Archive
Distinguish Ourselves with Exceptional Analytical Skills
Can a job candidate with exceptional analytical skills set him/her apart from the sea of applicants? Furthermore, will good analytical skills be able to help people advance their career?
According to Julie Martin, the Controller and Director of Operations at the Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel and Conference Center¹:
Analytical skills are very important. Sometimes, it equals to “smart” even though there are smart people who might not have good analytical skills. … People with good analytical skills will be able to present their arguments with numbers and facts, which makes their statements more convincing. … Besides “numbers,” analytical skills can also be referred to a person’s ability of analyzing a complex issue and identifying the possible solutions to the problem(s).
Julie’s words remind me a qualitative study of mine in 2011, in which I asked a group of hospitality recruiters: “What intellectual skills are important in hiring a hospitality senior? Why are they important?” Analytical skills and problem solving skills were mentioned by a few recruiters. They expected college graduates must understand numbers and are able to solve business issues on their own.
I agree. Analytical skills are extremely important, no matter if we are working in a business or a not-for-profit organization. The bottom line is every organization must operate in a budget. Without the ability of generating incomes and controlling expenses, no operations can sustain. As a result, if we want to be a leader of some sort, we must understand how to make informed decisions with supporting data and rational reasons.
Have you ever worked with someone who possesses above-average analytical skills? Does this person look smart to you? Do you prefer to work with this person over others with below-average analytical skills? Why or why not? To think deeper, how can a person develop his/her analytical skills?
Note:
1. I invited Julie Martin to speak in my Hotel and Resort Operations class last week. I interpret our conversation based on my notes; Julie might not have said those sentences word by word.
Are Employers Expecting Too Much?
There are millions of unemployed workers who are eager to find a job. Yet, there are companies still finding it difficult to fill vacancies. What is going on? Is it possible that we are not educating or training the labor force with the right skill sets that meet the society’s needs? Is it because employers are finding it challenging to screen the enormous amount of applicants for every vacant position?
According to this Wall Street Journal interview with Peter Cappelli, a Wharton School professor, there might be another possibility — employers now have a different level of expectations. In my interpretation, employers are probably expecting too much from job candidates.
Some employers, for example, no longer want to invest in new hires. In the old times, employers were usually willing to hire candidates with good attitude and great leadership potential. Then, they would train new hires the technical skills needed at work and even let them spend time adjusting to the new organizational culture. Now, employers would rather let others do the training for them by hiring a well-established candidate who has had substantial experience in the field. They want to hire someone who can plug in and do the job immediately. In addition, employers also expect new hires to do more by adding new requirements and responsibilities, making few candidates qualified for the position. If a position is not filled, the work can be done by other employees and thus, save more labor costs.
While this new hiring practice may help employers save money in the short term, I argue that it may cost more in the long term for a company and the society as a whole. I believe that job searching and hiring-selection is a fair game. While employers are selecting the best fit candidate, job seekers are also looking for the best fit boss. If an employer does not want to invest in new hires, why would any new hire want to invest in the employer or even feel committed to the job? Furthermore, if we look at the big picture (e.g. in the industrial level), since no one is willing to train or develop new hires, companies will end up fighting with each other for the same group of talent who has already felt less committed to their employers. One company’s gain becomes another company’s lost. Retention management and external recruits will become more expensive and difficult, which would eventually offset the training and development cost being saved.
What do you think? Is it a good strategy for a company to hire a candidate who is already doing the job in another company, or to hire someone with the right background and potential and then develop the new hires?
For job seekers, of course, it is important to understand employers’ new expectations. In addition, they may need to spend more effort and time on job search.
Relevant discussions:
High Unemployment Rate Does Not Mean an Easier Job for Hiring Managers
Tactics of Seeking Jobs on Social Media
References:
The cartoon was downloaded from CartoonStock.com
I Heard Professionalism, Maturity, Passion, and Leadership in My Interview with Ms. Britney Bubrowski
Last Thursday, I invited Ms. Britney Bubrowski to speak in my HR class. Britney graduated from college in 2008. She started her career as a HR Coordinator for a hotel before she moved up to the HR Manager and Director of HR position. Very recently, she accepted an offer from The Widewaters Group and became the company’s Corporate HR Manager of Hospitality. Britney has such an impressive career path. I wonder: what are her secrets for success?
