4 Tips for Managing a Hotel

Originally published by Budget and the Bees. Reposted with permission.

The hospitality industry can be rewarding and lucrative. Most people travel for work, family events, or just for fun. They need a place to stay while out of town. Providing that comfortable little slice of home to weary travelers is not easy. There is plenty of competition and staying ahead of it requires hard work and good employees Whether you run a luxury resort, a cozy, little bed and breakfast, or anything in between, there are things you can do that will help you get the best out of your employees and help your business succeed.

Effective Communication

Effective communication is the key to a successful relationship of any kind and certainly applies to a boss/worker relationship. Employees need to completely understand their roles and how to perform them to everyone’s satisfaction, especially the guests. Managers need to understand problems that may occur in order to remedy them. Good, old-fashioned, in-person conversations are still the most effective way to communicate but other methods are important too. Technology provides phone calls, text messages, and virtual meetings that can all help to facilitate communication. Providing employees with technology such as visitor check-in software can help them perform their duties more efficiently.

Hire Good People

Building a quality staff starts with the hiring process. In-depth interviews are essential as is carefully checking references. The time to find out if someone is unreliable or untrustworthy is before you put them on the payroll. You won’t be able to manage effectively if you constantly have to do the work of an employee.

Take as much time as you need to make important hiring decisions and use behavioral questions during interviews. These types of questions generate specific answers and allow you to get an insight into the character of the potential new hire.

Reward Your Best

People like it when their work is acknowledged and appreciated. Their salaries are not the only compensation hard-working employees should receive. Those who go above and beyond have earned more. Acknowledge their efforts with praise and do it publically. An employee-of-month program is a great way to say thank you for a job well done. Post a picture of the honoree and award a prize such as a gift certificate to a local business. Even a simple thank you can go a long way toward encouraging your best employees to keep up the good work.

Proper Delegation

A hotel staff, especially a large one, should have a hierarchy similar to a military chain of command. Assign department heads to manage groups of employees and hold regular meetings with them. If an employee has a question or problem it should be taken up with their department head. This prevents anyone from becoming overwhelmed by too many issues at once. Keep a consistent flow of communication up and down the structure.

Running a hotel and managing its staff is a big job and important to keep guests happy and coming back. Employees are only as good as their supervisors. Hire well and manage well and your hospitality business can compete.