Technology impacts how consumers today live, work, shop and play today. They are moving at the speed of light, and they expect the companies they interact with to keep up with them. This “digital impatience” means consumers increasingly expect that technology understand them, and be intuitive, personal and seamless - including with travel. Expedia's Melissa Maher, SVP Global Partner Group at Expedia, Inc., offers insights and tips for hoteliers to capture the attention of and engage today's digitally savvy traveler. From increasing efficiency and personalization, to inspiring with digital imagery, to optimizing reviews. The hotels that will thrive in today's highly competitive landscape are those that leverage tools to better understand and respond to the needs of their guests. READ MORE

While hospitality organizations are making strides developing and retaining female talent, there is still room for improvement. With the economy steaming forward and Baby Boomers exiting the workforce in larger numbers, the need for organizations to engage, develop and retain these professionals has been exacerbated. Research suggests that organizations who fill their senior leadership ranks with women perform better on a variety of business and financial metrics. This article discusses the challenges associated with putting and keeping women on the leadership path, including those borne of second-generation gender bias. READ MORE

The Millennial generation, born during the years 1980 to 2000, is firmly entrenched in the workforce. As the largest generational cohort to emerge since the baby boomer generation, human resource professionals and managers need to adjust their leadership approaches and how they engage with these workers. Three hospitality millennial professionals were interviewed and share insight and advice for both millennial employees and managers of any age. Human resource professionals and savvy managers can lead the way toward effective strategies for capitalizing on the innate talents and perspectives of the millennial generation resulting in competitive advantages for their organization. READ MORE

Are you frustrated by the revolving door of excessive employee turnover? Unfortunately, it is not likely to stop anytime soon. Having said that the key to staffing stability in the future is to maintain the focus on extending the tenure of each new hire and maximizing the time you have each employee on your team. Remember, people don't want to quit! But in order to encourage them to stay longer, you must create a place where people want to work and be a manager people want to work for. Success requires better on-boarding, fool-proofing your systems and processes, improving management effectiveness, and more. READ MORE

If you have been employed within the hospitality business for any length of time, you may have seen your Human Resources department evolve from the “Personnel Department” to the “Department of Talent Acquisition”. This office has evolved from a cost center, which was mostly compliance-based, focused on record keeping, workplace safety, salary management and employee grievances, to essential centers for talent engagement. Employees have gone from “resources” to “assets” and have become recognized as a valuable source of competitive advantage. Our most successful hospitality companies understand that their talent acquisition, retention, employee engagement and reward, requires continuous innovation in order to remain competitive in attracting top talent. READ MORE