Coincidentally, Britney pointed out two important factors: professionalism and maturity. Accordingly to Britney, it is important to maintain a professional relationship with the co-workers at work and have the level of maturity when dealing with work-related issues. I remember that not long ago in my other guest speaker sessions, the Director of HR at the Sheraton Syracuse University suggested that “maturity,” “flexibility,” and “personal branding” could be vital to a person’s career; another HR professional working in a soft-drink and beverage company emphasized the importance of “professionalism” at work. Is it just so happened that everyone echoes each other? Or is it a testimonial that professionalism and maturity are crucial in the work place? I believe they are critical for anyone’s success. Do you agree?
Being a corporate HR manager, Britney is heavily involved in the recruiting and selection process for hotel executives. She mentioned that she received many applications and that many candidates seemed well-qualified for the positions based on what was written on their resumes. I then asked her what makes a candidate stand out from the crowd. She told me that she would look for “passion” and “leadership” in the interviewing process, i.e. the passion for the hospitality industry, the passion for what s/he is doing, being able to motivate others, and being able to motivate him/herself. Once again, I agree with her 100% because I also “coincidentally” discussed the importance of leadership skills and passion before.
The class and I truly enjoyed our conversation with Ms. Britney Bubrowski. As always, she presented some very useful information. Do you find today’s discussion helpful? According to your experience, what factors can contribute to a person’s success? What advice will you give for those who are preparing for a professional career?
Relevant discussions:
An Interview with the Director of HR at the Sheraton Syracuse University
I invited the Director of Human Resources (HR) at the Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel and Conference Center to speak with us in my HR class this Tuesday. He shared with us what he does in a full-service hotel, which was an important component of my interview with him and had contributed to a great learning experience for students. I, however, believe that many professionals should have known what a Director of HR does in a company. Accordingly, I would rather share with you some career advice suggested by the guest speaker.
First of all, a good HR manager requires certain level of maturity. Because a HR person deals with many secrets on the job, from employee’s salary information, birthday, marriage status, to things like going through a rehabilitation program, s/he must be able to keep secrets while dealing with a variety of employee issues.
Second, being flexible becomes even more important during the recession. If a job candidate is flexible in regards to location and work, s/he would have a much better chance of getting a job offer.
The students and I very much appreciate our guest speaker’s informative discussion. Based on your experience, do you agree on what I share above? If you happened to be sitting in the class, what are your takeaways from this interview?
An Interview with Eric Rattner at Hospitality eBusiness Strategies, Inc.
I had a Skype interview with Eric Rattner, Account Executive at Hospitality eBusiness Strategies (HeBS Digital) in my social media class yesterday. Eric graduated in the Hospitality Management Program at SU in 2011. Before joining HeBS Digital, Eric completed several internships in hotels and restaurants. I felt delightful of speaking with him about his job search tactics as a student, his current position and company, in addition to the internet-marketing and social-media trends. Here are some highlights of our conversation:
Job Search Tactics as a Student
Eric began building a network both online and offline when he was a student. He was informed by one of his connections regarding the job opportunity at HeBS Digital. Then, he applied for the position on LinkedIn, went through the interviewing process, and secured the job offer.
Eric shows us a great example of finding jobs online. As a matter of fact, 89% of the U.S. companies are relying on social networking sites for recruiting. Among them, LinkedIn accounts for 73% of the internet hires through social media (Wright, 2012). Job seekers have no choice but to practice the social-media job-search tactics.
Work at HeBS Digital
HeBS Digital is an e-marketing firm that helps clients develop internet strategies and design/manage their websites and social media accounts. HeBS Digital is growing and has won many awards over the past 10 years. Eric loves the company and enjoys what he is doing. Besides the technical skills, having good work ethics, being reliable and professional, and being able to take responsibilities are important in HeBS Digital.
