SPECIAL REPORT
KEY TO THIS INDUSTRY , THEY ARE
WELL CONNECTED
AND CARE ABOUT
MAINTAINING RELATIONSHIPS .
THAT SKILL IS INCREDIBLY VALUABLE WHEN INTERACTING WITH GUESTS AND CUSTOMERS .
NIKKI MASSEY , VICE PRESIDENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES , AMERICAS , HYATT HOTELS CORP .
It also found that black and Latino Gen Zers had more interest in hospitality than their white and Asian peers .
RISK AVERSE Gen Zers like to be in guest-facing roles , hotel executives say . “ Key to this industry , they are well connected and care about maintaining relationships ,” says Nikki Massey , vice president of human resources , Americas , at Hyatt Hotels Corp . “ That skill is incredibly valuable when interacting with guests and customers .”
On the corporate side , Zs gravitate to marketing , brand awareness and public relations , executives say . Young managers trained in finance can make more money at a financial institution .
Having watched their Gen X parents lose their jobs during the recession , fear is a driver , says Clio Knowles , vice president of people for Virgin Hotels in Coconut Grove , Florida . Unlike their millennial peers , who would happily leave a job to travel , write a blog or launch a startup , Gen Zers are more risk averse , she says . “ They ’ re not going to jump around as much ,” she says .
They are willing to stay longer at a hotel , as long as they ’ re allowed to try different roles and can gain experience to burnish their resumes , experts say .
Some chains are changing their approaches . At Netherlands-based CitizenM , staff members ( called ambassadors ), toggle among different tasks , a spokeswoman says . In theory , an employee in the course of a week might work the front desk , tend bar and help customers with dinner reservations .
“ Hotels are picking personalities [ to hire ] rather than have people apply for a specific job ,” says Rémi Walbaum , chief innovation officer at Ecole Hôtelière Lausanne , Lausanne , Switzerland .
Another departure from the status quo : requesting a split shift because they have a “ side hustle ,” such as a band , a modeling gig or an internet business . Virgin Hotels enables local managers to set a flexible schedule and “ whenever possible we try to incorporate their interests into our work life ,” Knowles says . For example , a line employee with a music hobby could work as a DJ at an event .
Even management training programs aren ’ t appealing because they are too generic , educators say . Gen Zers don ’ t see why everyone needs to spend the same amount of time in the front office or in food and beverage , and they ask for training customized to their skills and interests . “ They want to be the boss from the first day ,” Walbaum says . “ The industry must adapt to empower them .”
30 hotelsmag . com March 2020