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5 Key Types of Employee Training in the Hospitality Industry

Feb 11, 2024

In the revolving world of hospitality, preparing employees for the latest trends via regular training is essential for maximum productivity. Businesses must invest in some key types of employee training in the hospitality industry to remain on top of their game. This article will explore at least five types of important training for employees in the hospitality industry.

You must know that some of the listed trainings are specifically for new employees while others can be completed by every employee. The company’s training unit (if one exists) or third-party trainers such as Antrim can perform the training, depending on the company’s structure. Without further ado, let’s proceed to consider the key types of employee training in the hospitality industry.

Employee Onboarding & Orientation
Compliance Training
Leadership training
Safety Training
Skill Training

Employee Onboarding & Orientation

The employee onboarding and orientation are specifically for new employees and must be done to provide them with information about the job and company. The success of the onboarding and orientation training will greatly impact the stay of a new employee in a hospitality unit, be it a restaurant, hotel, and so on. However, this training should not be overstretched.

During the onboarding and orientation training, trainers should only discuss what the new employees need to know about the job and certain history of the company. These include:

Company Overview: Provide an introduction to the company's history, mission, values, and organizational structure.
Role Clarity: Clearly define the roles and responsibilities of the new employees within the organization vis-a-vis what is expected from them.
Policies and Procedures: Explanation of general company policies, including HR policies, code of conduct, and safety procedures.
Team Introductions: Introduction of new hires to their team members. This should include key stakeholders, senior colleagues, and collaborators, to facilitate networking and relationship-building.
Performance Expectations: Clear expectations for performance standards, goals, and metrics should be set to outline how success will be measured in their roles.
Training and Development Opportunities: Other ongoing training and development opportunities available to employees to support their growth and career advancement within the organization should be highlighted.
Benefits and Perks: Provide an overview of employee benefits, such as health insurance, retirement plans, vacation policies, and any additional perks offered by the company.
Resource Access: Ensure new hires have access to necessary resources, such as employee handbooks, training materials, and support channels, to facilitate their integration into the organization.
Workplace Etiquette: Review workplace etiquette and norms, including communication protocols, dress code, and expectations for professional behaviour.
Q&A Session: Allocate time for new employees to ask questions and seek clarification on any topics covered during the orientation, fostering engagement and addressing concerns proactively.

Therefore, onboarding and orientation training sets the floor for other training and allows the company to maximize its employees’ potential.

Compliance Training

Apart from the general dos and donts in the hospitality industry, every business has its own rules and regulations that employees must comply with. This is why it is pertinent to organize compliance training to update employees with legal policies and regulations within and beyond the company such as Moldva - Standard of Trade. While new employees must take this training, old employees can also take part in the training.

Compliance training is one of the key types of employee training in the hospitality industry not only because it helps avoid legal issues between workers; it also helps prevent similar issues between the company and customers. The company must also have an implementation strategy in place to see that employees comply with rules and regulations and clearly state the punishment for breaking them.

Furthermore, good compliance training should also focus on the rights of the employees and how they can file complaints when cheated. In summary, the following areas should be checked during the training:

Regulatory Requirements: Educate employees on relevant laws, regulations, and industry standards that govern their work, ensuring awareness of legal obligations.
Company Policies and Procedures: Explain specific company policies and procedures related to compliance, including codes of conduct, data security protocols, and ethical guidelines.
Risk Awareness: Raise awareness about potential compliance risks and their consequences, emphasizing the importance of identifying and mitigating risks in daily operations.
Consequences of Non-Compliance: Clearly communicate the repercussions of non-compliance, such as fines, suspension, and other disciplinary actions.
Reporting Channels: Provide information on reporting mechanisms for suspected violations or unethical behaviour, ensuring employees know how to escalate concerns internally.
Confidentiality and Data Protection: Stress the importance of maintaining confidentiality and protecting sensitive data, outlining procedures for handling confidential information securely.
Anti-Bribery and Corruption: Cover policies and procedures related to anti-bribery and anti-corruption measures, including guidelines for interactions with customers and receiving gifts (tips) from them.
Ethical Decision-Making: Discussion of ethical decision-making processes to encourage employees to consider ethical implications in their actions and choices.
Continuous Monitoring and Auditing: Stress the need for ongoing monitoring and auditing of compliance practices to identify potential issues and ensure adherence to regulations and policies.

Leadership training

Leadership training is essential in the hospitality industry since it deals greatly with human relationships. Employees will constantly find themselves in situations where they need to be calm and take full charge to satisfy customers [sic] they become leaders. The training will encompass several soft skills development such as communication, management, strategizing, and other leadership skills.

Areas to focus on include the following:

Vision and Goal Setting: Employees must articulate a clear vision for themselves and the organization and set achievable goals aligned with that vision.
Communication Skills: Employees must develop effective communication skills, including active listening, giving feedback, and fostering open dialogue within teams.
Emotional Intelligence: Ways of fostering emotional intelligence, understanding and managing their emotions, empathising with others, and navigating challenging situations with resilience must be discussed.
Decision-Making Skills: Provide strategies for making informed and timely decisions, considering risks, alternatives, and stakeholder perspectives.
Conflict Resolution: Equip employees with techniques for resolving conflicts constructively, promoting collaboration and maintaining positive relationships within the team and customers.
Team Building and Motivation: Teach the participants how to build cohesive teams, motivate team members, and leverage individual strengths to achieve collective goals.
Change Management: Prepare leaders to navigate organizational change effectively, leading their teams through transitions and adapting to new circumstances.
Accountability and Responsibility: Emphasize the importance of accountability and taking responsibility for actions, decisions, and outcomes as a leader.
Ethical Leadership: Instill principles of ethical leadership, emphasizing integrity, fairness, and transparency in decision-making and behaviour.
Time Management and Prioritization: Provide tools and techniques for effective time management, prioritization, and delegation to maximize productivity and focus on high-impact tasks.
Self Development: Encourage employees to embrace a growth mindset and commit to ongoing learning and development to continuously improve their leadership skills and adapt to changing circumstances within the hospitality industry.

