You’re building a team in hospitality. How can you ensure it’s diverse and effective?

1 Define your vision and values

Before you start recruiting, you need to have a clear idea of what you want your team to achieve and how you want them to behave. Your vision and values should reflect your brand identity, customer expectations, and industry standards. They should also be aligned with the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion, such as respect, fairness, and belonging. Communicate your vision and values to your potential and existing team members, and use them as criteria for hiring, training, and evaluating performance.

2 Seek diverse talent sources

One of the challenges of building a diverse team is finding candidates from different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. You can overcome this by expanding your talent sources and reaching out to underrepresented groups in hospitality. For example, you can partner with local community organizations, educational institutions, or professional associations that support diversity in hospitality. You can also use online platforms, social media, or referrals to attract diverse applicants. Make sure your job descriptions and advertisements are inclusive and avoid any bias or stereotypes.

3 Conduct inclusive interviews

The interview process is a crucial opportunity to assess the fit and potential of your candidates, as well as to showcase your culture and values. To ensure your interviews are inclusive, you need to use structured and standardized questions that are relevant to the role and the skills required. Additionally, avoid asking personal or inappropriate questions that may discriminate or offend your candidates. It's also beneficial to have multiple interviewers with diverse backgrounds and perspectives in order to reduce individual bias and increase objectivity. Finally, provide feedback and follow-up to your candidates in a timely and respectful manner.

4 Foster a collaborative culture

Once you have hired your team members, it is important to create a culture that encourages collaboration, communication, and learning. This type of culture allows your team members to share their ideas, opinions, and feedback, as well as learn from each other and improve their skills. To foster a collaborative culture, you should provide regular training and development opportunities for your team members, establish a feedback system that allows for constructive and positive feedback, assign clear roles and responsibilities to each team member while holding them accountable for their performance and behavior, and recognize and reward them for their achievements.

5 Celebrate diversity and inclusion

Finally, it's essential to celebrate the diversity and inclusion of your team, and make them feel valued and appreciated. This will help your team members to embrace their differences, respect each other, and create a sense of belonging. To do this, you can organize events and activities that showcase the diversity of your team such as cultural festivals, potlucks, or trivia nights. Additionally, you should encourage your team members to share their stories, experiences, and perspectives and listen to them with empathy and curiosity. Furthermore, support your team members in their personal and professional goals by providing them with the necessary resources and support. Finally, promote a positive and supportive work environment where your team members can express themselves, have fun, and grow together.