Briefing: Developing career confidence, passion and leadership

In a survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, 77.8% of employers named both “leadership” and “the ability to work in a team structure” as key attributes they look for on a job application. According to a study by LinkedIn, more than half of the people surveyed feel more comfortable voicing their opinion at work now than when they first started their career.

Building confidence is an important part of career development. In these videos successful hospitality professionals discuss leadership and taking charge of your own career:

Leadership skills can be developed within a supportive working environment. A report by DDI found that 70 % of leaders say developmental assignments are most effective way to develop leadership. The Global Leadership Forecast 2014/2015 also suggests that not having enough time or opportunity holds people back from growing as a leader.

But attitudes to work are changing, people are building their own paths to success. In the LinkedIn New Norms @Work study a third of people said that if they were unhappy, leaving within a month would be ok. Interestingly the survey also found that the number of jobs professionals think looks good on a LinkedIn profile is 3. An unrelated survey from RecruitFi also looked in to attitudes around multiple jobs. This Millennial Outlook Survey found that 83% of millennials would change jobs to pursue their passions, even while acknowledging that it could look bad to prospective employers.

When people do decide to change their careers, according to a survey by Accountemps, two in five executives in the United States would turn to a spouse or significant other for advice first, with friends and mentors being turned to by 20% and 21% of people respectively.

Those starting a career may not have the confidence or experience to lay out a plan for their career, and may feel uncertainty about job prospects and security. Therefor opportunities to gain skills and step into an industry are appreciated. According to the Milkround Student and Graduate Career Confidence Survey Report 2015, 61.2% of student and graduates felt that “work experience or an internship” would make them feel more confident about their career prospects.

If you’ve been sent to this page and you’re not yet on the circulation list to receive these regular briefings and you would like to sign up, you can do see here. It’s free.

Video clips produced by ybc.tv for the Hospitality Channel, including interview from industry conferences such as the IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

Briefing: Uniting systems for smooth service

A good hotel should run like a well-oiled machine. And of course machines, data systems, and digital platforms are a key part of successful modern businesses. According to a report by Accenture, “77% of executives think that within three years companies will need to focus on training their machines as much as they do on training their people.”

Integration between multiple systems is vital to achieving a seamless consumer experience. In these videos our experts discuss the technology systems used in different areas of hospitality business:

Accenture conducted a survey for its Technology Vision 2015. 2,000 business and IT executives across nine countries and 10 industries were surveyed to gather insights into the adoption of emerging technologies.

The report states that: “81% believe that in the future, industry boundaries will dramatically blur as platforms reshape industries into interconnected ecosystems.”

Industry specific technology platforms are now available to many industries. According to Accenture; “39% of executives say they are now using these industry platforms to integrate data and applications with digital business partners and collaborate, while 35% are currently experimenting with them.”

The report also found that: “81% place the personalized customer experience in their top three priorities for their organization.” This is certainly a key issue in the hospitality industry. In order to achieve this technology need to work seamlessly in real time, and information need to be shared consistently across platforms. One complication is that this may involve passing data to technology business partners and would need to be accepted by the customer. Accenture say that: “67% of individuals are willing to share data with companies, but that percentage drops to 27% if the business is sharing data with a third party.”

People are the centre of any hospitality business. Whilst hardworking technology is vital behind the scenes to be able to offer the services that we need to give, staff will always be needed to connect with guests on a personal level. One final statistic to mention from Accenture’s report is that: “78% believe successful businesses will manage employees alongside intelligent machines— ensuring collaboration between the two.”

If you’ve been sent to this page and you’re not yet on the circulation list to receive these regular briefings and you would like to sign up, you can do see here. It’s free.

Video clips produced by ybc.tv for the Hospitality Channel, including interview from industry conferences such as the IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

Briefing: Unique experiences engage guests

According to research by Gallup, luxury brands have the highest customer engagement level of all hotel segments, with 33% of luxury guests being fully engaged in a brand.

In the luxury/high end market, excellent service and memorable experiences are more important to guests than getting a bargain, so the potential for brand loyalty is higher. But it is becoming more and more difficult for hotels to offer a truly unique experience and keep up with what guests want.

In these videos industry experts discuss how they are attracting guests:

Engagement is important because, according to Gallup; ‘Hotel guests who are fully engaged spend 46% more per year than actively disengaged guests.’ If guests are engaged and returning to the same brand or property time and again, then these guests must be recognised and valued, as discussed above by Dan Wakeling. Gallup’s 2014 Hospitality Industry study found that ‘79% of guests who strongly agree that the hotel they visit most frequently takes care of their well-being, are fully engaged,’

Those who are willing to pay more for a high end stay have more requirements on their minds than a king size bed. Research by Booking.com found that sustainability is increasingly sought after and that ‘sustainable travellers’ were 50% more likely to intend to book more luxury accommodations in 2015 than they did in 2014, as compared with other traveller types.

The way that people engage with brands has changed. So how can one hotel make itself stand out over another?

The Zighy Bay Resort in Oman gives guests the option to paraglide into the resort on arrival.

In Sweden guests can stay in an Ice Hotel.

Some hotels and restaurants are epitomising ‘luxury’ by offering diamonds as part of their package.

And, as mentioned in the above video, Club Med offers a Cirque du Soleil experience.

If you’ve been sent to this page and you’re not yet on the circulation list to receive these regular briefings and you would like to sign up, you can do see here. It’s free.

Video clips produced by ybc.tv for the Hospitality Channel, including interview from industry conferences such as the IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

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