Depending on who you ask, hotels consist of anywhere from 3 to 15 departments or functional areas, each of which contributes to the business’ overall operational effectiveness. Rather than overly complicate the breakdown, we’ve divided hotel operations into six (6) functional areas. Within these departments, teams of individual contributors work to carry out those functional tasks and responsibilities effectively – those efforts are carried out concurrently with those on other departmental teams.
1. Front Office/Guest Services
Often the most visible of the hotel departments, the front office contributes to hotel operations in a few ways – handling guest services and much of the administrative load. The front desk team serves as the face of the organization, generally being one of the first and last team members guests interact with during their stays. This team handles reservations and the check-in/check-out process and fields guest questions and concerns to ensure they enjoy their time at the hotel.
Serving on a front office team within a hotel requires strong communication skills and a customer service orientation. Additionally, strong team members manage time effectively and can problem-solve in a sometimes fast-paced environment.
2. Housekeeping
One of a typical hotel guest’s top concerns when selecting an accommodation is cleanliness. The housekeeping team within a hotel or extended stay facility works (often around the clock) to ensure a clean environment for staff and guests alike. In addition to room turnover, housekeeping departments also handle laundry responsibilities and keep common areas clean throughout the day as well. A housekeeping supervisor generally manages this function, ensuring cleaning duties are carried out efficiently, ordering and maintaining stock of all necessary supplies for the team, and coordinating with other departments to ensure teams are aligned daily.
Successful housekeeping team members are detail-oriented and can work autonomously without constant supervision. Roles on this team also require strong time management skills and the ability to prioritize tasks effectively based on importance.
3. Maintenance & Security
While the housekeeping department focuses on hotel cleanliness, the maintenance and security personnel keep it safe and secure. This involves a few responsibilities, one being maintaining safe and functional property, including the structure itself, the furniture and fixtures inside, and any outdoor spaces. Maintenance team members regularly inspect the property and make repairs as needed – escalating to external contractors when needed.
On the security side, team members ensure no unauthorized people enter the property and handle any conflicts or issues that might arise among guests and/or staff. They are responsible for ensuring everyone abides by company policies and protocols. Security teams generally patrol properties 24/7 in some capacity.
As this team interacts closely with other departments, strong communication is a must for anyone looking to succeed in the function. The ability to be forward-thinking and anticipate issues in advance is also highly valuable.
4. Sales/Marketing
The next three hotel departments are less visible than the three previous ones but equally as important to the overall success of the establishment. The sales and marketing team are responsible for representing the business well in the correct channels to bring consistent business – i.e. hotel guests. This involves creating and implementing a solid marketing plan or strategy and then creating collateral for successful hotel promotion. Strong marketing teams monitor both trends and campaign performance to make decisions based on what’s working.
Succeeding in a position on the sales and marketing team within a hotel requires a current understanding of marketing trends and best practices as well as the technical skills when it comes to digital marketing and social media platforms. The best marketing team members are strong communicators as well.
5. Finance and Accounting
Smooth operations and profitability require a strong finance and accounting team. This department handles all financial transactions and reconciliations. Those transactions include revenue coming into the hotel as well as expenses and liabilities such as taxes. Team members update records and registers daily, as well as pull monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reports. In collaboration with management, the team also contributes to developing and reviewing the hotel’s budget on an ongoing basis.
Roles on the accounting and finance team generally require the greatest technical knowledge, as they utilize many (and constantly evolving) systems and technology platforms that require significant training to master. These positions are also best suited for individuals who are analytical by nature and incredibly detail-oriented.
6. Human Resources & Management
For anyone who has worked a job (or even simply applied to one), there’s been interaction with the human resources (HR) department in some capacity. The HR team within a hotel is responsible for regularly recruiting staff to ensure all teams are full. In addition to leading the recruiting and interview processes, HR team members also handle much of the onboarding of new employees once hired.
While it could certainly be categorized separately, the management team within a hotel is often paired with human resources, as both of these functions involve effective personnel management. A general manager (GM) usually leads the management team, often supported by an assistant manager. In addition to supervising all hotel functions in some capacity, GMs train and support team leaders and individual contributors to ensure a healthy employee atmosphere. Obviously, this is in addition to managing revenue streams and overall hotel operations.
Working in either HR or management requires a people orientation. Being able to effectively support others in their roles is a critical leadership skill. Some of the strongest managers have also spent many years in other hotel positions, often holding departmental management roles before taking on a GM position.
Current Job Opportunities in the Extended Stay Industry
Knowing how hotel jobs are categorized by department makes it easier to narrow down opportunities during a job hunt. Having a jobs database that can be easily navigated is another help.
While skill sets differ among roles in each department, the strongest applicants in any hotel job pool are often those who convey an enthusiasm towards collaboration and ensuring a great customer or guest experience. Equipped with that, there are many opportunities available where effective initial training can provide the rest. A new job might just be a few minutes (or clicks) away!