Regardless of the size of a hotel, there should always be trained personnel to perform a variety of tasks that a space like this requires. Let’s remember the concept of a hotel: it is a place where you stay temporarily, and both the place itself and its staff must meet all your basic needs, as it functions as a temporary home. This staff ranges from receptionists to chefs or even concierges.
Staffing and the hospitality landscape are constantly changing as customer needs and preferences evolve. The current era is particularly notable in this regard because technology has arrived forcefully to reshape, but also improve, many of the tasks carried out within hotels.
It is common in this era to think, for example, that machines will come to replace some human jobs, especially in this industry. In this article, you will find everything about the upcoming changes or changes that are already here regarding hotel personnel. Likewise, we will explain why machines come to complement, not replace.
With the advent of artificial intelligence and data analysis, hotels are seeking ways to personalize the guest experience by collecting individual preferences, such as understanding what they like to eat or drink, what type of pillows or blankets they might prefer, what time they wake up, etc. With this information, staff have had to adapt to what is now understood as hyper-personalization and make the customer feel not like just another number, but something special. This poses a challenge but is crucial in the current era where customers want to feel more important than ever.
On the other hand, we have process automation, also facilitated by artificial intelligence. Technological advances have allowed automating tasks such as check-in and check-out, internal service requests, and customer service. This is where one might think that it leads to a reduced need for personnel; however, many hotels take advantage of this automation to allow staff to focus on providing more personalized and higher-quality service, always understanding the necessary balance between technology and human contact.
Lastly, there is a focus on interpersonal skills and work flexibility. As routine tasks are automated with technology, it is expected that hotel personnel will focus on providing warm and welcoming experiences, learning to be empathetic and human with guests. Human contact and empathy towards customers have never been as important as now. The great technological expansion has led to a neglect of human interactions, opting to leave the customer at the mercy of a machine, which, despite being efficient and effective, overlooks the importance of empathy, understanding, and human emotion. This is the great challenge for hotel staff today.
Regarding work flexibility, we encounter a need that arises in this era: the growing demand for accommodation and services 24 hours a day. That is why hotels are adopting more flexible work scheduling models. This involves implementing flexible hours, creating multifunctional teams (such as receptionists taking on waiter duties, etc.), and promoting internal mobility of staff. Work flexibility helps meet the needs of guests at any time and keeps employees engaged and motivated.
All these trends are achieved with trained personnel who have the ability to recognize how trends change and how to adapt to these changes. At OpenStory, we understand perfectly all the topics related to hotel personnel, and what’s more, we are experts in it! If you want to learn more about the fundamentals of our service, we invite you to read our article: https://openstorylife.com/the-benefits-of-outsourcing-services-a-closer-look-at-how-hotels-are-leveraging-external-providers-for-improved-efficiency-and-guest-satisfaction/.
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