You don’t have to hold a different passport to be foreign

It never ceases to amaze me why so many of the venues that service the meetings industry seem so focussed on the facilities they provide, yet overlook the real core of our business –people. Unless we have the right people on board, how can we possibly provide that friendly hospitality that underlines our business and keeps our customers happy?

The hospitality industry has a reputation for a high proportion of its workforce being of non-British origin. The French, the Spanish and the Italians in particular have long been at the forefront of hospitality and made a significant contribution to the industry.  The expansion of the EEC a few years ago was accompanied by a surge in the number of workers from Eastern Europe and many became employed in the hospitality industry.  There’s nothing wrong with taking on people from overseas, in fact we have a lot to learn from them. Their positive attitude and dedicated work ethic can often put us to shame, and their willingness to learn can really enhance the culture of friendliness that is at the heart of our industry.

But there is another group of ‘foreigners’ that has recently joined the pool of available talent desperately seeking employment. The downturn in the UK economy has resulted in a dramatic rise in the number of British people who through no fault of their own find themselves jobless. They may be home grown, but from our point of view they were formerly employed in ‘foreign’ industries - those which have no relationship with hospitality.

With such a plethora of people out there, and margins being constantly squeezed, there is a huge temptation to take on some of these ‘foreigners’, because they are willing to work for a lower wage.  What concerns me is that if we take on the wrong people for financial reasons, it may put a smile on the face of the FD, but we’re doing our industry a huge disservice. So the question is, are we just paying lip service to building a workforce that will be equal to the demands of tomorrow?

If someone has the right attitude, has good interpersonal skills, can actually smile when they’re talking and are willing to give that little extra, it doesn’t matter what their experience or skill set.  With the right training programmes, skills can be learned, and people can develop and achieve their full potential. They are also a credit to our businesses so it’s a win-win situation.

Changing someone’s personality is a different ball game. They may have superb attention to detail, be meticulous in their work processes, but if they aren’t good at communicating, then they’re in the wrong business.  And it’s not just front of house staff that this applies to.  How many times have we heard tales of cleaners who can’t speak English, or off-hand waiters or bar staff who chat to their friends instead of serving? It not only frustrates the customers, but it also sends out the wrong messages.  We want our customers to enjoy their experience so they come back time and again.

The new government is looking to the private sector to create employment, so we should view this as an ideal opportunity to strengthen our businesses and get the very best people on board.  The Chartridge Conference Company culture is simple and based on four principles:

·         Language – English,

·         Attitude – be hospitable (we actually like people!),

·         Ability – be properly trained to do a job well

·         Quality – it means happy customers every time.

By investing in recruiting the best people, training them properly and building their skills it’s not only good for their career development, but can also make a positive change to our business. We produce an increasing proportion of our country’s wealth so we shouldn’t be viewed as a poor relation.  It’s time to give the hospitality industry the lift it needs and position it where it rightly belongs.

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