Many individuals and companies might not realize this, but social media is changing the face of recruitment in many ways, including a company's ability to secure the best talent. They are doing this by utilizing social media to provide incredible insights into candidates' backgrounds, personalities, the company they keep, and what their personal life looks like. Employers are looking at social media sites more and more as they check candidates to find out who they may know in common. READ MORE

The International Hospitality Industry is witnessing a growing surge of Millennials joining the workforce. These Generation Y employees have great potential to fulfill in terms of contribution to company success. Research shows that hotels still have problems defining and implementing approaches to talent and consequently, there can never emerge a strategy to effectively attract and retain the human resources for future needs and to fill emerging skills gaps. So, the key question is why can't we retain Generation Y talent? READ MORE

Hotels are interested in recruiting and retaining top talent to ensure high levels of performance. This requires the ability to tap into the motivations of your workforce, which is increasingly becoming more diverse. So, what motivates employees? The answer depends on who you are trying to engage and the process to do so. This article explores how workforce demographics are impacting employee motivation; what factors HR leaders need to address; and provides leadership tips to spark intrinsic motivators, specifically for different generations. READ MORE

The perception used to be that the purpose of a first interview is to get invited back for a second interview. This is because the decision for next steps then rests solely on the shoulders of the candidate, and options are limitless. But does every candidate who interviews with your organization want to be invited back for a second interview? If not, consider the possibility that although the interviewing process is designed to both screen as well as sell, there are ways to maximize the odds of candidates craving an invitation to return. READ MORE

Just how energetic are you today? Enthusiastic about life and work? Feeling happy, satisfied and full of promise? Or, is the opposite true? A little lethargic, sluggish or lifeless? Careers and life are never static. They languish when we lose focus, lack plans, become bored and forget to live in the present. It happens when we lose PEP … and not just the feeling. And, when we lose PEP, our guests lose too. Guest satisfaction is directly tied to just how engaged we are in the hospitality industry. If we want to engage our guests, we have to engage the “hearts and minds” of everyone they encounter during a stay. READ MORE

Scientists and philosophers have long believed that the mind consists of three components. Of course, most people are well aware of both the cognitive (intelligence) and affective (emotions) aspects of the mind; however, relatively few are familiar with the conative (instinct) component, which determines how each individual naturally takes action and solves problems. These three aspects of the mind all play a part in determining who we are and how successful we will be. However, while the affective aspect will drive what we want to do, and the cognitive aspect will determine what we know how to do, it is the conative aspect of the mind that actually determines how we will take action to accomplish a task. READ MORE

When we find ourselves in the struggle of challenging relationships, we wonder how we got there, and more importantly: How can we resolve these situations? How can we change the course of these relationships from conflict to collaboration? By confronting, being vulnerable, and listening we can create an atmosphere of open communication and trust. These are the foundation required to prevent conflicts from becoming personal. When combined with a focus on collaborative problem-solving, we help others seek solutions that will satisfy their needs while simultaneously satisfying ours. Together these tools will enhance our interactions and lead to more effective results. READ MORE

The single greatest step to improve employee retention is to ask first-line managers to achieve a retention goal and then hold them accountable for doing so. This sounds like a foreign language to CEOs and HR executives who continue to ask what more they can give employees such as more money, better healthcare, improved newsletters, or a new career development program. But our research along with the research of other companies proves this is true. Our path is to first place a dollar value on turnover in order to grab their attention to take action. READ MORE

Leaders in the hotel and lodging industries know that employee engagement is intricately linked to guest satisfaction and loyalty, as how guests feel about their experiences is significantly impacted by their interactions with hotel staff. While it's widely known and accepted that happier, more engaged employees have a positive effect on guest service, productivity, and retention, translating to competitive advantage, leadership often grapples with how to improve employee engagement and where to begin. READ MORE

I spent more than 30 years practicing Human Resources, most of it as Chief Human Resources Officer for Golden Nugget and its successor companies, Mirage Resorts and Wynn Resorts. I still get asked what it was like to hire, train and manage the more than 125,000 people I hired at places like the Mirage, Bellagio, Wynn Las Vegas and Wynn Macau. Here's my answer. READ MORE

Hotels can be ripe environments for workplace injuries, which is why hotel owners and managers need to be able to distinguish between legitimate work-related injuries and potentially fraudulent attempts to claim workers' compensation insurance benefits. To protect their businesses, hotel owners and managers need to understand the types of workers' compensation fraud as well as the red flag indicators that could signal a fraudulent claim. READ MORE

In the service sector people are not a business' greatest asset. People are the lynchpin of its success or failure. People are our staff; our customers; the travel agents and tourist boards that encourage clients to stay with us or eat with us; our suppliers; the people who recommend us through word of mouth; our communities; our critics and defenders; our lifeblood. Yet, in terms of business, the idea of a company - in the hospitality sector or otherwise - having a 'people strategy' is a relatively new concept. READ MORE

There is a direct correlation between pay and declining unemployment. Many employers make the mistake of chasing the changing climate with money. The Service Companies has found this to be a negative practice as it lowers our margins and reduces our ability to adjust as market conditions fluctuate. The position we find that works best is using a multi-tiered approach to recruiting and retaining talent. This strategy allows us to find ways to enhance our offerings with other methods than through straight compensation. READ MORE

Historically, tattoos were associated with sailors, bikers and perhaps criminals. This is not the case any longer. Like many other factors, tattoos and body piercings are in the middle of a generational divide. Some argue that each tattoo has a personal meaning and that tattoos are considered expressions of identity. Others note that many people have tattoos that will never be seen so there is no harm. From a business perspective, the employer must consider if their business will lose out on great employees if they have policies against hiring people with tattoos etc.? Can an employer afford to exclude these people from their talent pool? READ MORE

Millennials will make up 50% of our workforce within the next several years. Our hiring managers need to understand how to attract, develop, and retain this new talent. Methods are changing and we must change with them to attract the best of the best. To hire and retain the Millennial who has the core competencies and values that "fit" with the job, most organizations and managers must shift how they interview and engage employees. They also need to consider what strong Millennial candidates look for in an employer and what their organization has to offer. READ MORE

Culture is the heart and soul of your organization. Culture sustains employee and customer buy-in - the predictors of success. The clear definition of your culture lays a solid foundation, builds the framework of how your business will function, and is a cornerstone to your team's alignment. It is alignment that gets results. You must value culture above the individual in order to achieve those results. An individual who is not aligned may follow procedure and yet if they do not fit your culture, they can have an adverse impact on the overall team. READ MORE