Top 15 Hospitality Skills Employers Expect From You

Key Takeaways

• Essential hospitality skills like communication, empathy, adaptability, and attention to detail are the foundation of delivering exceptional guest experiences.
• Education provides the ideal learning environment and the needed guidance to develop the skills required for a successful career in this industry.
• Employers value hospitality skills because they guarantee professionals can handle challenges, enhance guest satisfaction, and uphold the standards of their brand.

In recent years, the hospitality industry has been struggling with labor shortages, as businesses are going the extra mile to attract and retain talent. According to a recent survey by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), 82% of respondents have raised wages to record highs. However, even with these efforts, 72% of hotels still report difficulty filling open positions.

While this may sound like bad news, it can actually work to your advantage. As long as you develop the necessary hospitality skills, the growing demand for talent creates a wealth of career opportunities.

Essential Hospitality Skills

Studying hospitality can help you quickly move up the ranks and make the most of the growing demand for skilled professionals in the hospitality industry. It all hinges on developing the necessary skills that, in addition to influencing guest satisfaction and business reputation, play a big role in your personal career growth.

At Swiss Hotel Management School (SHMS), we focus on helping our students develop the most important hospitality skills from the very start. The key ones include:

1. Interpersonal communication

When you're interacting with guests, whether it be to explain hotel policies or simply have a conversation with them, how you communicate sets the tone for the guests' stay. It's all about being clear, polite, and professional in every interaction, making the other feel heard and valued.

The little details—offering directions with a smile or patiently answering a question—can leave a lasting impression and improve the image of your whole business.

2. Active listening

When dealing with guest concerns or requests, showing that you are paying attention and acknowledging their needs can make all the difference.

If a guest expresses dissatisfaction with their room, simply nodding and listening won't suffice. You need to show empathy by validating their feelings and offering a thoughtful response. 

Listening can turn frustration into appreciation.

3. Attention to detail

When working in hospitality and dealing with so many guests every day, it's easy to let the little things slip through the cracks. However, those minor details frequently have the greatest impact on visitor satisfaction. From making sure a guest's room is spotless to remembering their dietary restrictions or anticipating their need for an extra towel, attention to detail is what sets the best service apart from just okay service.

It can feel overwhelming when you're juggling multiple guests, but each one comes with its own needs and expectations. By staying sharp and focused on the individual details, you'll create experiences that leave your guests feeling truly valued.

4. Problem-solving and complaint resolution

Hospitality is often unpredictable, and as a hospitality professional, you're the one who is expected to step in and resolve issues. Although guests do not anticipate issues, they do anticipate prompt, considerate resolutions if problems do occur.

Handling a double booking, resolving a billing dispute, or accommodating last-minute requests are just a few of the many things that would require your ability to solve problems on the spot. Your goal is always to make sure the guest feels taken care of, even when things don't go as planned.

5. Multitasking in high-pressure situations

While solving one issue, you may find yourself balancing several others at the same time—this is where multitasking is needed. You could be in the middle of resolving a complaint about a room booking, and suddenly, you're called to handle check-ins or take care of a special request from another guest.

Guests don't see the behind-the-scenes struggles. They expect top-notch service no matter how busy you are. So, you must know how to prioritize what's most important at any given moment. It is not just about balancing tasks; it is also about maintaining organization, remaining calm, and figuring out how to make everything work.

6. Cultural awareness and sensitivity

Creating a welcoming environment for everyone, regardless of background, is the essence of hospitality. Interacting with people from all over the world as a hospitality professional will expose you to a variety of cultures, customs, and expectations. That's why cultural awareness and sensitivity are so important.

Understanding different cultural practices and respecting diverse perspectives is necessary for creating a comfortable and welcoming environment for every guest. For instance, what might seem like a simple greeting to one guest could be perceived very differently by someone from another culture. 

Taking the time to understand these differences can prevent misunderstandings and ensure guests feel respected and valued. In high-end establishments, where expectations are even higher, cultural training is not only a valued skill but an undeniable need.

7. Adaptability

In hospitality, things are always changing, and your ability to adapt can be a real game-changer. You'll surely deal with sudden changes in guest demands or a shift in resources, and how you handle these situations can make all the difference.

Imagine being in charge during a busy holiday season, and suddenly, a large group arrives early—being able to adjust on the fly and keep everything running as intended is not a skill to impress guests, but it's something that is expected of you from your employers.

8. Teamwork

It's hard to imagine success in hospitality without teamwork. Every part of the operation is interdependent, hence working together makes all the difference. Take housekeeping, for example—they need to work closely with the front desk staff to prioritize room cleaning for early check-ins. Similarly, the kitchen staff and waiters need to sync up to deliver timely meals to guests.

When everyone pulls together and communicates effectively, things get easier for everyone, and many problems are avoided.

9. Emotional intelligence and empathy

Guests' experiences are often influenced by their emotions. That is why emotional intelligence, and empathy in particular, are needed in order to facilitate a connection with guests.

