Investigating Operational Roles, Skills, and Trends in Hospitality

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the contemporary hospitality industry, focusing on operational roles, required skills, and industry trends, with the Hilton Hotel serving as a case study. The report investigates key roles such as housekeeping, front-end department staff (receptionists), executive chefs, and customer executives, outlining their responsibilities and required qualifications. It examines the skills necessary for each role, highlighting both essential abilities and current skills shortages within the industry. Furthermore, the report assesses political, economic, social, technological, legislative, and environmental factors affecting the development of hospitality organizations and conducts a SWOT analysis to inform the decision-making process. Finally, it appraises the implications of current and potential trends in the hospitality industry, providing specific examples to illustrate the evolving landscape of the sector.

Contemporary Hospitality
Industry

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................3
PART 2..................................................................................................................................................3
2.1 Investigate a range of different operational roles within the hospitality industry......................3
2.2 Examine the skills required for roles within the hospitality industry and current skills
shortages..........................................................................................................................................4
PART 3..................................................................................................................................................5
3.1 Assess the political, economic, social, technological, legislative and environmental factors
that affect the development of organisations operating within the hospitality industry..................5
3.2 Undertake a SWOT analysis for a hospitality business and review how this can inform the
decision-making process..................................................................................................................6
PART 4..................................................................................................................................................7
4.1 Appraise the implications of current and potential trends in the hospitality industry providing
a range of specific examples............................................................................................................7
CONCLUSION....................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES.....................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Hospitality industry is a vast industry, which use to provide their products and service to
ample number of customers like, accommodation, rooms, foods, and other. This report is based on
Hilton Hotel, which is one of the biggest hotel chain in the world, which are providing their service
from 1919. the are headquartered at McLean, Virginia, USA. In this report, a study will take place
on different roles which is required for hospitality industry and also skills required for completing
these roles (Ayoun, Rowe and Eyoun, 2014). Along with this, a discussion will take place on that
how internal and external factors are affecting the performance and decision making of
organisation. Also change in trends for hospitality industry will come in study.
PART 2
2.1 Investigate a range of different operational roles within the hospitality industry.
Hospitality industry is a sector, which use to provide services like, accommodation, rooms,
food and other, so that demand of customer for specific service can get fulfilled. For providing these
facilities in appropriate and effective manner, it is very important for organisations of hospitality
industry to have employees with some different and key roles. These employees have to work
according to their roles and responsibility, so that they can provide different facilities to their
customers. Beneath are the key roles required for hospitality organisation :-
1. House keeping : This is one of the most important department for an organisation of
hospitality industry. As this job have role to maintain proper cleanness in the premises, so
that they can provide a hygienic environment to their customers and to their employees. This
also help organisation of hospitality industry to attract ample number of customers towards
their services ( Kuo and Kalargyrou, 2014). For example, Hotel Hilton have good house
keeping department, which use to provide service like cleaning of room and other area in
premises. This will help them in making customers happy and increase in number of loyal
customers. The promotional route of this job role is house keeping employee, then junior
housekeeping manager and at last senior housekeeping manager. As the job is supervisory,
therefore it is not needed for them to have too much skills, but required to have skills of
housekeeping work.
Job description for House keeping :
Job title House keeping
Report to House Keeping department

Job over view It is the duty of employees working in house keeping department to keep
care about cleannesses in premisses. Also they have duty to provide clean
uniforms to employees of other department.
Roles and
responsibilities
It is the duty of house keeping department to take care about cleannesses at
premisses.
Also, they have to take care about that they have to provide clean uniforms
to employees of other department.
Also, they have duty to clean the rooms, allotted to their customers.
Qualification Must have experience of about 6 months in working as house keeping
department.
2. Front end department : This is the most important department for an organisation of
hospitality industry, as this is the place where customer come in contact to organisation for
first time. At this department, customer get solutions for their problems and also get help by
which their issues can get solved related to organisation. Along with this, the another role of
this department is to make good impression of organisation on customers, so that they can
get ready to buy services provided by them. For example, front end office of Hilton Hotel is
to provide proper information about the services and facilities provided by them to their
customers, and also to maintain the working of house keeping department. The progression
route for front end employee is, they start with receptionist, then promoted to supervisor of
frond end department and in the last promoted as manager in front end department. This is
the work of front line, where employees have to be well skilled and it is very much
important for them to have proper education and have skills to communicate with their
customers.
Job description for front end department :
Job title Receptionist
Report to Frond end department
Job over view It is the duty of receptionist to make proper communication with their
guest, so that they can attract them and also provide satisfactory response to
them.
Roles and
responsibilities
It is the role of receptionist to make communication with their customers.
Also it is the role of them to provide proper facilities to their customers.

