Good Morning! Helmut here !
In my last 2 posts, I have made the attempt to describe two fundamental reasons why you may be rejected in an interview. Here is the third reasons, why you may not pass the test. And that is the
ABILITY TO PROVIDE SUBSTANCE TO SPECIFIC QUESTIONS.
Many professionals get rejected because they cannot provide credible support. It simply means to give examples of how they achieved revenue growth, reduced expenses, or improved service excellence.
Your ability to provide specific and measurable models from your work history is essential and will give the interviewer a more direct inside into what makes you a formidable candidate. Again, it is vital that you, as the applicant, understand what the company wants from You.
At the junior level, in all areas of the hotel, it is relatively easy to provide answers based on skills and routines. You may describe improvements in customer satisfaction and teamwork; however, at the junior level, you will not be probed to answer revenue & cost-related questions.
However, the game changes once you apply for a department assistant manager or manager role. Companies understand this, and they’re not willing to take any chances. The cost of hiring the wrong candidate is too great, and the risks are too high, primarily when recruited from another hotel group. Obtaining this kind of position for the first time is challenging. It is easier if you have been with the company for a while since you have a reliable track record. However, if you are recruited from the outside, you must be ready for a critical review of your profile, abilities, leadership style, and achievements in the previous job.
You must prepare yourself for questions like:
“WHY DO YOU THINK YOU ARE THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THE JOB?”
Or “WHY DO YOU WANT TO WORK FOR US?”
These questions inform the interviewer how well you have prepared for the interview, how much you know about the company, and if you are interested in working with them. It also provides the interviewer with insight into whether the company is a good choice and how they rank compared to what your current job offers.
Let’s have an example: You are presently working in the Marriott ecosystem in a 5-star brand, for example St. Regis, as a Front Office shift leader, and you are opting for a Front Office Asst—manager position in Grand Hyatt in your city. Your resume has been shortlisted, and you are called for an interview. The interview has a good beginning, the energy is positive, and the chemistry between you and the recruiter is friendly yet inquisitive.
So she asks the question: “Well, you are doing very well in your job, and I am sure, sooner or later, your company will promote you to asst. Manager. Why do you not wait and instead want to work for us?”
Experienced interviewers know all about how to phrase and mask their questions wisely. Instead of asking the obvious question, why you want to work for the company, she probes a bit deeper and pre-assumes that you are on your way to becoming an Asst. F.O. manager soon. This well phrased and tricky question. You will provide only a little information if you cannot look behind the curtain. Instead, you should focus.
On the research
Make a comparison between both companies
Point out what is important to you
Point out how the new company will profit from recruiting you.
The fact is that, at the moment, you are a Shift Leader. All other assumptions are just assumptions, so don’t fall for it. Focus on a structured answer and take your time. The better your research, the more you win the interview.
Here is how can reply:
“Thank You, this is an excellent question indeed. I have done some research, and allow me to be blunt. My present company and yours are the market leader in our city. Our products (hotels) differ in location and number of rooms. Your hotel has 15% fewer employees at the front office than my hotel, where I work, and of course, you are familiar with our ARRs. They are almost equal.”
(Bingo! Trust me, the interviewer will not only know the ARR balance but indeed not the 15% fewer employees. She cannot make a real-time fact check, but she will be impressed with your proficiency). You continue:
“I enjoy my work at my hotel, but I have been in the shift leader position for quite some time—the present asst. F.O. Manager will be there for at least two more years before he will be transferred again. What I like about your company is that it is multinational and you have a better training program than ours. As I said in the beginning, our two companies are market leaders; it is clear to me that there are areas where my present company excels but also areas where you excel. If I come in as an F.O. Assistant manager, I can change the balance in your favor, not only regarding guest satisfaction but also in terms of occupancy. Many guests are not necessarily loyal to the brand but make their reservations directly with me. So, if I work here tomorrow, chances are very high that these guests will move with me if you understand what I am saying. ” Make eye contact and smile a little!
“Something else I have read in “Hotels” magazine is that you are opening six more hotels in a 100 miles radius for which you will have to recruit new employees. Of course, this is also interesting for me since your present F.O. Manager might become a General Manager in one of these hotels, which consequently if You are happy with my performance, will open the way for me to be promoted to F.O. Manager. I may be too optimistic, but that is my nature. The opportunities and benefits of joining your company inspire me to move. (Wait 5 seconds and then continue): I do not want to wait for a potential promotion, as you had said initially, but like to join your company because I know that I can deliver what you are looking for and also because of the long-term opportunities your company is offering.”
Let me point out: This answer is not the typical answer a Shift Leader would give; however, if You are a shift leader and provide this kind of answer, You will make an impression. Trust me. You have answered the question professionally and skillfully. You have shown that you have done your homework, know what you want, are investigative and well-informed, and are a long-term contender in the game.
And with this answer, you have also replied to the other potential question: “WHY DO YOU THINK YOU ARE THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THE JOB?”
Again, it is a potential reply you can use as a template for any position and level to a vast extent. You just need to adjust the details. At the Senior Level, more details will flow into the proper reply. You will have to have your numbers right, your knowledge of the market in general, your competitive set, and so on.
Strangely enough, it is them, Senior Executives, who often make this mistake. They have done many interviews, know the game to a certain extent, and are more self-secure if they have been working in a HOD role or even a G.M. role for a while. They’re used to success, and they’re confident in their abilities. They tend to tell the most exciting and captivating stories, yet overconfidence is a fatal flaw in this game. They forget that the rules differ at the top and the stakes are much higher. But they also forget that they are in an interview and, more often than not, fill the room.
