Anyone who’s ever applied for a job before has likely looked at any qualifications or requirements for eligibility – ideally before applying. When it comes to the hotel industry, direct experience in a particular role or department is very valuable to employers when reviewing applications and interviewing candidates. However, this industry is also one in which specific job responsibilities can largely be learned through experience and proper onboarding and training. 

This is also an industry in which soft skills are incredibly important, due to its collaborative nature. The term soft skills essentially refers to how effectively a person interacts with others. Each member of a hotel staff serves as a contributor to the success of their departmental team and the organization as a whole. For this reason, individuals must showcase strong interpersonal skills to work cohesively as a team. What soft skills are most important when working in hospitality?

Strong Communication Skills

Much of the interaction between colleagues occurs verbally, so it’s no surprise that being able to communicate effectively is a key soft skill. A strong communicator in the workplace expresses ideas clearly, and when listening to others – asks for context or additional information as needed to fully understand the task at hand. Communication is a two-way street, and listening to others is often a great way to learn on the job (especially from industry veterans) as well as understand the reasoning behind the actions or words of others. 

When reviewing resumes and interviewing candidates, hotel leaders look for these communication skills to shine. Preparing a strong resume free from glaring grammatical errors and arriving at an interview prepared and ready to articulate your motivations and job alignment are key indicators of a strong communicator and someone an employer is likely to hire.

Emotional Intelligence

Emotions play a huge role in human interactions, and that’s no different in a hotel workplace. Successful hotel staff generally bring a high level of emotional intelligence (EQ) to their work. While definitions of EQ vary, most consider the four main aspects of the quality to be self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. These four factors combine to impact one’s ability to manage both their own emotions and understand and empathize with the emotions of those around them.

Self-awareness helps individuals process situations objectively without emotional attachment, a critical component of solid leadership. Similarly, the ability to process one’s own emotions and the reasoning behind them is a key first step to solving issues causing emotional stress. In the hotel workplace, relationships are important. As a team all working towards a common goal, maintaining strong working relationships with others allows for better collaboration.

Efficient Time Management

Time management skills are required in most industries and roles to be successful. How does effective time management impact how an individual interacts with others around them? Simple – it ensures an individual completes duties efficiently and effectively. In an industry where team success relies on individual success, ensuring team members can manage time appropriately is critical.

The hotel industry can be fast-paced. Also, there is an ebb and flow to the industry that impacts the time in which employees can devote to certain tasks. Situational context often shifts priorities, so hotels need employees who can adjust their time management tactics when needed.

Problem Solving & Adaptability

Going hand in hand with that, the need for adaptability is also high within the hotel and extended stay accommodation industry. While daily responsibilities for most hotel roles remain constant, situations arise at times that require employees to think critically and adapt to best handle the situation at hand. This involves problem-solving skills and the ability to weigh competing priorities and focus on those most critical at the moment. For those roles interacting with guests, the need for problem-solving on the fly is often amplified. Being able to find appropriate solutions or responses to guest questions, concerns, or complaints is a critical step in ensuring solid customer interactions and a great guest experience.

Improving Soft Skills in the Workplace

Although different from hard skills, which are more tangible and easier to measure in terms of mastery, soft skills can be developed or improved through intentional practice, experience working with others, and strong leadership that fostered an inclusive and collaborative environment among their team. Even workers with the best time management and interpersonal skills must continuously hone those skills in new situations and working with new people. Part of being a working professional is keeping those skills fresh to succeed when working on a team.

While there is research and resources available on how to improve these skills, often the best approach is practice. It’s wise to regularly discuss opportunities to improve in the workplace with organizational or department leadership. However, for that to be successful in helping to build soft skills – it requires an organizational commitment to supporting growth among employees. That means finding an employer who values contributors and helps them to grow.

Prioritizing the employee experience remains equally as important to us as achieving high guest satisfaction. This means ongoing coaching and training (on both soft and hard skills) and growth opportunities. It all starts with finding the right fit in your next role. Our jobs database can help with that. Within that database are hotel job opportunities across the United States, including options across all job functions and experience levels. For those new to the industry or those looking to improve their industry knowledge or soft skills acumen, our unique training programs provide the chance to do just that. Working within the hotel industry is a great way to sharpen soft skills that translate to any number of positions or industries. Find the role that will help you do so today!