Finding the right candidate for a hotel management executive ensures a prosperous business.
With plenty of experience available and countless potential candidates, it can take time to narrow down your search. In this post, we cover how to assess a prospective team member’s hospitality capability, communication skills, and other vital characteristics essential to ensuring your chosen executive successfully meets goals while maintaining high customer satisfaction ratings.
1. Track Record
The best way to start is by researching potential candidates’ past performance. Ask around within the industry, speak with references, and review online reviews of former colleagues to understand their work styles and determine how they’ve handled unique business challenges. Former employers can be a great source of insight when it comes to an understanding of the individual’s ability to lead and handle difficult situations.
When analyzing their track record, be sure to factor in the conditions they worked under, such as budget and staffing limitations. This can provide a great indication of how the individual might perform in similarly tricky conditions in your business.
2. Business Acumen
A hotel executive should have a strong understanding of the industry and its trends and overall business acumen. From finance to marketing, they need to be in tune with all areas that will impact the success of your property. Their experience should include both operational and financial knowledge so that they can run the day-to-day operations while still meeting long-term goals.
During recruitment, test their business understanding by asking them to analyze a case study or provide examples of how they’ve solved similar issues. A hospitality recruitment agency can provide job candidates with proven experience and an understanding of business operations. The insights of a recruitment agency can be invaluable in helping you identify the right candidate for your executive hotel role.
3. Operating Margins
Every business needs to be profitable for it to succeed. The job of a hotel executive is to maximize the operating margin, which means understanding how different operations and departments within the business can work together to increase profitability. The ideal hotel executive should have in-depth knowledge of budget control and revenue management and understand how best to manage supply and demand to maximize profits. A prospective executive should also be able to demonstrate strong forecasting skills, as well as the ability to understand and analyze reports.
4. Values
Working in the hospitality industry means that you will interact with people from all over the world. For this reason, having an executive who shares similar values and ethos with your business is essential. Your chosen hotel management executive should understand the culture of your property and be able to get on board with company objectives and standards. As such, they need to have a positive attitude and be prepared to go above and beyond to ensure that their guests are taken care of while upholding the standards set by the company.
5. Experience
A hotel executive should have the knowledge and experience to deal with any issues that arise, from customer complaints to staff management. You should look for someone who has worked in similar roles in the past and preferably at a larger property. A larger property will expose them to different challenges, which they can use to benefit smaller properties. Experience in different regions can also be beneficial, as it brings a deeper understanding of the culture and customs in those areas. This will help them hit the ground running when they start their new role.
The perfect hotel executive should have a combination of all the above qualities and the drive to succeed and make your property stand out from the crowd. Working with a recruitment agency can help you identify those individuals who could be an excellent fit for your business. With their expertise and insight, you’ll be able to find the right person for the job and ensure that your hotel’s operations are running smoothly.