Safety Training

Safety comes first in every industry and every employee must take training in this area. It is a key type of employee training in the hospitality industry since it involves the preservation of lives and properties. A fire outbreak due to the mistake of the chef or from electrical sparklings can lead to the death of hundreds and the destruction of valuable properties. Therefore, it is essential to regularly sensitize employees in the hospitality industry on the importance of safety and adhering to safety guidelines.

During the training, the following areas should be looked into:

Hazard Recognition: Teach participants how to identify potential hazards in the workplace, including physical, chemical, biological, and ergonomic hazards.
Safety Procedures and Protocols: Explain safety protocols and procedures specific to the workplace, such as emergency response plans, evacuation procedures, and reporting protocols.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Train employees on the proper selection, use, and maintenance of PPE required for their job tasks, including safety goggles, gloves, helmets, and protective clothing.
Equipment Safety: Provide instruction on the safe operation of equipment and machinery, including proper use, maintenance, and lockout procedures to prevent accidents and injuries.
Chemical Safety: Educate employees on the safe handling, storage, and disposal of hazardous chemicals, including proper labelling, material safety data sheets (MSDS), and spill response procedures.
Fire Safety: Conduct fire safety training, covering topics such as fire prevention, evacuation routes, fire extinguisher use, and procedures for responding to fire emergencies.
First Aid and Medical Emergencies: Provide training in first aid techniques, CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation), and basic medical emergency response to enable employees to provide immediate assistance in case of injuries or medical emergencies.
Electrical Safety: Educate employees on electrical hazards, safety precautions, and procedures for working safely with electrical equipment and circuits.
Slips, Trips, and Falls Prevention: Discuss strategies for preventing slips, trips, and falls in the workplace, such as maintaining clean and dry floors, using appropriate signage, and addressing trip hazards.
Incident Reporting and Investigation: Explain the process for reporting near misses, accidents, and injuries, and conducting thorough investigations to identify root causes and implement corrective actions.

Skill Training

The last key training on our list today is skill training. Skill training can either be hard skill or soft skill training though both are needed to propel innovations within the company and the hospitality industry at large. The soft skill training will focus more on interpersonal relationships, customer satisfaction, goal setting, and management while the hard skill training will handle more technical aspects such as data analysis, safety and security procedures, translation and interpretation, accounting and auditing, and managing the company’s software systems.

When the employees are properly trained, they can easily harness them to improve the company’s service by introducing new trends or enhancing existing ones. The following areas should be focused on:

Hard Skills:

Customer Service: Train employees in providing exceptional customer service, including greeting guests, addressing inquiries and complaints, and ensuring customer satisfaction.
Technical Skills: Provide training on specific technical skills relevant to their roles, such as operating point-of-sale systems, handling reservations, and using company-specific software.
Food and Beverage Knowledge: Educate employees on menu items, ingredients, and special preparation methods to assist guests with menu selection and dietary restrictions.
Safety and Hygiene Practices: Ensure employees are knowledgeable about food safety regulations, hygiene standards, and proper sanitation procedures to maintain a clean and safe environment for guests.
Upselling and Cross-Selling: Teach techniques for upselling and cross-selling additional products or services to enhance the guest experience and increase revenue.
Data collection and reporting: Guide employees on how to collect data legally, analyse them, and present them to the right sector for further use. They should also be taught how to protect the data and the policies of the company on data sharing.

Soft Skills:

Communication Skills: Develop effective communication skills, including active listening, clear verbal communication, and non-verbal cues, to facilitate positive interactions with guests and colleagues.
Empathy and Emotional Intelligence: Foster empathy and emotional intelligence to understand guests' needs, anticipate their preferences, and respond empathetically to their concerns or requests.
Teamwork and Collaboration: Promote teamwork and collaboration among employees to ensure seamless coordination and cooperation across different departments and roles.
Problem-Solving Abilities: Enhance employees' problem-solving skills to help them address challenges and resolve issues efficiently, whether it's handling guest complaints or navigating unexpected situations.
Time Management: Provide training in effective time management techniques to help employees prioritize tasks, manage workload efficiently, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced hospitality environment.
Professionalism and Etiquette: Emphasize professionalism and etiquette in all interactions, including dress code, grooming standards, and courteous behaviour, to uphold the reputation of the hospitality establishment.

Conclusion

The above-listed key types of employee training in the hospitality industry are the major training that every employee in a hospitality unit requires. There are several other specialized training that can be derived from them depending on how large the company is and the identified goals. The training should be comprehensive and inclusive but not necessarily overstretched to achieve maximum results.

Employees should be regularly monitored to see how well they implement skills and knowledge gained from the training from time to time. With this place, the company should easily surge up the rank within the industry.