Hospitality career development can take people in many different directions as Olivier Granet explains in this TV show.

Hospitality career development story

It’s very interesting to see an industry of diversity of profiles. So you have people that started when they were very young and then they had the opportunity to take all the different steps during their career. Some people have been graduated and had other experience before joining the industry. This is my case where I had 10 years of auditing and consulting before joining Accor. I joined Accor 15 years ago as a CFO. And then I had the chance, and that is the beauty of this industry, to do plenty of different job in different part of the world. I have been central Europe, I have been Paris, I’m now in Middle East working on different jobs. And this is really what can offer the hospitality industry when you have the motivation, when you have the capacity to adapt and to change. I think that we have the chance to have a worldwide industry with a lot of opportunities.

The Hospitality Channel will share more hospitality career development stories as part of Hospitality250. Keep an eye out for the next 10 experts to be announced.

The new generation workforce is not following the traditional career paths, as Stephan Balzer of Red Onion gmbH discusses in this TV show.

New generation workforce value improvement

This new generation really wants to contribute.  They want to contribute and they want to be a part of changing the world, if you paint a bigger picture, to make the world a better place, it’s really interesting.  Look, it sounds a bit idealistic but at the same time they are really very down to earth, they’re well educated and they really want to contribute and do something. What we see in the market is that it’s a lot of human resources offices and, you know, and divisions have a hard time to attract, you know, all this community to join and work in the old way, in, you know, in their very hierarchic systems, you know, where it takes a lot of time to improve where, you know, there’s little freedom.  But you know you have to actually work on the stuff that your boss is telling you etc, etc.  I think if you as a brand want to really leverage the potential of that generation you have to probably rethink the way you work as well, you know. We have to be more flexible, more open, less thinking in hierarchies. They’d rather earn less and start their own company or they join a start-up company that is fastly growing than going to, you know, an old company.  So it’s fascinating but really challenging. Keep browsing The Hospitality Channel for more great TV shows on the new generation workforce and related issues.  

The digital age generation are now both working in and visiting hotels. I this TV show Navneet Bali discusses their differing outlook.

Employing the digital age generation

Ours is a very young business model, so our average age of customers is 25, 26.  In fact the staff also is 25, 26 average, I’m the oldest guy in the office. I suppose as far as technology is concerned they are all using palm tops or intelligent telephones and I think that plays a big part in, if you are booking a backpackers holiday or a school group, they’re all on facebook and it lends itself very much to, you know, our sort of niche market if you are using a Smartphone for example. They’re very international in their outlook.  All they want is to see the world and be part of something which is vibrant, new, with new ideas.  And the other thing is they all want to feel empowered, they don’t want a hierarchy sort of, old stuffy side of business, they want to be part of it and they want to be part of a growing company which is very international in its outlook.

The Hospitality Channel is very interested in ideas around the digital age generation and how their needs affect demand in hospitality

 

Hospitality careers can be forged within hotels in management and service, or outside as a buyer or seller. In this TV show Jim Abrahamson explains why you need to understand both industries for success.

Hospitality careers: hotel business Vs the business of hotels

My advice to other people is, is go lateral.  We think that a career growth is not a straight line, seize opportunities.  I think we’re in two businesses, we’re in the hotel business, happy people, smiling faces, good food and service. We’re also in the business of hotels, learn both of those business, understand the hotel business but also understand the business of hotels.  Because you see here at this conference, the buying, selling, financing, trading environment of hotels, to be truly a senior executive of the future, it’s harnessing both of those business.  I see too many people very myopically focused in either the business of hotels or the hotel business and it doesn’t give them growth.  Brand new career, take an interesting new path, shout your cause going forward, it’s been successful for me, the best advice I can have is to truly understand those businesses for success in your career in the hospitality industry.

The Hospitality Channel has many more shows with advice for hospitality careers on both sides of the business. Take a look at the briefing Hospitality is more than a job.