Also it is duty of them to make proper collaboration between different
operations of organisation.
Qualification It is very much important for them to have diploma in communication
skills, and also have ability to interact with customers.
3. Executive Chef : This is one of the most important job role in an organisation of hospitality
industry, as this use to monitor and judge the food items their food department and team use
to make. The another role of this job is to make some thing new for their organisation and
customers, so that they can increase the customer satisfaction and also help them in
providing some thing new to their customers ( Martin-Rios, Pougnet and Nogareda, 2017).
For example, executive chef of Hilton Hotel can make new dishes which can help them in
attracting customers and also help them in giving some thing new to them. This is one of the
most important job role in an hotel organisation, as people love to at places where food is
good. The job start with chef of a person, the they get promoted to junior executives chef in
organisation and in last executives chef. Along with this, it is a operational type of job,
where it is very important for them to have proper skills and educations. In this, employees
have to complete their diploma so that they can get hired in hotel like Hilton Hotel.
4. Customer executive : The person who is said as customer executive have duty to handle the
call and messages of their customers, so that they can provide proper information and
satisfactory answers to their customers. For example, customer executive of Hilton Hotel
have to attend the calls and have to receive the messages of their customers, so that they can
solve the queries of them and can provide information them which is asked by them. This is
important job role for an organisation, as this help them in making contact and solve
problems of customers. The life of an employee in customer executive start as calling job,
which get change after to message when get promoted, and then convert to chief customer
executive. This is a type of back end job which is operational in nature. Therefore, it si very
important for them to have skills and well educated employees which have ability to
communicate and solve problems faced by their customers.
2.2 Examine the skills required for roles within the hospitality industry and current skills shortages.
There are several job roles in an organisation of hospitality industry, which is very much
important for them to maintain them. Above given roles are few of them, but for completing these
tasks and roles of job, it is very important for an organisation to have employees which are well
skilled. Therefore, it is very important for organisation to maintain a proper skill set which will

explain them that what skills they want in their employees at specific post. Beneath are some skills
which is important for specific job role :-
1. House keeping : This is one of the most important department for an organisation of
hospitality industry, as this help them in providing a look which help them in attracting
ample number of customers them. Therefore for organisation it is very much important to
maintain proper skill set, so that they can get information that what are the skills required by
them in employees of house keeping department. Beneath are some skills required by
employees of house keeping department in Hilton Hotel :-
 Employee must have good skills for cleaning the rooms and lobbies. Must have skills to maintain rooms for customers and also other guest areas.
House keeping department in Hilton Hotel is good working, but they have some shortage in
the skills of their employees like, their employees not have sufficient cleaning skills, due to which
the premises not get cleaned properly.
2. Front end department : This is the department where customer come to meet organisation
for first time, and get first impression for the services provided by them. Therefore, for
organisation it is very important for them to have proper skilled employees, which will help
them in making proper interaction with their customers and also in increasing the number of
loyal customers ( Mejia, Phelan and Aday, 2015). Some skills, important for employee of
front end department in Hilton Hotel is as follow :-
 The person who have duty to handle the front end department of organisation must have
skills of communication, so that they can communicate with customers in proper
manner. Along with this, it is very important for them to have proper skills of management, this
will help them in making proper management between different department of
organisation.
Front end department of Hilton Hotel have good and capable employees, but then also the
skills of employees in this department is not so good which is essential for them. There are some
shortage in the skills of their front end department employees, like their communication skills and
they are not familiar with new technologies.
3. Executive Chef : This is the job role, which have duty to monitor and inspect the food
preparing process and also the food prepared by their team members. This will help
organisation in hospitality industry to make sure that the quality of food and services are

good, and these product will satisfy the needs of their customers ( Ruetzler and et. al, 2014).
Beneath are some skills required by executive chef of Hotel Hilton :-
 That person at the job post of executive chef must have skills to make new food items
which have very much unique and good in taste. Along with this, it is very important for them to have skills to monitor and judge the
food preparation process, so that results can get improved.
Hilton Hotel is very much famous for their food quality and variety, but there is shortage in
skills of executives chefs which they are facing. As chefs do not have capability to make new
products with fusion of older one.
4. Customer Executive : The main role of this job is to handle the calls and messages of their
customers and have to give answer to their questions. Along with this it is important for
them to provide accurate information to their customers, so that hey can get satisfied.
Beneath are some skills which are required by customer executive in Hilton Hotel :-
 It is important for a person to have proper communication skills, so that they can interact
with customers.
 Also it is required for them to have skills so that they can attract and impress customers
towards their products and service.
Hilton Hotel is very huge organisation, and therefore this department is very much
important for them. But the problem arises when the skills of employees not meet to demands, as
their employees have some shortage in their skills like, way of communication and also not able to
grab complete information.
PART 3
3.1 Assess the political, economic, social, technological, legislative and environmental factors that
affect the development of organisations operating within the hospitality industry.
PESTLE is an analytical tool which is used by organisations, so that they can make study of
external factors of market environment, that can affect decision making and performance of them in
future. There are different external factors in a nation, which affects the development of
organisations in hospitality industry. Beneath are the explanation of these factors :-
1. Political : As the political conditions of UK is very much stable, and it is the nation which is
said as very good for hospitality industry. Therefore, it can be said that the affect of political
conditions of UK on growth of organisations in hospitality industry is very good, and it help

