“Hospitality is almost impossible to teach. It’s all about hiring the right people.” (Danny Meyer)

A number of the recent great figures from the industry would often say that one never rarely needed to recruit on intelligence but on character and how someone viewed others. It is a well known truth but one which has so often been forgotten.

It is no coincidence that some of the best hospitality professionals almost fall into the industry by accident; never planned but they find a home.

Hospitality possesses its own rare skill set. As one of today’s leaders once commented to EP: “ To be in hospitality, one first needs to want to make people happy; it is a mindset first and skill second.”
If one accepts the above, then maybe there is less need to be concerned about promoting the profession to schools and the young, although this is clearly important but to be really competitive in how it competes for all talent.

Perhaps the industry gets too concerned about how it is perceived by parents and schools and instead should trust in itself and promote itself as a career choice to those who are seeking something different and a place where they can feel at home.

Over the last twenty years, literally millions have been invested in the promotion of the industry but has it really made great strides forward? There is no doubt that hospitality today is a leading industry which plays a central role in daily life. This would have happened regardless as it an industry which is viewed as exciting by many in the professions. Maybe it needs to build a stronger storyline about what the industry delivers as this in turn will attract talent.

The real battleground today though is to ensure that talent from minority groups feel comfortable and that they stand a chance. One of the great strengths of the industry was that it was a meritocracy where there are examples of many CEOs who began their careers as chefs or restaurant managers and made their way up the ladder. All talent today needs to share that belief, that they can build a successful career from almost any entry point. Hospitality is not a science but it is a very special craft which not all possess.

“Hospitality is not to change people, but to offer them space where change can take place. It is not to bring men and women over to our side, but to offer freedom not disturbed by dividing lines.”
(Henri Nouwen)