When you can put yourself in a guest's shoes, whether they're frustrated by a mistake or feeling a bit under the weather, you are able to offer a thoughtful response that helps them feel heard and valued. 

The level of empathy you show can turn a challenging situation into an opportunity for positive guest interactions, thus directly influencing satisfaction and loyalty.

10. Time management

Every minute counts. So, it's necessary to pay attention to deadlines, prioritize certain tasks, and know when to delegate each task.

A good time manager is proactive, planning ahead to prevent potential issues, such as ensuring rooms are cleaned on time, or reservations are confirmed without delay. By staying organized and managing time well, you help make sure that guests feel attended to and are never left waiting for long periods.

11. Conflict resolution

Conflicts are bound to arise—a disagreement between guests, a misunderstanding between staff, or even a clash between a guest and a staff member. However, how you handle these situations can have a significant impact on the overall guest experience and the work environment.

Employers in hospitality are keen to hire individuals who can de-escalate disputes with professionalism and empathy.

12. Leadership and supervisory skills

Leadership skills—being able to guide teams toward smooth operations and exceptional service—are essential in hospitality, especially for those in management roles. It's important to differentiate between simply giving directions, which is needed at times, and truly leading others—motivating and guiding them.

Strong leaders in hospitality lead by example, encourage collaboration, and supervise everyone to make sure that all delegated tasks are completed successfully.

13. Patience and resilience

There's a certain level of wholesomeness when working in hospitality, meeting people from all walks of life and serving them with a smile. However, it's important to understand that not every day will go perfectly. Sometimes, no matter how well you communicate, certain guests can be particularly demanding or difficult, and that can be challenging.

It's in these moments that patience and resilience become your greatest assets.

14. Initiative

Taking initiative is one of those qualities that some people overlook, but it can definitely help set you apart in hospitality, where things can get fast-paced and unpredictable. Waiting for someone to tell you what to do isn't always an option. It's about seeing what needs to be done and acting on it without waiting for instructions.

Taking initiative shows that you are proactive and resourceful—the kind of mindset we aim to instill in our students at SHMS.

15. Event planning and management

Corporate event planning and management are central to the hospitality world, and they're more than just organizing a few details but dealing with every aspect of an event. In hospitality, especially for those managing corporate events, the ability to plan and manage large-scale functions is a highly sought-after skill.

There's also a lot of technicality to it—coordinating timelines, managing resources, overseeing logistics, and keeping things running—though it usually goes hand in hand with many other soft skills.

How to Improve Your Hospitality Skills?

Education, particularly hospitality degrees that blend knowledge, practical training, and personal development, is the best way to improve your hospitality skills. At SHMS, we do just that and aim to help equip all graduates with the skills listed above and an overall understanding of the hospitality industry.

Unlike self-taught efforts, our Bachelor of Arts in International Hospitality Management provides you with the opportunity to learn from seasoned experts who can share insights and tips you'd never encounter on your own. You're not just developing isolated skills; you're gaining a holistic perspective on the industry.

For those looking to refine their expertise even further and take on executive roles, programs like our Master of Arts in International Hospitality Business Management or Master of Science in International Hospitality Management offer excellent opportunities to focus on leadership, innovation, and strategic thinking.

Why Do Hospitality Skills Matter to Employers?

Hospitality skills are highly valued by employers because it's through them that professionals in hospitality interact with guests, handle challenges, and carry out their responsibilities with excellence. In a customer-centered industry like hospitality, the ability to communicate, solve problems, and adapt is non-negotiable.

As Ian Siegel, co-founder and CEO of ZipRecruiter, noted in the company's report, The Job Market Outlook for Grads, “Employers are putting a premium on trainability and soft skills.” Moreover, Siegel stated that “New grads are well positioned to succeed in the first step of their professional lives.”

SHMS understands the importance of students developing these sought-after skills and connecting with employers who actively seek them. That's where the International Recruitment Forum (IRF) comes in. Launched in 2008 by the Swiss Education Group, this exclusive career event, held twice a year, brings students face-to-face with over 100 recruiters from many different industries.

For our students, this networking opportunity is a way for them to see how much employers value these skills and the demand for individuals like them—who excel in both technical expertise and interpersonal skills. 

Invest in Your Skills, Elevate Your Hospitality Career

Hospitality truly thrives on human connection; therefore, skills like communication, empathy, adaptability, and leadership are what define success. The skills we've included are essentials that will enable you to build relationships, resolve conflicts, and improve guest experiences once you join the field. While it's technically possible to develop these abilities through trial and error, why take the hard road?

At SHMS, our programs were specifically created to help you minimize mistakes and maximize success. So invest in your education, and you're investing in your future.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you qualify for hospitality?

You qualify for hospitality by gaining the right mix of education, like a degree in hospitality management, and practical experience in customer-focused environments.

What are the six principles of hospitality?

The six principles of hospitality are anticipation, attention to detail, authenticity, adaptability, empathy, and continuous improvement, all essential for creating exceptional guest experiences.