them in developing their business just like of Hotel Hilton.
2. Economic : As economical conditions of UK is very good, and this help new and old
organisations in performing their business and gain some profits. Gaining of appropriate
profits and by number of customers, it become very easy for organisation of hospitality
industry to grow their business like Hilton Hotel has.
3. Social : As people and society of UK loves to go out and enjoy food and accommodation
services ( Stansbie, Nash and Chang, 2016). This help an organisation of hospitality industry
to offer their services to number of customers and develop themselv14es according to need
of them as Hotel Hilton has done.
4. Legislations : UK is the nation which is very much tough for their legislations, and
organisation of any industry have to follow these legislations. Where as, on other side these
legislations are very much good for them, as this help organisation of hospitality industry to
grow their business.
5. Environmental : As for organisation of hospitality industry have to take care that the
services provided by them to their customers are environmental friendly, so that they do not
face any legal issues related to it ( Wan, Wong and Kong, 2014). This help organisations of
hospitality industry to serve their service to ample number of customers and also help in
developing themselves.
6. Technological : An organisation of hospitality industry is need not to have too much
technological changes, but at some point it is very important for them to make changes in
the technologies used by them. This will help them in performing their activities by some
cost saving methods and help in providing service which help them in increasing satisfaction
level of their customers.
3.2 Undertake a SWOT analysis for a hospitality business and review how this can inform the
decision-making process.
SWOT analysis is very important analytical tool for an organisation, as this help them in
identifying the internal environment of them so that they can get knowledge about strengths and
weakness of them by which opportunities and threats can get achieved. This analytical tool help in
making decisions, so that they can grab opportunities and also help in taking decisions which will
help them in avoiding threats of them. Hospitality industry is one of the biggest industry in UK, and
Hotel Hilton is one of the biggest organisation of hospitality industry in UK. They use to provide
their service in areas like, rooms, food and accommodations. Beneath is the SWOT of them, which

help in taking future decisions :-
1. Strengths : The main strength of Hotel Hilton is the huge premises and goof management
system. This help them in offering ample number of services to their customers, so that they
can get satisfied. Along with this, good management system help them in increasing the
efficiency of their functions. This all help them in taking decisions which are affective
according to their strengths.
2. Weaknesses : Along with this, there are several weaknesses of Hilton Hotel, which they
have to over come. The main weakness of them is their undeveloped network, as this reduce
the efficiency of their system. Along with this, their working is very much dependent on
their other in proprietors. This all help them in gaining areas where they have to take steps
and decisions, so that improvement can be done.
3. Opportunities : The opportunities which Hotel Hilton can grab is the sponsoring different
gaming events across the world. Along with this, they can make investment in the nations
where their working is not so good. Identifying opportunities help them in taking decision
by which they can grab those opportunities and avail some profitability.
4. Threats : The major threat for Hotel Hilton is competition faced by them among existing
rivals, and another is increase in new competitors in market ( Wang and Tsai, 2014). Also
the another problem for them is increase in expenses, which is reducing their profitability.
This will help them in taking decisions, which help them in reducing the affect of threats for
them.
PART 4
4.1 Appraise the implications of current and potential trends in the hospitality industry providing a
range of specific examples.
There are ample number of new trends, which have changed the working pattern of
hospitality industry. This include technological changes, change in food trends, and change in
expectations of customers. Beneath are the detail of these change in trend for hospitality industry :-
1. Technological change : There are ample number of changes took place in hospitality
industry, related to the technologies used by them. In this the most common and important
change is change in recruitment process. Hotel Hilton is using online sources for recruiting
new employees, as this is time and cost saving process.
2. Food trends : As the time is changing and along with that trend of food is also changing.

Organisation of hospitality industry has faced huge impact of this. As in this change, home
delivery and continental food is most common (Fong and et. al, 2016). Pizza hut is one of
the biggest organisation in world which use to provide home delivery of pizza.
3. Expectations change of customers : Along with time, the expectations of customers from
different organisations has been changed in hospitality industry. This has become one of the
biggest problem faced by an organisation while performing their operations in modern
business. For this, as Hilton Hotel has admitted to make continues study on the change in
demand of customers, so that they can provide them. This help them in providing services
which can fulfil the needs of customers.
CONCLUSION
From the above study, it has been concluded that there are different key roles which
organisation of hospitality industry have to play and also it is very important for them to have
employees with specific skills. Along with this, external and internal factors of organisation have
huge impact of their development and on their decision making. Along with this, new trends and
change in hospitality industry has poses several positive impact on them.
REFERENCES
Books and Journals
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hospitality management: a case study drawing on HR analytics and big data
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Mejia, C., Phelan, K. V. and Aday, J. B., 2015. Framework for success: Overcoming contemporary
challenges of western expatriate managers in the Chinese hospitality industry. Journal of
Human Resources in Hospitality & Tourism. 14(2). pp.107-132.
Ruetzler, T. and et. al., 2014. Perceptions of technical skills required for successful management in
the hospitality industry—An exploratory study using conjoint analysis. International
Journal of Hospitality Management. 39. pp.157-164.

Stansbie, P., Nash, R. and Chang, S., 2016. Linking internships and classroom learning: A case
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Wan, Y. K. P., Wong, I. A. and Kong, W. H., 2014. Student career prospect and industry
commitment: The roles of industry attitude, perceived social status, and salary
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