Empathy, Professionalism and Leadership in Hospitality

By Morgan Bailey, Vice President GWB

So you’ve decided to work in the hospitality industry. You’ve watched Grand Budapest Hotel and have decided it looks like so much fun! A job in the hospitality industry is unlike any other in that you have the opportunity to be part of someone’s memory.

Hotels are not just selling comfortable beds and expensive terry; they’re selling interactions with their employees. A guest’s experience is typically over 24 hours so you have the opportunity to make or break their stay in multiple instances.  An experience is intangible so it is imperative that a business hires right from the very beginning.

Of course prior experience is important, but specifically in Hospitality, there are a few qualities that all hotel recruiters deem as vital, which a candidate must possess to be a successful member in the hospitality industry. These three -- empathy, professionalism, and leadership -- are further explained below.

EMPATHY

As a hotel employee, it is your duty to blend with the image that the hotel is trying to sell. You need to walk a mile in a guest’s shoes to really understand what they are going through. In most cases, just requires active listening. It’s the small things that guests remember and it’s the small things that make them want to return.

PROFESSIONALISM

Be a pro at what you do – if you are in housekeeping, make sure your rooms are the best.  Understand the “why.” Spell check your emails, use complete sentences, come to work looking complete.  Again, simple things, but employees and guests will take you seriously when you are professional.  Always have a “poker face,” or receive feedback and take time to process it before reacting. 

LEADERSHIP

Making a truly memorable experience often requires an employee to go outside of the boundaries of their job. A great employee will always go the extra mile to meet or exceed the needs of guests, which in some cases might go as far as overstepping corporate or Hotel policy. Ask yourself, is this appropriate? For example, if a guest needs to check-in for his/her flight and the business-center computer is down, the front desk may decide to break policy and allow the guest into the back office to use that computer. Leadership does not always have to be a huge undertaking--it could be as simple as picking up trash or cigarette butts off of the ground. It may not be that employee’s job, but it contributes to the guest experience. Acts of leadership can take many forms, but are always appreciated.

In the end, it is simple to see and understand how these three traits overlap and form vital components of a hotel employee's personality. It is easy to understand why recruiters place such value leadership, empathy, and professionalism.