Will New Hospitality Technology Affect Talent Acquisition?

As automation increases in the hospitality industry, the way in which you recruit may be impacted. Your hotel or restaurant will need to hire people with different kinds of skill sets or retrain current employees people who show signs of potential and willingness for development.

Are robots taking our jobs?

In a word, no. But automation will make the nature of work different. New skills will be required and companies and employees must be open to taking a fresh look at how work gets done. For example, as noted by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), robotic surgery is performed about 20 percent by machine and 80 percent by human intervention. This advance doesn’t put doctors out of work but requires them to be more technologically adept. Robot-assisted surgery also enables doctors to perform operations that would be near impossible or excessively invasive if performed manually. Technology, in this case, enhances human work, it doesn’t replace it.

What is technology’s impact on hotels and restaurants?

There is no shortage of technological options in the hospitality industry. The key to successfully integrating this technology is evaluating where automation makes sense, customizing it to your specific business and continually monitoring guest reaction.

For example, automated check-in and checkout can be a win for both guests and hoteliers. If guests can check in via a smartphone app, it allows them to skip the step of visiting the front desk after a long flight and proceed directly to their room. The hotel can also reduce costs if they don’t need to staff the front desk during off hours or can do with fewer employees even during crunch time if part of the load is absorbed by technology.

Important factors to consider when adding automation to your process include taking advantage of opportunities to personalize the experience for guests and allowing them to customize how they interact with technology. It should also be simple for them to reach an employee for assistance if they run into trouble or simply prefer interacting with a human.

How can technology affect hospitality talent acquisition?

Hotels and restaurants must look for people who are open to change and comfortable with technology. Teach employees not only the technology but how to patiently explain the technology to employees or guests who may not be tech-savvy.

Technology offers advantages to hotels and restaurants who embrace it and employ it strategically. If you need to recruit individuals who understand both the human and technological sides of the hospitality industry, contact the hospitality recruiting experts at Horizon Hospitality.

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