After a year of working with a skeleton crew, hotels have finally returned to regular staffing.
Hoteliers have an affinity for promoting within, and because of this, properties are often managed by former departmental managers. This has always been the case, but even more so since the pandemic required general managers to fill multiple roles.
Being a hotel general manager is synonymous with flexibility and dexterity. It’s an enigmatic job. Think about it- they have to successfully manage everything from F&B to front desk operations. That’s no an easy feat. If you’ve had issue after issue with your property’s current GM, you have to start asking yourself if they’re going to be adaptable enough for the long haul.
Are they aware of their weaknesses?
Can they seamlessly bounce from department to department? Or do they occasionally drop-in, but offer no assistance? Of course, you don’t need a manager to insert themselves in areas beyond their expertise. While there is the requirement of being capable of overseeing various departments, your GM should still be aware of their personal strengths AND weaknesses. That doesn’t mean that they should sit back when troubles arise.
You don’t just want to hire a manager; you want to hire a leader. Leading is often found through delegation, even if it requires the manager to provide the initial training. Managers need enough self-awareness to recognize when they need to act as a liaison.
Do they communicate?
Does your general manager have communication skills? A good GM will keep their staff up to date on what’s going on throughout the hotel. If your staff isn’t updated on policy changes, events, maintenance issues or new processes, mistakes will inevitably happen. This is a volatile chapter in history. Protocole is changing every day and communication skills may be the most important skill a GM can have.
Staff meetings can help everybody get on the same page, even when it comes to small changes.
Do they listen to guests?
Nobody has a better perspective on what can be improved than your guests. Everybody else, including your staff, has a limited and possibly tainted view. Your guests will help you identify areas of weakness. If your General Manager uses complaints to fix issues, you’ll see consistent improvement in operations. However, if your General Manager brushes guest feedback under the rug, the problems will add up.
Are they flexible?
Working in a hotel means that problems arise at the most inopportune times. Flexible and adaptable managers make decisive and well-informed decisions. This goes beyond having a backup plan. Successful hotel managers do not cave under pressure when it gets rough, they step up and adjust. Inflexible managers will reap the consequences and experience increased turnover, low occupancy rates and decreased revenue.
Do you have managers that are simply not getting the job done? Is the local talent pool dried up? Joseph David International is consistently one of the top-ranked hospitality recruiters because we work hard to find the ideal fit for both the managerial candidate and the client. For more information about hotel recruiting services please click here.