Tag Archives: hotel jobs

When the light goes out!…..

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The hospitality industry is all about people and the measure of success is based on how businesses treat their customers who want to feel special, recognised and cared for. This is ultimately achieved by treating them in a warm, friendly, welcoming and generous way. How many times could you say you treat yourself this way?

  • How often do you take time to care for yourself, recognise how you are feeling and treat yourself as someone special?
  • As a manager you constantly do it for everyone else so what’s stopping you from doing it for yourself?

The reason this is so important is because if you don’t take care of yourself you will ultimately be in no fit state to give that care to others.

Mental health has always been an issue in the hospitality industry, this time last year it was reported that over 80% of hospitality workers felt that stress levels were increasing and were believed to be linked to the job. This resulted in many saying that they would not recommend the industry to others. The industry regrettably is not known for its great work life balance and whilst there are those that are doing much to change this, many are still not making the wellbeing of their staff a priority. As there is so much uncertainty around the current situation this makes the industry unappealing as a career choice, in fact many are choosing to leave due to the lack of stability.

This highlights the need for investment in the wellbeing of staff where they have access to good mental health support, by this we mean helping them to adopt healthy behaviours not just physically but emotionally, socially, spiritually and intellectually. This is particularly important at this current time as many managers are dealing with so much change and ongoing uncertainty. There are many different experiences depending on which type of business managers are in and no two appear to be the same, so I think it’s important to realise that your experience is not necessarily what others are feeling. Still for the majority they are faced with countless demands, and they may not necessarily have the resources to meet them which creates an environment where they are constantly overworked and under pressure.

Burnout

As a manager there can be this need to take on everyone else’s problems, feel responsible and always be available for others. These are expectations that are in many ways unrealistic and unachievable and when cannot be met make you feel frustrated, disappointed and as if you are not doing your job well. The truth is you cannot sustain that kind of approach.

This is resulting in unprecedented levels of burnout, that feeling when the light goes out and you have nothing more to give. Like being on stage we put on a show, when at work you are so busy focussing on the challenges you don’t have time to think about anything else. It’s when the curtain falls or in this case the doors close that it can be a very different show that’s going on. Burnout is more than feeling stressed, it’s being exhausted, mentally drained, feeling like you can’t give anymore, like an empty vessel. It affects every part of your life and tends to creep up on you and before you know it, bam!

Now if a business has strategies in place to recognise the signs of potential burnout and deal with them early on then they may be able to prevent it.  This involves getting support to help build resilience, you are not invincible and it is a good sign if you can recognise that you need support, there is no shame in it.

Ways to manage your mental health

  • You have a responsibility to yourself to manage your own mental health and if that means asking for help then that is what you need to do.
  •  It’s crucial to find balance in your life and focus on what is important to you and see how you can stay connected to people who you trust, either in or outside of the industry.
  • Avoid self- medication of drugs and alcohol because that doesn’t make the problems go away, it just numbs the pain and is a temporary fix that can cause problems further down the line.
  • It’s important to get into a good routine, exercise, eat well and get enough sleep, when at work make sure you take regular breaks, this actually makes you more productive not less.
  • Focus on what you can control even if those are only small things, it will help you be able to take back some sense of power over your life and keep anxiety levels at bay.
  • Learn to delegate to share the load and let others help you, it might take time to get used to doing this but will make a difference in the long term and will result in your staff developing their own skills.
  • Be mindful of others and show empathy but remember if you do not look after yourself you will be of no help to anyone. As a manager if you cannot deal with a staff issue sometimes it is best to signpost them to help from other sources and then keep checking on their progress. You don’t necessarily have all the answers.
  • Burnout doesn’t have to be permanent and it certainly is something that can be prevented, but if experienced and treated correctly it can have you coming back even stronger, hopefully with lessons learnt to stop it happening again.

 

Author: Shirley Walker – The Seasoned Coach

If you feel you might need some help to get back on track contact me at:

Email: shirley.walker@theseasonedcoach.co.uk
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/shirley-walker  
Website: www.theseasonedcoach.co.uk

LinkedIn Tips & Advice

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Your LinkedIn profile serves as a digital and visual representation of your career journey and your unique personal brand – think of it as on your online CV. Your LinkedIn profile can be your ticket to a variety of new opportunities like jobs, partnerships, volunteering, or new business.

