The changing nature of HR in hospitality

Traditionally, the job description of a human resource professional was fairly straightforward: recruit, interview and train new hires, manage benefits and compensation, and basically oversee the employment process. Today, however, a hospitality HR professional works more closely with operations management, functions as a liaison with hotel partners and often hotel owners, and is expected to have a more well-rounded skillset.

Deborah Punke, chief HR officer with Concord Hospitality, describes this shift as “…from administrative to strategic, from the party planner to the power partner.”

Jon Jones, VP of people and culture with Hospitality America, agreed. “We’re aligning ourselves with the operations of the business; you can’t operate [in] a vacuum. HR has to really, deeply understand what the business does, what the business goals and objectives are, and what HR’s piece is,” he said.

The pandemic was responsible for much of the evolving HR profession, particularly as employees focus more on wellness, flexibility and professional growth, observed Rachel Russell, Hilton’s senior vice president of HR operations, Americas. “We saw the largest change in the way we recruit and retain talent. We have a fundamental understanding that it’s not about creating a work experience or employee experience, but a human experience.”

On a related note, because many positions in hospitality have evolved into a career path versus ‘just a job,’ that has upped the ante a bit for HR professionals, who have to think about career tracks and development programs in order to both attract and retain talent, said Sid Upadhyay, CEO and co-founder of Wizehire, an online recruiting and hiring platform.

Expanded Skills Required

Punke said that a broad spectrum of skills is now required to be in the HR profession, including courage, confidence, organizational skills, the ability to multitask and the ability to pivot from one priority to another because of a constantly changing environment.

“We’ve become counselors and lawyers. The focus on mental wellness has become very prevalent," she said. "We are creating an inclusive and inviting environment, focusing on all aspects of DEI. Analytics, automation and AI technology is a big part [of the field]. And communication has to be different: how do we reach every associate in our business and share company messages? You have to think differently about how you show up in the world in HR and how you connect and get people engaged in the business."

Brian Herzog, president of Hotel Staffing Solutions, noted that HR professionals need to be exceedingly well-versed in each state’s employment laws as well as federal workplace laws. He also noted the importance of creating a good culture for the staff. “Communication is key; you have to really be able to articulate what the job is and what the responsibilities are," he said. "A good HR person will tell people up front how the company operates."

“The most important skills in HR hospitality these days include those that support a sense of service and hospitality, such as being guest-oriented, friendly, reliable, empathetic, quick-thinking, resourceful and being good at problem solving,” added Russell.

When it comes to recruiting, Jones added that simply posting jobs is no longer enough. “You have to become a marketer and strategist and present jobs in a way that is attractive,” he said, adding that this is because the hospitality job market is no longer rich with candidates.

Perhaps one of the greatest shifts in hospitality has been with the evolution of technology, and it is imperative that HR professionals know what platforms are available and embrace those that help the company best sustain its operations. “The ability to compile, comprehend and utilize data is one of the significant changes over the last five years,” said Jones.

Because the responsibilities and expectations of HR professionals have expanded greatly over the years, scope creep may be hard to dodge. However, keeping the line of communication open with bosses and colleagues is a good rule of thumb, including making sure that the job and specific project responsibilities are sketched out clearly.

Pitfalls to Avoid / Keys to Success

In this dynamic profession, keeping up to date with hospitality business trends is key, as is partnering with good technology service providers and industry groups. “Seek out training, as a lot of mentorship happens in our business because of the ever-changing landscape in human resources,” advised Punke.

As work-life boundaries continue to blur, HR professionals often act as mentors or coaches to support team members, but ideally, they should have access to support as well. “Especially when adapting to these changing responsibilities, it’s important that HR professionals are equipped with their own mental well-being, flexibility and education resources,” said Russell.

Experts agree that the primary key to success is forming key partnerships and strategically aligning with property leaders and the operations teams.

“There’s only so much time in the day, and it is really is for us as HR experts to partner with management, to partner with those eager and able to support us, whether that is in operations or the GMs. These are your allies in terms of developing that employee experience,” said Upadhyay.

“The better understanding you have of what the business needs, the more you can understand where you can plug yourself in and make a difference,” added Jones. “In return, the leaders will help you get what you need to do your job: more resources, more funding for a tech platform, etc. The partnership is very much a two-way street.”

Tips for HR professionals

  • Keep up with industry trends and changes
  • Join professional organizations and industry associations, both in human resources and in hospitality
  • Go to conferences to learn and to network
  • Take continuing education classes
  • Maintain good communication with senior leadership and employees you hire
  • Outline expectations for projects to avoid scope creep
  • Keep abreast of federal and state employment laws and compliance regulations
  • Leverage technology

This article was originally published in the June edition of Hotel Management magazine. Subscribe here.