Trends in Training for New Hires in Hospitality

The hospitality industry is notorious for the high turnover rate of front line employees. Costs to train a new employee can range from $5,000 and up. In addition, there are soft costs resulting from on boarding new employees including missed sales opportunities for upgrades and upsells as well as guest service mishaps. Properties look to a range of resources to facilitate employee training including online resources and one-on-one learning.

"New hires need a consistent onboarding program including computer training both in-person and web based," commented Rich Morehouse, Director CRES & Revenue Management for Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort. "How many times have you gone to YouTube to watch a how to video? The younger work force does it for almost everything."

A more recent addition to the training toolkit, online learning presents opportunities for properties to standardize training and ensure that each new employee learns the approved processes.

"We utilize Springboard, Springer-Miller's eLearning system, Navis computer-based training, property tours, shadowing, and one-on-one training with timely feedback," noted Eve Phillips, Director of Revenue Management for the Resort Collection.

Onboarding should never be the last training an employee receives. Continual professional development for all employees helps maintain service standards and positions staff and employer for continued success. Partnering with local companies and vendors can also enhance training opportunities.

"We do a significant amount of in-house training," commented Ted Yeatts, General Manager of the Plaza Resort and Spa. "Every fall, we partner with our Professional Employer Organization (PEO) to put all of our managers and supervisors through a series of four intensive full-day trainings. We partner with the school of hospitality at our local college to put all of our line staff through customer service training once a year."

User groups offer a unique opportunity for professional development and user training. Users of Springer-Miller's ^SMS|Host property management system share information via a monthly, information-packed newsletter as well as a popularannual conference.

"Annual provider base training is very useful," commented Rich Morehouse. "The Host Users Group annual conference is a perfect mix of user and provider-based training. The open discussions on how we each use the system to achieve our goals help all the users reach the next level."

For many hotels, basic one-on-one training provides the best results. "Classroom can work for process training, but for new hires it's got to be hands-on," commented David Cammer, Director of Lodging at Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort.