WHAT ’ S HOT
OPERATIONS
WHAT ’ S HOT
OPERATIONS
The new
PRIORITY
Is hospitality a
CAREER JOB ?
or a
Even before the # MeToo movement , hotels have tried to address harassment and other
unwelcome behavior directed at employees by guests .
State and local jurisdictions , hotel employee unions and major industry employers are moving toward requiring or voluntarily proving employee safety devices ( ESDs ), or panic buttons , for employees who work alone or isolated in rooms . There are practical and legal challenges , and concerns about technological limitations .
But hotels must commit to addressing those issues and to other measures to prevent and respond to harassment complaints :
Revisit policies addressing harassment to ensure that policies meet modern standards , expectations and legal requirements .
Identify employees who are particularly vulnerable to guest ( and other ) harassment
While recognizing that safety is a priority , there have been legal challenges to many measures .
and provide resources on avoiding situations , responding to guests who engage in bad behavior and the importance of reporting concerns , no matter how minor .
Revamp sexual harassment avoidance training to include teaching leaders to understand and support the no-harassment policies , develop a “ how can I help you ” culture , manage the unexpected and respond with empathy and action .
For many years , employers have focused anti-harassment efforts on what not to do . But here ’ s the new norm : Commit resources to proactively solve sexual harassment and assault against your employees .
H ow do we as an industry attract and retain talent when there are so many other choices competing for it ? Competitive pay . Only when we are prepared to pay the best will we get the best . According to Ladders , a job site , 10 other industries — not hospitality — had the most six-figure opportunities for workers with less than five years of professional experience .
Career advancement . A bright spot should be the opportunities for women and minorities , but perceived obstacles include a lack of mentorship and a lack of promotion opportunity . We can solve for these perceptions with more education and more outreach in our communities .
The misnomer of work-life balance . Some people work 80 hours a week and are happy while others work 40 hours and are miserable . Hospitality work is in the service of others and generally in fun places . How we integrate work and fun is vital to our success .
Leadership education . Why is leadership considered an on-the-job endeavor ? I encourage our educators and industry leaders to encourage a lifetime of learning and a system for “ making ” better leaders . You don ’ t need to be big or have a big budget to be a great place to work . It takes dedication , passion and commitment .
Innovation . Our industry has always been quick to scoff at innovation and stick to tradition . How could Uber and AirBnb out-maneuver the largest operators in our business ? I often ask hotel companies what their annually budget for R & D is , and most often get “ zero ” as an answer . It is hard to innovate without a system for vetting and funding an idea . My recipe for success might not be an innovation , but I encourage young people in hospitality to challenge their bosses with the idea .
ANDRIA LURE RYAN is an Atlanta partner at law firm Fisher Phillips , where she chairs the hospitality industry practice group .
KEITH KEFGEN is managing director and CEO of Aethos Consulting Group .
52 hotelsmag . com June 2019