“There is a lack of openness towards non-industry professionals, which leads to narrow recruitment from the same talent pools. This applies to the managerial level as well as the level below. The hospitality industry entertains a narrative of uniqueness, which leads us to make special demands on our employees. It’s a closed club, not least within revenue management.”
According to Mette Ravn Arnold, the industry should look more at natural traits than professional training in relation to service.
“One could look more at personal competencies than traditional CVs and work-related experiences, such as with PMS systems. Today, many employers look at the professional quality of an applicant’s previous positions. In the future, it will become necessary to adopt a broader perspective,” she says, adding:However, according to Allan Agerholm, CEO of BC Hospitality Group, industry knowledge is especially important when it comes to positions such as general manager or restaurant manager, while such knowledge is less relevant when it comes to marketing positions, for example.“We don’t attract many people from other industries. To manage a hotel or restaurant requires knowing what you are doing. Theoretical training isn’t enough on its own. You need to know something about the trade. However, within specialised areas such as sales and marketing this is less important. Many people nurture a dream of opening a hotel, but it soon turns out that they have difficulty delivering when it comes to operational management,” he concludes.
