Importance of Corporate Training in the Hospitality Sector

Hospitality is a very competitive industry and one of the most productive and influential sectors of the Indian economy. Being successful in the sector needs more than just a passion for the craft. According to a World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report, 38% of businesses surveyed expect to extend their workforce to new productivity-enhancing roles. This shows employers’ intention to engage their employees to work flexibly, in different job roles. With new players entering the competition every day, employers must have an edge over others and figure out creative ways to enhance their employees’ skill sets.

For sectors like hotel and tourism, which relies hugely upon people to provide services, online learning has been identified as a key source of competitive advantage. By implementing a continuous and comprehensive training module for all employees, the quality of customer service delivery improves. With the advent of smart learning platforms and Technology enabled Blended Learning - TeBL® there have been measurable changes in the way training interventions are being undertaken.

TeBL® – One-stop Solution

The hospitality sector faces various challenges when it comes to training – high staff-turnover, customer-centric focus, ever-changing compliance legislation, etc. For employees, soft skills play a vital role for the growth of the company. Workforce in tourism Industry, needs to understand and learn the cultural nuances of various geographies, since tourists come from diverse backgrounds and nationalities. For such organizations, providing only one-on-one classroom trainings to their employees becomes a cost-intensive, tedious task, as employees have to be brought out from their daily routine that can hamper the business outcomes. Here’s where Technology enabled Blended Learning - TeBL® solution plays a vital role in maximizing the training outcome at a cost effective and time-saving manner.

Employees in this sector are expected to be equipped with a broad range of skills such as time management, food safety, customer service, etc. With so many areas to cover, an app-based learning solution helps a large number of audiences at once, which are customized to one’s needs.

TeBL® provides L&D heads with a flexible training programmes which helps the organization to customise training needs. Since L&D is a two way street, employees too can up-skill themselves by pursuing the courses at their own pace which are easily accessible on their mobile devices. With the help of a wide variety of courses, employees can develop different skills and knowledge so that they are fully qualified to perform their daily task efficiently.

Through TeBL®, the delivery of L&D solutions has a direct and measurable impact on key business performance indicators. Any training solution is ineffective if it doesn’t impact the primary objective of any business – ROI, knowledge index, service quality, etc. which are important for the sector.

Let’s take an example of a leading international airport in India, where our training interventions resulted in noticeable improvement of the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) scores. The task was to help them to align themselves to provide seamless service; operate as part of the airport team; meet the needs and requirements of passengers; move from ‘me’ to ‘we’ focus, and understand the importance of trust within teams and the role each one plays in the bigger picture. To address these requirements, training programmes were introduced that aimed at bringing the company closer to the people they serve while enhancing the image of the company. The programmes used a highly interactive methodology of activities, simulations, exercises, case studies, role-plays, instructor-led training like team building activities, single point lessons, WhatsApp-webinars, application based training, gamification, etc. across multiple stakeholders located in the Airport.

The intervention enabled them to achieve a quantum jump in Service Quality Ratings. The customer experience witnessed a marked improvement according to feedback taken from customers subsequent to the programmes. The airport was rated as the ‘World's No. 1 Airport’ and also top ranked as the ‘Best Airport by Size & Region’ in the Asia Pacific. The training interventions effectively aligned with the overall learning requirements of all stakeholders presiding in the airport, which augmented the key business objectives in the most optimal manner.

With the changing workforce demographics and lifestyles, learning needs and styles have also evolved. Different learning levels and skill gaps have emerged. Learning eXperience Platform (LXP) like Centum LearnPro® leverage this change with Technology enabled Blended Learning - TeBL® methodologies to curate and aggregate holistic learning paths that are customised to individual needs. This allows learners to set learning goals for themselves which help them develop a skill within their current role. It becomes a crucial path for motivating employees and increasing productivity in the organisation.

Overall, hospitality businesses have realised that corporate training is key to help everyone in the company – to stay relevant and more productive. A well-trained employee is always an asset to an organisation as they have the competency to make better decisions whether for personal or company’s growth.

Author 

Sanjay Bahl 

MD & CEO, Centum Learning