Hilton Worldwide is No. 30 on the Fair360, formerly DiversityInc Top 50 Companies list
(Originally published on LinkedIn)
The hospitality industry is a wide industry containing many diverse sectors and counts as one of the largest and fastest growing industries. Therefore, Hospitality is a great industry to work for with the high potential of personal development and growth globally and especially in Saudi Arabia with the 2030 vision.
Since I have had started studying hospitality, I have decided I will build my career in this industry and will do what I can to influence others to be part of this industry. In honour of Youth Skills Day this Saturday, here are some thoughts on the skills that young people can gain by working in the hospitality industry and why this industry is such a great one for young people just starting out in their careers.
Since I started my career in hospitality, I have gained many useful skills. In order to be a successful team member in the hospitality industry there are certain competencies that hotel employers seek and guests expect.
Unwavering Hospitality: One of the most important skills is being committed and enthusiastic about delivering exceptional guest experiences at every time and going the extra mile to keep the guest happy. Employees working in the hospitality industry often forget that they create a great impact on guests and colleagues, and they influence others with their actions. Commitment and the passion to create heartfelt experiences for guests will build a great amount of trust from both guests and managers.
Communications: Communication is another important skill which is useful in the hospitality industry or any other industry. Communication is one of the key factors for creating unity among team members and delivering exceptional guest experiences. Without effective communication, the business would not be able to achieve its goals and targets. Therefore, communication brings the team together and builds a sense of belonging and togetherness.
Teamwork: The ability to work well with others is also a valuable skill in the hospitality industry because it brings out the productivity in individuals. Therefore, most hotel companies including Hilton have teamwork as part of their values.
Growth and Development: The hospitality industry is a great place to work if you are looking for a continued learning journey primarily because it develops great self-awareness, an essential tool for self-development. The biggest element of my personal development relates to my confidence and how it has been steadily improving and the effect it is having on my behaviour since I have joined the hospitality family. Being aware of my strengths and areas for development has helped me to better understand guests’ needs and deliver spectacular guest services.
Cultural Awareness: The ability to work across cultures could be less important than other skills in other sectors, but in the hospitality industry, these skills are just as important as any other skill, if not more important. As known, the hospitality industry is all about people and the passion to deal with people either guests or team members. The massive diversity in this industry makes it one of the most challenging industries to work for, and a challenging one in which to become an effective leader. On the other hand, this diversity also presents a great opportunity to improve these skills and understand how to work with people from different cultures.
Working in a multi-cultural work environment has taught me that being able to communicate with different cultures is mostly related to how we manage our attitudes and how we get along with others. The ability to work with and understand different cultures is not easy because sometimes conflicts can happen between guests and hosts. But, working in the hospitality industry made me understand that celebrating the diversity that exists under one roof is important, because by focusing on what we have in common and focusing on shared goals, we can create more creative results and solutions.
My advice for anyone who is interested in entering the hospitality industry is to be self-motivated and always appreciate the differences you make in others’ lives on a daily basis. Working in hospitality is not as easy as it might seem, but the impact we have on others, especially the smiles we create on our guests’ faces, makes it worth it. If you enjoy people and diversity and are ready to celebrate both, hospitality is the place for you. If you do not like a routine at your job and want to experience joyful time at work with the opportunity to develop every single day with limitless potential, then start thinking about a career in hospitality!
Neda Fatani is the assistant convention manager at Hilton Makkah Convention Hotel.