Everything Eric said is important for a student who starts his/her professional life. I hope students will appreciate the expectations and rules set by their professors. It would be easier for a professor to teach the content of a subject (i.e. the technical skills) without paying attention to other aspects of education. I, however, believe that a good professor should also “train” students how to be a good citizen (e.g. work ethics and professionalism) and how to think independently (e.g. critical thinking and problem-solving skills). Things like arriving on time, showing respect to others, remaining undistracted by cellphones, and participating in class discussion may seem “silly” but crucial in preparing students for the real-world settings, would you agree?
Internet Marketing and Social Media Trends
According to Eric, it is always important to measure the effectiveness of a company’s social media strategy. Pinterest and Google Plus are new but emerging platforms. Companies also need to pay close attention to Google Social Integration and see how it may affect SEO (Search Engine Optimism).
In the past, I have noticed that some hotel chains set up social media profiles for the brand in the corporate level while many others allow each property to create/manage its own social media accounts. Restaurants, on the other hand, often manage their social media accounts in the corporate level. Eric suggested that having a social media account in the property level allows more personal conversation between a hotel and those customers who actually stay in that hotel. I agree, but I also feel that each hotel brand, in the corporate level, should have an active account in all major social media profiles. Similar to sales and promotions, a hotel chain can broadcast a commercial in a national network while at the same time, individual hotel properties can put an advertisement in a local magazine or video. Why can’t a hotel chain have many social media accounts, one in the corporate level and the others in the property level?
Social media and internet marketing is important for every business and definitely a growing field. HeBS Digital is now hiring, so as many other social media firms. Surprisingly, according to a recent study by the Society of Human Resource Management, only 12% of the companies being surveyed reported that they have at least one full-time employee who is managing the organization’s social media activities (Leonard, 2012). This could be a very exciting finding for students and job seekers who are interested in social media because there will be many job openings in the field soon when the other 88% of companies finally realize the importance of having full-time social media staff. My suggestions to students who want to work in the social media field include: (a) take some relevant courses in social media — also think about what other skills required for a social media officer, will other seem-to-be-irrelevant classes be helpful in building some transferable skills? (b) begin building a personal brand as a social media expert by engaging in intellectual conversations online; and (c) network, both online and offline.
I very much appreciate Eric’s insightful information. What are your thoughts about this interview? Any suggestions or comments for me, students, and other social-media professionals?
Interested in my conversation with Eric Rattner? Please check out the tweets about this interview on #HPM200 Guest Speaker @rattner31.
References:
Bill Leonard. (2012, March). Your active role in social media policies. HR Magazine, p. 105.
Aliah D. Wright. (2012, March). Your social media is showing: A candidate’s online presence may say more than a resume. HR Magazine, p. 16.
Higher Education in the Age of Information Explosion
I shared a YouTube video in my social media class today. It shows how fast technology and our knowledge evolve in this age. There are some seem-to-be-terrifying statistics related to higher education:
- The top 10 in-demand jobs in 2010 did not exist in 2004.
- We are currently preparing students for (future) jobs that don’t yet exist (today).
- Using technologies that haven’t been invented in order to solve problems — we don’t even know (what) are (the) problems yet.
- For students starting a 4 year technical degree, this means that half of what they learn in their first year of study will be outdated by their third year of study.
Do You Want to Own a Successful Career?
Carmen Wong Ulrich, Russ Michell, and Rebecca Jarvis at CBS News discussed the traits that successful businesspersons have in common. They include:
- Stay “hungry” for success, creativity, and learning. Being curious and striving to acquire new knowledge and skills are very important.
- Maintain a positive attitude. Do you know that people will lose 10% of productivity in a day if they do not have the positive attitude?
- Pick your battles. Be effective. Ask yourself what you can accomplish after doing this or that. One must demonstratehis/her accomplishments at work.
