Choosing the right General Manager is pivotal for the success of your hotel. A GM needs to be just about ready for anything, so you want to make sure you’re hiring the best.
Here are 4 ways to make sure your GM search is right on track.
1. Focus on your interview questions
If you’re not asking the right questions, you could be missing out on key information. Given the amount of departments a hotel manager oversees, knowing how well the candidate is going to handle high-stress situations is important. A good candidate will be able to provide a clear demonstration of their prior skills. Good managers will also have a good understanding of how to delegate tasks and respond to customer feedback.
2. Find someone who has brand experience
This is why many companies chose to promote from within. Creating a culture where people feel like they can tactically climb the latter brings in top talent. If you’re hiring through a recruitment firm, you’ll want to emphasize brand experience, so the appropriate candidates come through. Each brand has its own semantics, and while it’s great to branch out, there’s more reassurance in an experienced candidate. Beyond brand, a candidate’s experience in the hotel’s segment may be important. Select service GM’s role is going to differ from that of a full-service GM.
3. Find someone that’s people-oriented
Your companies culture starts from the top and trickles down. People are the heart of hospitality and this should be reflected by the GM’s management style. A great question to ask during the interview process is how they react to negative criticism and complaints.
Being at the top of the food chain, they set the precedent for how other employees are going to respond to guests. The goal should always be to satisfy guests even after they walk out the door.
4. Invest your time
Finding the best people is time-consuming. Fight the temptation to skip through the process and invest time in getting to know your candidates. Your hotel is worth millions, so consider how the candidate will improve profitability. The wrong hire will end up costing you way more than it’s worth.
If you want to get the most money out of your time, you can hire a recruiting firm to find the best talent for you. They’ll be working out of their database to find the best candidates for you. If you’re interested in hiring a firm, JDI has been twice-ranked by Forbes as one of the best recruitment firms in America. You can read information about JDI here or you can email us at info@jdisearch.com.