The Human Resource professional needed in hotel operations today has evolved from a role which focused on the administrative, to one which provides strategic specialist leadership across a whole plethora of key activities, aimed at keeping organizational blood-lines pumping with the right calibre of talent. The challenge to achieve organizational outcomes in times of unsurpassed change across dynamic global markets, accelerated technological advancement and on-going talent shortage. The hotel industry needs the best people and the best people leaders. It needs to look at its wider context of operation and invest in the right caliber of talent to future proof operations. READ MORE

With the unemployment rate at a historic low, a recent survey from EMPLOYERS found small business owners may be underselling an important factor that could give them a recruiting edge: their workplace safety record. This article outlines the array of potential hazards hotel employees are susceptible given the variety of occupations and workplaces in a hotel. It also provides steps hotel owners and managers can take to reduce the likelihood of workplace injuries or illnesses to keep current employees safe as well as to create an attractive workplace for prospective candidates. READ MORE

Considering the fast pace of the market and constantly evolving guest tastes, we cannot avoid change. We must not only learn to manage it, but also embrace it, and learn from it. Openness and commitment to change by team members can make change go smoother and the likelihood that it will be successful much higher. Rick Maurer introduced the three main reasons why people resist change-they don't get it, they don't like it, or they don't like you. In this article we draw from these ideas and provide practical advice for hospitality professionals for reducing resistance to change. READ MORE

Disaster resilience is a core concept for contemporary hotel disaster/crisis management objectives. Resilience building provides flexibility, improved capacity to adapt, and leverage against the continually changing tourism environment. Understanding the value of resilience can make the difference in prioritizing this vital tool. The interconnectedness of the tourism sector worldwide requires novel approaches to assessing organizational strengths - organizations' face the need to develop potential solutions to unknown challenges. Building disaster resilience offers a potentially multi-faceted solution sets to todays', and tomorrows', challenges. This is the first article in a four-part series... READ MORE

Today dynamic organizations are not just led by dynamic leaders, these leaders are fanatically committed to paving a new way of thinking about leadership. The new leadership paradigm is EVERYONE LEADS. Creating an organization where everyone leads allows for higher levels of accountability, and strengthens alignment which is at the heart of agility, innovation and profitability. Organizational silos disrupt optimal performance. When everyone is working in tandem, they are more productive, and the organization finds a stronger beat. This beat is your cultural heart beat and it determines alignment and creates an "all in" culture. READ MORE

Human Resource Management in a small business can be a vital task leading to success. Specifically in the service sector, service quality depends mostly on the quality of personnel since it is labor intensive and requires face-to-face interaction with customers. Unfortunately, small-sized hotels are faced with unfavorable conditions but they have opportunities to expand using their strengths as small firms with high levels of flexibility. Smaller organizations need to change HR practices compared to larger organizations because of the different workforce requirements and legal. Specifically, they must focus on improving customer satisfaction and the quality of service through a procedure of well organized HR management. READ MORE

How can hotels successfully expand their revenue strategy beyond occupancy? Is heads-in-beds truly the only method for increasing revenue and profits? When should occupancy be a priority, and when should hotels minimize occupancy for maximum revenue? With expert advice, years of experience and thoughtful analysis, president and CEO of Total Customized Revenue Management Lily Mockerman discusses both the benefits and the drawbacks of relying on occupancy as the sole indicator of a hotel's performance. READ MORE

The traditional view of talent, whether you believe it is misconceived or not, was an individual who demonstrated the skills and traits of a future leader. Yet, with challenging economies, uncertain futures and fewer individuals desiring to be a 'leader', has the time come to re-think the definition of talent? Eugenio Pirri, Chief People and Culture Officer of luxury hotel management organisation, Dorchester Collection believes so and, in this piece, argues that it's time all employees were seen as talent, treated as individuals and supported on their own personalized learning journeys. READ MORE

In order to best position your hotel in a competitive marketplace, it is essential to have an airtight revenue strategy so that room prices are priced right every time. While that sounds simple enough, it is important to remember that there are four key factors (events, timing, trends and competition) that need to be accounted for in order to accurately forecast demand and maximize revenue for a hotel. In this article, Gino Engels, CCO and co-founder at OTA Insight, discusses why these factors matter and how to extract exploitable data and insights from each. READ MORE

Top human resources executives are often frustrated with their organizations and their organizations are often frustrated with them. The HR executive doesn't feel valued and his or her value isn't always clear to the organization. There are frequent disconnects, and corporate politics plus job security muddy the waters. The HR executive wants a seat at the table, but is often denied. And, if one attains a seat at the table, what should that mean? This article reviews such dynamics and presents the most critical area on which HR executives should focus. READ MORE

Recruiting is not what it used to be. Unless you've been asleep at the wheel for the past 10 years, you know employers are no longer in the driver's seat. The days when top talent lined up for a seat on your bus dying to work for you are a distant speck in your rearview window. Today, the reality is candidates pick you. This means employers need to be proactive, creative, and innovative to adapt to a talent market with the candidate in the driver's seat. READ MORE

Gallup tells us eye-popping differences between organizations that score in the top 25% for engagement versus those that score in the bottom 25%...specifically that the best ones produce 22% more profits and 21% more productivity. Most organizations see employee engagement as a score, as a marker to compare to other organizations to see if their own "engagement programs" work. Putting engagement into dollars drives home that scores on their own mean little, yet the dollars engagement drives are huge. Simply said, employee engagement is about every employee bringing their best, every day. So, how do first-line supervisors drive engagement? READ MORE

This article reviews contributing factors to rising capital expenditures and investment demands in relationship to progressively important guest experiences and wellness attributes. As increasing wellness and lifestyle features continue to emerge across the hospitality sector focused on well-being, new value propositions continue to evolve. This article reviews Capex spending increases amid rising construction costs, and consumer demand with an emphasis on the value of incorporating enhanced spa and wellness-oriented property features. READ MORE

In simplest terms, optimization means consistently delivering against customer expectations to drive revenue, while managing costs to maximize profitability. With the economy projected by some to soften by year-end, the hospitality industry must prepare for short-term growth while planning for longer-term slowing - and be flexible enough to respond to unexpected events. Combine this with the continued challenges of attracting and retaining talent and the priority for hotel operators becomes clear: workforce optimization. You see in this article how a deeper understanding of the specific factors driving both guest satisfaction and employee engagement will give you creative options to optimize operations. READ MORE

Get as much heads in beds as possible while optimizing your hotel's profit potential. This straightforward definition of a revenue manager's job probably rings true for many of us in the industry. However, if a revenue manager is solely focused on guest-room pricing, then who's in charge of enhancing revenue for the rest of your property? Hotels can generate more than half of their revenue on non-room revenue streams, yet traditional revenue managers and revenue management systems still take a limited "heads-in-beds" approach. So, how do we best decide what business to accept when faced with the complexities of multiple revenue stream considerations like function-space booking? READ MORE