Contd – Blog 2 :
After the first blog where I shared basic information about the hospitality industry, in this one let’s explore the general eligibility criteria as well as the qualities expected in a hospitality professional. Attitude will always get my vote over academic brilliance. In India different universities or technical boards offer Hotel Management or Hospitality Studies either as a 3 years degree program, a 4 year program or a 3 years diploma and it can be called by different names. If you wish to know more about it visit university websites where they list the programmes offered.
Eligibility for getting into Hotel Management or Hospitality studies in India:
The student should have completed 12th standard (open to all 3 streams – Art, Commerce or Science. Those awaiting results can also apply as the admissions start before the results are declared. Each university has minimum eligibility criteria when it comes to marks or grades, one can check this from the college or University.
Skills besides academic qualification required to be successful in the hospitality industry:
Hospitality is much more than a simple welcome or an offer of food or drink. It is an attitude that opens to others and receives them on their own terms. In other words, what we know as anticipation of others needs, in this case the guest needs! Attitude is evaluative statements or judgments concerning objects, people or events. Attitude generally has two components figuratively speaking. Affective component could be emotional and Behavioral component is an intention to behave in a certain way towards someone or something.
It is easy to train someone to do a job but it’s extremely difficult to train someone with a poor attitude. One needs to work on the attitude first, if that’s right anything can be done and achieved with great success.
The key is to paying attention. We need to get out of ourselves and become interested in the expectations of others. Being a part of the hospitality industry for over two decades; I feel it’s not just your physical assets such as the building and other tangibles that are important in the success of the organisation but it’s the attitude and qualities that the employees possess and display.
Let’s look at what makes a great hospitality attitude. It is extremely simple, doing things from the heart and having certain basic qualities and personality traits.
Willingness to serve
The employees should possess and display readiness to serve others. Customers here are referred to as guests and guests need that special attention.
Physical Fitness
The job is demanding with long hours of work, working in shifts or involving a lot of physical work. If not that then it could be standing for long hours.
Grooming standards
A pleasing personality with well groomed appearance makes an employee the perfect hospitality professional.
Guest is always right! ….A guest is a guest is a guest!
A guest is a guest, lets not look at whether he is right or not. Hotels place a very high priority to guest satisfaction. Now that has moved a notch higher to guest delight or creating that dazzle.
Personal and Professional ethics
Ethics are your sense of right and wrong. Morals and values that define how you are as a person are your personal ethics. How you behave and conform to the rules in a professional setting are your professional ethics. One must maintain the dignity of each domain.
Integrity
The employees should be honest and have strong moral principles as they deal with both hotel assets as well as guest valuables.
Diplomacy
The employees should be sensitive in dealing with others and they must achieve peaceful resolutions in guest interactions. If not a solution, it must at least facilitate discussions.
Communication Skills
The most successful in the hospitality business are those with excellent communication skills. They can communicate effectively both verbally and in writing also displaying positive body language always.
Computer knowledge
A great hospitality employee should have good computer skills and should be familiar with a wide range of technological applications that are used in the industry.
Knowledge of Safety and Hygiene
Employees should be familiar with rules of safety and hygiene as they apply to kitchens, restaurants and other places where guests spend time.
Interpersonal skills
The very nature of the business is to provide immaculate customer service, the base for the same being one’s interpersonal skills.
Leadership
The employees must have strong leadership quality and the ability to take charge that contributes to an organization’s overall success.
Loyalty and Commitment
One must be loyal to the organisation and also do whatever it takes to keep customers happy. That’s the key to creating repeat business and important for any industry not just hospitality.
Multi tasking
To stay focused, the employee should be organized and multitask with efficiency. They must be thorough in their work and realize that any oversight could result in customer dissatisfaction or loss of business.
Enthusiasm
Great employees are enthusiastic about their jobs and they strive to do their best at every interaction. They give their customers the best service available and create that WOW experience every time!
Teamwork
Every employee needs be a team player. No one can succeed alone in a people dominated industry. Everyone’s contribution counts.
Anyone who wants to build a successful career in the hospitality industry, this could be your guide to what it takes to be there and all those who are already working as professionals can use this as their checklist!
I believe that education is the forming of impressions on the soul.
The readers are welcome to send in their queries at connect@aih.edu.in Will try my best to address each one of them.
Experiential Workshops / Webinars
With the idea of attracting the people with the right attitude and make their decision about studying hospitality Management or taking up careers in the industry, The Apeejay Institute of Hospitality, Navi Mumbai is organising free Webinars (during lockdown)/( experiential workshop at its campus, on regular workdays). Students can enroll for the webinar and experience a ‘feel of the industry’ as well as get counseling from the experts; the faculty team of AIH.
The readers are welcome to send in their queries at connect@aih.edu.in Will try my best to address each one of them.
Watch this space for more insights about the industry coming up in the next blog. Would love to hear from you; they say feedback makes the communication process complete.
Picture courtesy: Apeejay Institute of Hospitality, Navi Mumbai.
Link to blog 1 : https://www.theiwh.com/hospitality-education-info-and-facts/
