects of hotel services as it helps in building a good image of the brand. Keep in mind that where hygiene is concerned, you need to treat your guests as you would treat yourself. Safety too, becomes your responsibility, especially if you are a native with foreign guests under your lead.
If you want to make your guests feel at ease in your hotel establishment, it is crucial that whatever happens whether you are stuck in a big crisis where you cannot solve the problem, it should not reflect on your face or your approach. You should maintain a positive attitude at all times. This will also make it easier for you to do your job and will also help you deal with the stresses that come along with the job. A positive attitude is one of the top qualities of a great hospitality employee as it helps you inculcate various other top traits and keeps motivating you for succeeding in this industry.
As an employee in the field of hospitality, you should be prepared to be flexible at all times. You can be called on at any time and you should always be prepared to answer the call. Employees in hospitality are also subjected to brutal working schedules so it pays to be flexible. Workplace flexibility is key to an organisation’s success in the 21st century and thus embracing flexibility is one of the top qualities of a great hospitality employee.
A colourful and prosperous career is what can be expected by developing various hospitality skills and attributes described above. Apart from this, you may have your own personal talent that makes you different from other employees. Additionally in the hospitality industry, you should always be ready to learn from your mistakes because many times you will be scolded by your manager whether you have a poor performance or not. This is because of the poor client-employee interaction. Sometimes even your customers may be wrong. But remember never offend them as it will only lead them to report to your manager. So you have to be vigilant and aware of every move you take. These are in short the kind of interpersonal skills only that you possess. Remember no matter whatever happens in the job, remain calm. Believe, you will be appreciated for this quality of yours. Thus go on to make a bright career in hospitality management by mastering the art of these top 10 qualities of a great hospitality employee.
Read more- Best Hospitality Management Courses That Give You edge