Your LinkedIn Profile is in many cases the most important aspect of your professional presence online. You can use LinkedIn to connect with people in your network, and recruiters often use it to find you when they are sourcing candidates.

While LinkedIn can be an effective networking tool, it’s no easy task to distinguish yourself from the billions of users who are also trying to stand out.

But just a few small improvements can have a big impact. Better yet: Just twenty minutes today is enough time to take your profile to the next level.

Now, that we are on lockdown it is a good time (while you have the time), to spruce up your profile. Here are a few suggestions by Daly Recruitment to make your profile stand out:

1. PROFILE PICTURE
It sounds common sense but start with your profile photo. Profiles with a photo get seen 21 times more often than those without. Your profile photo should be professional yet approachable, giving people a true sense of your personality.
Banner – your cover picture should be eye catching and contribute towards to your career path /story to date.
Canva is good for creating banners.

2. CONTACT INFO :
Make sure your email, phone number (if you feel comfortable), location is all up to date.
Remember: LinkedIn InMail is only available to Premium users, and you want to make sure anyone can contact you about great opportunities.

3. CREATE A CUSTOMIZED URL.
A custom URL makes it so much easier to send people to your profile—and means you no longer have to worry they won’t find you. You could share your name with 100 other people.

Here’s how to create a customised URL how in four steps:

1. Click on profile
2. Click edit profile
3. Click edit right under your photo.
4. Under contact information set your URL.
For the most professional URL try: http://linkedin.com/in/firstnamelastname. If that isn’t available, add your middle initial or industry – always keep professional.

4. THE ABOUT SECTION:
The About section of your LinkedIn profile is the ideal way to highlight what makes you unique and stand out to your industry – include all skills, awards accomplishments on your career to date which are related to your industry and career.

The more robust your profile, the more you likely you are to get notice. Always select an industry, because recruiters / employers often use that field to search.

5. HEADLINE:
Don’t forget the headline, since it is right at the top of the page when someone views your profile – ensure it reflects your current role and skills.
Your headline is one of the first thing people when they view your profile.

TAKE NOTE:  Every time you change your current position or company, LinkedIn defaults your headline to your updated title. As you might guess, that’s not the best way to attract recruiters. Instead, you want a strong and unique headline to make you stand out.

6. THE EXPERIENCE SECTION OF YOUR LINKEDIN PROFILE IS YOUR ONLINE CV.
When updating your profile, it is important to include employment (current and past), education, and industry. While you might not include every job in your past on a traditional CV, it is appropriate to include your entire work history on LinkedIn.

To quickly create a profile, review your CV and copy/paste the relevant information into your profile. It’s essential that your CV matches your profile because prospective employers will check. However, when you get more time, make sure to add as much as possible to your LinkedIn profile. Employers expect your CV to be somewhat condensed and specific to the job you seek. But your LinkedIn Profile should contain more detail and be an extended version of your CV.

Also, don’t overlook summarising each job you’ve had in your experience section. Remember:
This gives your audience more insight into your skills and background.

7. THE SKILLS AND ENDORSEMENT SECTION
The Skills and endorsement section are an important aspect to your profile. Endorsements are a great way to get recognized for your skills and help build your professional reputation. It’s a way that recruiters / potential employers can find you and how your connections can see, at a glance, your core competencies.

In fact, your profile is more likely to get viewed if it includes skills. Just like you did with the Experience section, you use your CV to get started with a list of skills to include.  Focus on the skills that highlight your strongest assets and are most relevant to your career goals.

Top tip: is to read your past job descriptions (if you still have them), or the job descriptions of jobs you seek. Include any key words you find that are relevant to your skills and experience.

As your role changes and your expertise grows, make sure to refresh and reorder your skills!

8. TAKE TIME TO ASK OR RECOMMENDATIONS
Take time to request LinkedIn Recommendations from people you have worked with whom carry a lot of weight. To a potential employer, a LinkedIn recommendation is like a reference in advance.

Request them from your former bosses (so long as you still have a good relationship with them), mentors, and/or college professors.

On a “what not to do on LinkedIn” note, don’t ask people you don’t know for references.

9. INCLUDE YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Use the Accomplishments section of LinkedIn to highlight projects you’ve worked on, awards, industry courses completed and any other accomplishments you have contributed to i.e. part of team that gained upgrade on star status, Michelin listing etc.

10. HOW TO STAND OUT
Look at other industry peers’ profiles, make yourself stand out from others. Look at wording and all of the above. Be different. What is on your profile to make you stand out from someone with same position in a different property.

