Are we gearing ourselves to prepare the hospitality employee of the future?
The biggest challenges facing the hospitality industry and other businesses are economic uncertainty, supply chain issues, cyber-security, digital transformation, the war for talent, and increasing customer expectations. Lets delve into the last two mentioned, namely, the war for talent, and guest expectations.
Even in an increasingly connected and digital world, the personal nature of what hotels must deliver remains largely unchanged. However, technology is changing the way it is delivered, whilst presenting new opportunities to exceed guest expectations. Customer experience and relationship building interactions needs to be human-centric. Rather than replacing human interaction, technology should augment it – thus ensuring that guests receive the best of both worlds.
Many believe that with the advent of AI, the ever-growing challenges of labour shortages and costs can be met to a great extent. Be that as it may, the most positive outcome of AI is its ability to reduce the routine and repetitive tasks currently handled by employees, thereby releasing staff to focus and excel at delivering personalised guest service. And, that’s a welcome benefit given that it’s more important than ever to ensure high service levels as a result of the higher rates being charged by hotels.
In this new, mega competitive setting, let’s remember that there is a symbiotic relationship between high room rates and heightened service levels, and that one without the other will result in failure. In other words, falling service levels leads to customers resisting higher rates and eventually moving away.
The shift towards adaption of AI requires the creation of a new role for hotel’s front desk staff. Traditional hiring approaches will have to be ditched, where selecting employees is now based on intrinsic personality traits rather than specific skills, as skills can be developed over time. Having said that, remember hands-on learning is the only way to build and fuel a pipeline of talent ready for unknown roles. Hence, the search must focus on attracting people who possess finely tuned emotional intelligence, are as the situation calls for, both empathetic and assertive, to forge meaningful guest connections. They now act as mentors and guides - no longer confined to service roles.
Other factors include evaluating the employees’ socio-cultural awareness. Are they able or do they have it in them to be able to engage in meaningful conversations, where they share insights into the local culture, nature, history, and more. Hoteliers, who nurture these competencies, unlock the potential for unparalleled guest experiences, strengthen brand value, and contribute towards shaping the future of the hospitality industry. And that means there’s a difference… treating, not servicing each guest.
Moving forward, technology advances require constant up-skilling. At the very outset, employees will require help gaining skills to understand and work with AI technologies.
For that to occur, hotels need to recognise that employee and guest engagement must have the same importance as sales, marketing, and financial goals and it has to be included in the senior management agenda. Only then will employee and guest engagement get real traction.
None of us know exactly how AI will advance in the weeks, months, and years ahead. But there’s no doubt it will transform the business and the career landscape.
Shafeek Wahab – Editor, Hospitality Sri Lanka, Consultant, Trainer, Motivational Speaker, Mystery Guest Auditor, Ex-Hotelier.
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