What do you do if your hospitality team lacks diversity and inclusion?

I believe The question should be instead why there IS a lack of diversity&inclusion in hospitality! And particularly in leadership roles for women.It is crucial that we start raising awareness on the challenges faced by women in advancing their careers. Even on LinkedIn, it is evident that certain categories progress much faster than others. it is disappointing how many people seem unaware or indifferent to it, despite its impact on society. As a mother of a little girl,I feel the need to point this out to ensure that this problem does not persist in her future. As new generations enter the workforce with new perspectives and expectations,it is essential that we recognise women's strengths and the incredible contributions they can bring.

If your hospitality team lacks diversity and inclusion, it's crucial to first assess the reasons behind this gap. Implementing strategies to attract diverse talent, such as targeted recruitment efforts and inclusive policies, can help broaden your team's diversity. Fostering a culture of inclusivity through training, mentorship programs, and open dialogues can create a more welcoming environment for all team members.

We will continue to hire quality staff. In a service culture. The hospitality field which I have been a part of for 40 years. We asses ability to relate to our customers more than some number.

I would like to say qualified! Our industry is very diverse Our industry has always been open to upward mobility. I know several managers who started at the bottom as Doorman or Hoskeeping and worked up to a GM or Regional Manager. The Hospitality and Restaurant industry has always been open to caring and qualified associates. I would recommend that people who seek a career in the industry focus on the customer because that is what our industry is about. Its service and! Caring, That lifts you!

One thing I've found helpful is to have your team look and think like your customer. It's a lot easier to anticipate needs and use empathy in difficult situations.

Setting goals to address diversity and inclusion gaps in your hospitality team is essential for making progress and fostering a more inclusive work environment. Here are steps to set effective goals: Identify Priority Areas: Based on your assessment of diversity and inclusion gaps, identify specific priority areas where improvement is needed. This could include increasing representation of underrepresented groups, promoting inclusive leadership practices, or fostering a culture of belonging. Make Goals SMART: Ensure that your goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART).

Set goals, set milestones, create a plan and put it into motion. When your team has goals and a plan how to achieve them it is easier to measure your progress and hold each other accountable.

Absolutely! But my goals need to be realistic. If I'm located in a very homogenous area, aiming for my staff to perfectly mirror the national population next year is a setup for failure and discouragement.

Inclusive culture and open communication plays a great deal in enhancing the team collaboration and environment. Cultural conflicts in the teams has to be managed effectively with right strategy and not imposing single culture based approaches where different cultures are involved.

Fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion in your hospitality team involves creating an environment where all employees feel valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their unique perspectives and talents. Here are some strategies to foster such a culture: Lead by Example: Demonstrate a commitment to diversity and inclusion in your own actions and behaviors. Show respect for all team members, actively listen to their perspectives, and advocate for inclusivity in decision-making processes. Communicate Expectations: Clearly communicate the organization's commitment to diversity and inclusion through mission statements, values, and policies.

I'll emphasize that culture change needs to start at the top. If I don't model inclusive behaviour – if I dismiss concerns or default to hanging out with the staff who are "like me" – nothing else I do will matter.

Setting up policies that foster both inclusivity and diversity is just the beginning. As you aim to bring more diversity into your team, it’s equally important to create an environment where everyone feels truly included. This not only helps meet your diversity goals but also ensures that your team can succeed and grow in a welcoming and supportive workplace.

Yes! But this goes beyond the obvious anti-discrimination stuff. "Neutral" policies can still be barriers. A strict dress code, for example, may exclude cultural/religious expression. I need to examine every rule through a D&I lens.

I agree! But engagement needs to be done thoughtfully. It is unfair to ask marginalized staff to do the heavy lifting of educating the majority. I might need outside facilitators or resources for those initial hard conversations.

Monitoring your progress with your DEI program is a crucial stage of development of a program and initiatives. Consistency is key for your DEI development to not come off performative; provide in depth surveys for staff to fill out quarterly, anonymously, to ensure transparency and autonomy. Dually, schedule 1-on-1's between leadership and your staff, this will provide you invaluable feedback to keep a pulse on how well you are truly listening to and hearing your staff as well as developing a robust DEI program with tangible goals and clearly defined iniatives.

In a recent project I struggled with this. Focused purely on building a cohesive and dynamic team after hiring 35% of the senior team I realize there was a gender imbalance and tended of hire people of a single ethnicity - mind you neither of them was matching with mine. So even though there was no accusation there were murmurs and had to make a deliberate attempt at creating inclusion and diversity in tier two and of course a deep dive into the database to find profiles that could break the trend. Even though I am a strong believer in importance of appear to be fair. it was a challenge to get high potential leaders and create a diverse and inclusive core team. But managed to get a good mix when one looked at the entire management team.

Diversity and inclusion in Hospitality setting - - A well Diversified team can bring more productivity which further results in organisational growth. - Assessing and identifying gaps is imperative to understand the manning which should welcome across culturally - demographically diversified. - Setting a common organisational specific measurable achievable realistic and time bound goal that aligns the organisational objectives. - Fostering a culture that promotes diversities and inclusivity if it requires, revise the policies that should not discriminate against any particular community or culture. - Engaging the team to get to know each other's culture.

To foster diversity and inclusion in your hospitality team, AI can be a powerful ally. Implement AI-driven recruitment tools to eliminate bias in hiring processes. Utilize sentiment analysis to gauge employee satisfaction and detect any signs of exclusion or discrimination. AI-powered training programs can offer customized learning experiences, promoting empathy and cultural understanding among staff. Additionally, AI can analyze guest feedback to ensure diverse perspectives are considered in service improvements. By embracing AI, hotels can proactively address diversity and inclusion, creating a more welcoming and equitable environment for both employees and guests. Focus on AI and people working in harmony to solve any challenge.