11. CONNECTIONS
The right connections are more important than the actual number of connections you have. Ideally, you want connections that are relevant to your line of work, that can potentially lead you to a job opportunity, or can provide valuable advice. Engage with your connections to make you stand out and be noticed.

LinkedIn goes way beyond your personal network. It allows you to keep up with people in your industry as well as successful people who inspire you. By following key leaders and influencers, your newsfeed will fill up with advice that’s relevant to you.

12. TURN OFF LINKEDIN ACTIVITY BROADCASTS WHEN YOU’RE JOB HUNTING
You don’t need to advertise the fact that you are job hunting, especially when you’re employed. When you are job searching and don’t want your employer to know that you’re updating your LinkedIn profile, it’s a good idea to turn off your activity broadcasts. Here’s how to set your account, so your updates don’t show in your feed:

  • Click Settings (Under your profile headshot on the top right of page)
  • Scroll down to the section, “How others see your LinkedIn activity.”

Examine all the other viewing features on this page to see if you feel that any other privacy features apply – change accordingly.

13. PROFILE VISIBILITY
Finally, make your profile public, so people (employers and recruiters) can find you via searches.

14. VIEWING PROFILES ON LINKED IN
Just so you are aware people, people get notifications on LinkedIn when you visit their profile. Not everyone is aware of this!

 

REMEMBER:

Your LinkedIn profile is the gateway to your professional career success, so let the world know what makes you special. By making these updates to your LinkedIn profile now, you’ll be showcasing the very best of you and your strengths.

It’s a small investment you can make now to prepare your career for the next opportunity, decade and beyond…

Be the kind of leader people would follow voluntarily

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The main difference between leaders and managers is that leaders have people follow them while managers have people who work for them. A successful business needs to have both a strong leader and manager to get their team on board to follow them towards their vision of success.

LEADERSHIP is about getting people to comprehend and believe in the vision you set for the company and to work with you on achieving your goals, while MANAGEMENT is more about administering and making sure the day-to-day activities are happening as they should.  Which are you and which do you aspire to be?.

You can become a leader people actually want to follow, not just a leader people follow because they think they have to.

Here are some tips to be a leader people aspire to become:

 

1. Lead with humility

A humble leader acknowledges that they can succeed only with the help of others. Humility draws people to you not because you have all the answers, but because you recognize how much you can learn from others.

2. Take responsibility 

Leaders must hold themselves accountable for their actions; they don’t blame others when things don’t go right. Be accountable for your actions and always remember that the decisions you make affect not only your own life but the lives of others as well.

3. Have a compelling vision

Having a vision is good, and having a purposeful vision inspires others to work toward that purpose. When you have a vision worth following, you have a group of people that stays focused and do what it takes to be successful.

4. Be Supportive

Great leaders are of service, because at the heart of their leadership they know the true value of others. Always follow the Golden Rule and treat others as you would wish to be treated.

5. Be consistent

Leaders set the tone for how others conduct themselves.If you are not consistent, those around you follow that cue. If you are not reliable, others feel uncomfortable and tentative. It is the essence of consistency that makes others want to follow you.

6. The best proof of leadership is trust

People want to follow leaders who are trustworthy—those whose behaviour is genuine and who never leave others guessing. Make sure people can rely on you to be fair and consistent.

7. Show you care

Great leaders understand the importance of personal connection and attention. Show you care with everything you say and do, and let people know they matter. Listen to them, talk to them, provide them with feedback.

8. Give respect

Loyalty starts with building relationships based on respect. Show those around you know how much you respect them and their work.

Are you the kind of leader people want to follow?

Being a leader carries a lot of responsibility.

Often there’s too much to do in very little time.

We can become the kind of leader others want to follow.

We only have to learn what is at the heart of every leader:

We must lead from within.

Michael Weston, General Manager of Slieve Donard Resort & Spa

Client Testimonials, , , , , , ,

Nichola is a specialist recruiter in a company which itself stands out from other recruitment agencies due to the extensive industry knowledge, quality and personal service she offers.

With a people-centric approach, Nichola goes beyond just matching skills and experience to a job spec. I know when I interview a Daly Recruitment candidate, they will have already been vetted as a suitable fit within our company and culture by a partner who knows us well. I would highly recommend Daly Recruitment to any of my industry colleagues.