The hospitality industry weathered some storms in 2020, but the New Year looks bright for the industry to bounce back. Travel Weekly says “all sectors are seeing some recovery,” from the early days of the pandemic last year. In preparation for increased hiring in 2021, let’s look at some of the skills hiring managers are looking for in hospitality candidates this year.
Hospitality Career Skills to Hone
Customer service remains a top skillset necessary for almost anyone in the hospitality field. Most hospitality environments are customer-facing, so having a positive, polite, hard-working demeanor will put you in a favorable light with most potential employers.
Communication is critical in this field. Hospitality jobs require communication between the front and back of the house to ensure customers are taken care of. This is tricky because hospitality is a fast-paced field with a lot of moving parts. Oral and written communication helps ensure that all of these pieces are functioning smoothly and the customer is always satisfied.
Training and skills will be important next year. Every hospitality business falls under local, state, and federal regulations for everything from cleanliness and food preparation to serving alcohol. Your experience, training, or even certifications or degrees, are important credentials that will help the hospitality employer follow these rules and run the business properly. Seeking out a Certificate in Hospitality or taking a TAFE course could help you stand out and be noticed by employers.
Embracing diversity and being able to work with a variety of cultures is important in hospitality. You’ll meet a lot of different people in the field so making sure you can be sensitive to different nationalities, genders, races, and cultures, is an important prerequisite for anyone working in the hospitality field today.
The ability to multitask remains critical for anyone working in the hospitality field. It’s safe to assume that any job in this field will require you to juggle multiple things simultaneously. Can you do all this and still be pleasant and respectful of your customers and the people around you? Time management and organizational skills will be critical to your efforts to wear all the hats necessary in the hospitality field.
Collaboration is critical in hospitality. If you can work with a diverse team in a collaborative environment, there are jobs available in the field. Staying productive in a group environment means you work hard but also extend a hand to help other members of the team. Having an attitude of “we’re in this together” is what embodies the characteristics of any solid hospitality worker.
Flexibility is also critical in this field. Things can change on a dime, whether you’re working in a hotel or restaurant, bar, or even a cruise ship. This could include scheduling changes that require you to work on a Saturday or a request from an employer to stay later on a Friday night. But you could also experience changes to your typical workflows as policies change or menu shifts to accommodate seasonal flavors. Let’s not forget the customer who expects, and sometimes demands, your flexibility to suit their needs. Your ability to roll with all of these changes will help you be more in demand to employers in the hospitality field.
Gecko knows a lot about the skills employers want in hospitality because we work with the top companies to help them find great candidates every day. Talk with our team about how we can put you to work this year.
