#4 - The Case for Hospitality's Transferable Value

"One out of every 2 Americans first job is in the hospitality industry." - Kat Cole on the EnterLeadership podcast

When Kat Cole dropped this fascinating stat, I hit rewind twice to make sure I heard her correctly.

This nugget has stuck with me since the episode originally aired in 2019, so I took time to listen again for inspiration in continuing to build my case for the transferable value of hospitality industry insights into everyday business strategy:

Recruiting candidates equipped with valuable experience gained by working in the hospitality industry is an any-industry best practice.

Cole's dynamic background, from humble beginnings as a Hooters hostess to becoming the president of Cinnabon and later COO at Focus Brands, provides her with a unique perspective on the importance and reach of the hospitality industry.

Sharing this stat in context of her point of view for the podcast conversation on"4 Qualities you Need to Lead", Cole reflects on her scrappy start learning the ropes by working every position in the restaurant to traveling the world and gaining extensive experience and insights into the industry by making bold moves to advance her career.

The hospitality industry employs a significant portion of the global workforce. As of recent data, around 320 million individuals are employed in the Travel and Tourism sector, with numbers expected to rise due to the industry's rapid recovery post-pandemic, further emphasizing the widespread impact and commonality of hospitality jobs in people's lives.

So what, you might be asking. How can this translate to my employee experience strategy?

As recruitment and retention woes continue to plague companies, a hospitality industry best practice of "hire for attitude, train for skills" is a simple but effective approach.

And, since working in hospitality provides individuals with a variety of valuable experiences helping to refine those coveted "human skills" (a.k.a., soft skills) like attitude that are transferable to other sectors, why not consider adding previous hospitality industry experience as a "plus" on job postings? You're bound to find candidates with the following tangible skills:

1. Customer Service:

• Learning Experience: Employees in hospitality become adept at managing customer interactions, handling complaints, resolving issues and ensuring customer satisfaction.
• Transferable Value: These skills are crucial in any customer-facing role and for leaders who support customer-facing teams in any industry, especially retail, healthcare and sales.

2. Teamwork & Collaboration:

• Learning Experience: Hospitality workers frequently operate in team-oriented environments where collaboration and communication are essential for smooth operations.
• Transferable Value: The ability to work effectively as part of a team is critical in most job settings, promoting a cooperative and productive work environment.

3. Problem-Solving Abilities:

• Learning Experience: The fast-paced nature of the hospitality industry requires employees to think on their feet and solve problems quickly and efficiently.
• Transferable Value: Strong problem-solving skills are highly desirable in roles that require critical thinking and the ability to navigate unexpected challenges, such as project management and IT support.

4. Communication Skills:

• Learning Experience: Clear, effective and timely communication is essential in hospitality for interacting with customers and colleagues.
• Transferable Value: Excellent communication skills are fundamental in virtually all professional settings, enhancing interpersonal interactions, presentations, and written correspondence.

5. Time Management & Multitasking:

• Learning: Hospitality roles and odd hours often demand juggling multiple tasks and priorities, teaching employees to manage their time effectively.
• Transferable Value: These skills are beneficial in any job that requires efficiency and the ability to handle various responsibilities simultaneously, such as administrative positions, event logistics and project management.

Considering a candidate's transferrable hospitality skills is a respectful way to help those who are genuinely and eagerly seeking to change careers or advance from the front lines to rise to the next level in industries where technical skills can be trained and coached.

Hire for attitude (and human skills), train on technical skills.

If you're a leader in the hospitality industry, does this seem right to you? Anything you'd add?

If you're a leader in another sector, is this point of view helpful? Anything you disagree with?