Question

Answer each in a minimum of 1 paragraph related to the hospitality/hotel industry business.

1. Assume that you are a supervisor and direct the work of several teen-aged employees who have worked for you for a few months and the work of several older employees who have worked at the property for several years. What are examples of differences in the way you would provide leadership to these different groups of employees?

2. Some people consider entry-level positions in the hotel and hospitality industry to be dead-end jobs. What is the difference between a dead-end job and an entry-level position in a well-managed hotel? How would you respond to someone who stated that all beginning jobs in the hotel and hospitality industry are dead-end jobs?

Answer 1

Solution -

1. It is clear that between the two groups of employees the marked difference is that of experience. As a supervisor, I would be looking to be more directional in nature with the teen-aged group employees and would require them to front-end the services. For the experienced group, I would use them as a feedback mechanism and employ them as guiding members where the young employees are deployed. This will serve two purposes - Firstly it will motivate the experienced brigade as they would feel their importance and would become the first escalation point. Secondly, the young generation employees would be able to learn the best practices through the experience of the older staff. I would be more transparent with the experienced employees and would keep them in pseudo supervisory roles.

2. Over the years the hospitality industry has grown and allowed for more roles to be included within a well managed and layered hotel. With the franchise culture in place today the entry-level jobs are not just dead-end jobs but they are full-fledged career options with a lot more defined career paths. The point that needs to be noted here is that the hotel/hospitality industry is a people-centric industry and hence the employees are the core assets of this industry, Today in this industry it does not matter how qualified one is but it is about how experienced a person is and hence most of the entry-level employees end up in the senior management roles. A dead-end job is all about a task-oriented position with no scope of career growth or progression. On the other hand, an entry-level job in a well-managed hotel is like a ticket to a complete career path where the job is continuously evolving and keeping the employee engaged.

Answer 2

Question 1

When leading different groups of employees, the approach will be significantly different. For young employees, they have just entered the workplace, have limited knowledge of the hotel industry, and are often enthusiastic but inexperienced. I will focus more on basic training and guidance. For example, in daily work, I will spend more time explaining in detail the standard procedures of hotel services, such as how to greet guests politely and professionally, check in and check out, etc. Because they may not be familiar with industry terms and standard operations, I will use demonstration and hand-to-hand teaching methods to ensure that they can master them accurately. For example, when teaching the room service process, I will personally demonstrate how to make the bed and place items, let them observe and learn, and then let them actually operate and give timely feedback.

For old employees, they are already familiar with the basic business processes of the hotel, so I will focus more on motivation and career development planning. I will communicate with them one-on-one regularly to understand their ideas and career goals at work, and provide them with more challenging tasks according to their needs, such as being responsible for the reception arrangements of some important customers or participating in the planning of new service projects for the hotel. For example, if the hotel plans to launch a new catering package, I will arrange experienced old employees to participate in the preliminary market research and plan formulation, which can not only stimulate their enthusiasm for work, but also give full play to their experience advantages, and also provide opportunities and space for their career development.

Question 2

In a well-managed hotel, there is an essential difference between dead-end jobs and entry-level positions. Entry-level positions are the starting point for the career development of hotel employees. They provide employees with the opportunity to enter the hotel industry and learn basic skills and knowledge. For example, entry-level employees at the front desk can learn how to communicate effectively with guests, handle reservations and solve basic problems of guests at work. These experiences and skills are the cornerstones for further development in the hotel industry. The hotel will provide them with training and promotion channels, from junior receptionists to lobby assistant managers or even department managers.

However, dead-end jobs often lack development opportunities and training support. Employees repeat simple and meaningless tasks day after day, cannot acquire new skills and knowledge, and have no room for promotion.

If someone says that all entry-level jobs in the hotel and catering industry are dead-end jobs, I would respond like this: This view is one-sided. In the hotel and restaurant industry, although entry-level jobs have a low starting point, they are an important stepping stone to a broader career path. In a well-managed hotel, entry-level employees will receive systematic training, including service skills, customer relationship management, teamwork and other aspects. These trainings not only help them perform well in their current positions, but also lay the foundation for future career advancement. For example, an employee who starts as a restaurant waiter may be promoted to a restaurant supervisor, manager, or even a higher management position through continuous learning and accumulation of experience.