Understanding your workforce is key
Are you talking the right language to your workforce, asks Graeme Codrington
People are at the heart of hospitality and tourism. In this industry, more than any other, getting the right employees in the right position is critical because, quite simply, in hospitality, success is driven by the people who represent and run your business. What's more, the very nature of this industry dictates that generally it is young people at the frontline of any hospitality business.
The major challenge facing hospitality businesses up and down the country (and across the globe) is that today's young people are different from yesterday's. Their values, goals and expectations are not like ours.
This has implications from hospitality employers who want to understand why this change has happened. What has caused it? Is the change something to just ‘sit out' before everything goes back to normal?
My view is that acceptance of this new order is key. Today's young people are shaped by a different world. We are in the midst of ‘a moment of change.' We find ourselves in the transition between the ‘before' and ‘after'. A twilight era where yesterday's value sets are morphing and evolving into new territory. Today's generation of young people is the first to work in the ‘after' world which has been shaped by a plethora of contributory factors.
The implications of this ‘after' world and their impact on the workplace need to be understood.
If we accept that we are in a transitional phase between the ‘before' and ‘after' world of work, how can hospitality and tourism employers respond? What practical tools need to be put in place? What communication approaches can be used to attract young people?
Understanding is key in order to evolve and communication, now, more than ever is key.
Find out more about tapping into the right communication channels and tools at the Hospitality & Tourism Summit 2014 on Thursday 5th June, Novotel London West, where world of work expert Graeme Codrington is a keynote speaker.