- Less screen time and more face time. Networking takes place beyond social networking sites. It is important to sit down with someone for a face to face conversation. I, myself, use social media a lot, but I cannot agree more on this point. The truth is I will never get to know a person or a co-worker unless I spend time drinking coffee, having lunch/dinner, or working with this person.
- Career 24/7. Join affiliated groups and connect with the members. Networking can take place everywhere and every minute.
- Move forward every day. I believe that a big accomplishment can come from a stack of many small accomplishments.
- Focus, focus, and focus. There are so many distractions at work. Focus = productivity.
What contributes to a successful career? Do you have what it takes to succeed in your field?
“30 Under 30” by Zagat
Last month, I shared a Fox News video, in which Tim Zagat, the Co-Founder & CEO of Zagat Survey, discussed why it is not a good time to open a restaurant. Today’s discussion is also inspired by an interview of Tim Zagat. In this ABC News video, Tim once again informed us how difficult it is to run a restaurant business; today’s discussion, however, will focus on the “traits” of the “30 under 30” — what makes these 30 young entrepreneurs/professionals succeed in restaurant business?
According to Zagat, years of work experience in the restaurant industry contributes the most to their success. They are top because they know what they are doing and they can do things well. Many of them started working in restaurants even when they were teens.
I must agree with Zagat that relevant work experience is crucial to a hospitality career. I conducted a qualitative study and a quantitative study about the important factors affecting a hospitality student’s employability upon graduation. My research findings reveal basically the same results. In addition to relevant work experience, what other skills a successful restaurant entrepreneur must have?
Thoughts and Advices from Three Hospitality Professionals
Yesterday, three hospitality professionals spoke in my Human Resource Management and Hotel Operations classes. One is the GM of a Hilton Garden Inn; the other two include a hotel entrepreneur in the State of New York and the Operations Director of a Sheraton Hotel. While they have distinguished career paths and came from different background, they agreed on some main concepts. For example:
- Hospitality industry is not for everyone. It takes leadership, hard work, good work ethic, flexibility, and often long hours to succeed.
- Relevant work experience is critical to a hospitality career. College students are advised to gain as much industry experience as possible before they enter the work force.
- Hotel design trends may have pushed everyone in the market to make renovations.
- F&B operations are very important in hotel operations. Hilton Garden Inn, for instance, is pushing the Great American Grill concept, serving breakfast and dinner (if not lunch yet).
- Social media is considered as a “must-have” marketing tool for business. However, it takes time to manage a hotel’s social media presence, and the ROI (return on investment) remains uncertain. In addition, it does not seem that an effective social media strategy has been developed.
If you were in one of those classes, what other important information did the guest speakers present? If you are an industry professional, do you agree on these thoughts and/or advices? What else do you want to share with us?
References:
The picture was downloaded from Social Capital Management.
Culinary Challenges in the K-12 Foodservice Industry
If you are a “food” person and enjoy cooking, have you ever considered pursuing a culinary career in K-12 schools? Over the years, foodservice operations in K-12 schools have changed dramatically. Even before the $4.5 billion “Healthy, Hungry-Free Kids Act” was announced, I already felt very impressed by the foodservice operations in Dallas and Austin school districts when I toured the managed services accounts there in 2007. Managing a K-12 account is challenging, demanding, and rewarding.
Foodservice managers in K-12 segment are required to follow applicable nutritional restrictions and provide healthy food with low fat, low sodium, and fresh ingredients. On top of that, cost control is extremely important. As suggested in this New York Times video, K-12 schools in New York City must serve a lunch under the cost of $2.67 (meal + labor). Managers are expected to design a non-repeatable menu with eye-appealing and tasty food because kids can also be very demanding.
If you are a hospitality student or professional with an F&B background, will you consider working in the K-12 segment? Why or why not? If you are a recruiter for a managed services company, what are the challenges do you experience when recruiting candidates for the K-12 segment? What are your strategies in attracting young talents?
To watch the New York Times video, you may visit the following hyperlink: http://video.nytimes.com/video/2011/03/05/nyregion/100000000700483/city-critic-school-lunches.html
