From Maria Navarro: The Reason Why Hotels Hire Differently

Have you ever wondered why the smallest interaction with someone, while you’re on vacation, can make or break your experience? 

Maybe you remember the compliment the front desk agent gave you as soon as you came in, or you remember the kindness of the concierge as they helped with your bags at the entrance. 

The reason why the people working in hotels matter is because they make all the difference. They are what determine whether someone had a lovely stay, or whether they leave with an unfortunate experience.

Now, let me explain why hotels need to hire differently than other companies. 

Hotels nowadays are fully equipped with some of the best technology and they have the latest software to make every process more efficient for the guests. This plays a huge role in the guest experience since we are all now used to efficiency and immediate service. 

But what happens when technology fails us for a couple of hours? Or even for a full day? 

People come to the rescue. 

Hospitality is one of the few industries where almost the whole guest experience relies on the kind of service you receive. How people greet you, talk to you, help you, and most importantly, read you. 

Yes, read you. 

People working in hotels have a sixth sense. They can read not only a room but every person who walks through the doors. This is why hotel staff can anticipate a guest’s needs and deliver exceptional service because they notice the little things. 

A check-in computer can’t look at your face and guess that you’re tired from travelling all day or need help planning your next meal in town. But people working at a hotel will be able to take one look at you and help you without having to ask for it. 

This is why the people you hire in hotels make such a big difference in the way guests perceive and feel the atmosphere when staying at a hotel. 

Part of the reason our industry will always be alive is because we all travel to connect. We travel to learn, to meet new people, and to create memorable experiences. And even though technology has come in to improve our ways of operating in many ways, the human touch will always be more memorable in people’s minds.

People remember how someone made them feel and how funny and helpful they were at all times. It’s always the little things that make you feel a connection that will make you go back to the same place for your next vacation. 

Hotels need to hire differently because their staff is a representation of who they are as a company. They represent their business through the way they treat their guests. 

When it comes to the hiring process, a hotel nowadays needs to make sure that they hire people not only with the best experience, or education but also with the biggest passion to learn and to serve.

You can always teach skills, but you can’t teach someone to be passionate. That is something that comes straight from the heart and that makes you feel connected to one another. Passion is something that can be sparked when you feel it from someone else.

When hotel leaders hire people who speak the same language as them, the language of service, the guest experience will already take care of itself. And that is because employees need to feel the same way our guests do, appreciated and welcome. This is what does wonders for the work environment in general and for the employee and the guest experience. 

I’ve learned that a happy employee will mean 10 happier guests. It’s contagious. 

And it all starts with the hiring process. Making sure we give applicants the right treatment, offering them the same opportunities, and being clear and truthful about what you expect as a company. This is when you can find out if someone speaks your language. The love through serving language. 

Giving people the right information and tools they need to complete their application process, all the way to their onboarding is as crucial as paying your electric bills. Why? Because the hiring process is the first step in ensuring your employees feel cared for and prepared to perform their best. 

So, to answer the question as the header for this article, the reason why hotels need to hire differently is because people are the core of every business. 

And in hospitality, people are the ones who make all the difference.