They forget that there is new competition out there and that companies today are reducing their top tier (especially those who are over 55) and bring in a new, younger generation, not only because their CTC is much lower than experienced and proven managers, but also because their are easier to re-train, adapt and align with ever changing values, initiatives and objectives. It is a natural flow, that serves the company and the shareholders well.
This is a lesson that every professional should take to heart. It’s not just a matter of getting the job offer but of performing and surviving. As you climb the ladder of success, you must be ever-vigilant. The competition is watching, and the stakes are higher. One mistake could be your undoing. One wrong decision could take you of your career path. So be humble, be cautious, and always keep your eyes on the prize, which is the job, you really want, not just a job.
One reason that many higher-ups in the corporate world will not always give a straight answer is a combination of two things, but it goes deeper. I am not the only one who has “seen it all”. I have countless old and very successful colleagues worldwide who made the same observations, but I am the one writing about it openly. I have interviewed and hired dishwashers, waitpersons, bartenders, restaurant and front office supervisors, and managers. housekeepers, F&B managers and General Managers. Some of them even became Regional Managers and Vice Presidents. The problem some of them have in an interview, they have a challenge in getting down to brass tacks.
Take this one gentleman I was interviewing for an HR Manager role. I remember the 7 month long challenge of getting a good Human Resources manager for my hotel. The human resources secretary Rosa had prepared a few interviews and shortlisted candidates. I interviewed just one of them. Nice chap, I thought when meeting him. I was put for time, so I started the interview immediately and did not waste time with questions like: “Tell me about yourself” and that stuff. I just wanted to know, if he was up for the job.
I am a straight shooter and asked him a simple first question, “Tell me about an initiative you put in place that you were proud of and resulted in productivity improvement.” And what did he give me? A bunch of intellectual, psychologically colored chewing gum about building solid teams and motivational performance. That’s not what I had asked him for and probed some more. “How did you build a strong team?” I asked. And he gave me more of the same vague nonsense about always focusing on the employees and ensuring they were trained right and that they were the most critical assets for the company.” Again, I have yet to get any specifics and pushed him again. “OK, you said that your team was trained, right? What goes into that training? Walk me through it.”
And you know what? He couldn’t do it. He broke out into a sweat; I kid you not. Now, I’m not saying all executives are like this, but let me tell you, it’s a real problem. These folks need to get down and give us some fundamental specifics. It is also a generational issue. Companies are replacing older employees at an accelerated rate, and you find a lot of inexperienced managers in top ranks, especially in Europe and North America and not only in hospitality. (I am talking senior level here only).
Nevertheless, I continued the interview and asked him about his strategies for hiring and managing a team. He responded with vague and generic statements such as, “I have great strategies” and “My team always gets the feedback they need.” When I probed further and asked how he ensures he hires the right people, he responded, “I’m great at “sensing out” people, and I know when it’s right.”
At that point, I was starting to get frustrated. It was as if I was digging a hole with my bare hands, and my blisters were worsening with every word he said. I couldn’t see how he added value to the conversation, and I was getting ready to throw in the towel.
And then it hit me: I had learned nothing about this candidate from our conversation. I couldn’t picture what it would be like to work with him, and I couldn’t tell if he had the skills and experience needed for the job.
This is why being specific and proactive in interviews is so important. Employers want to see that you clearly understand your strengths and weaknesses and have a concrete plan for adding value to the organization. So let this be a lesson: don’t just talk the talk, be specific in your interview.
I remember this interview so well; it still gets me going today and has only amplified my concern with Human Resources professionals in hospitality and their way of interviewing. Possibly it is one of the reasons for the extreme labor shortages of today.
Just picture what it is like to work with this HR Manager doing any work. It sounds like his team is doing all the hard work while he approves things like asking for status reports and initiative updates by the hard-working hotel departments like F&B, Housekeeping, and Front Office while he is playing “Initiative Minecraft.”
I called Rosa, the H.R. secretary. “Rosa, you got a moment? I Need to talk to you. It’s important and will take some time. Bring yourself tea so we can speak”. Rosanne had been in her position for probably three years; she had been there when I started, and it hit me that despite the long absences of a capable H.R. manager, the work in the H.R. department was going on quite well. She was doing all the work alone, and looking back; things were going better with her compared to the times, when we actually had an H.R. manager.
She arrived, and I asked her about the candidate. “Well Sir”, she said, I know he was not completely qualified, however the only one who came with a recommendation and I gave him a try.” “Fine”, I said, “let me ask you some questions.” and I asked her exactly the same questions I had asked the candidate, and you know what? She could quickly and adequately answer all questions. She showed her knowledge of all areas of human resources; she could pinpoint the department’s challenges and issues. She pointed out, how she had managed the department in the absence of a H.R. manager. She proposed solutions, and I was impressed.
So, since I am, what they call a pragmatic manager who produces results , I promoted her right then and there to HR Manager under the condition that she would first get her replacement, which I would approve. The next day, she returned with an action plan for the next six month complete with KRAs and KPIs. Today, that lady is the regional director of Human Resources for a prestigious hotel company.
(I need to mention here that I got much flak for this decision from the corporate director of HR, a great guy and he eventually agreed to give my experiment a try. Long story short, Rosanne did prove herself and the challenge to find a suitable and qualified person for my hotel was solved. She was accepted by everyone on the spot. The fact that she did not have a business degree and just had a regular high school certificate did not bother me.
The hotel business is no rocket science; let us be fair here. What counts are attitude, the ability to communicate at all levels, and learnable, technical skills. The big companies are good at providing the necessary training at all levels. However, they are also creating colossal entry barriers thru educational requirements and the like, which are a large part of the labor shortages in our industry.
The hotel industry may need more Rosas!
So, here you have it, another reason why you maybe get rejected in an interview. Tomorrow I will provide one more viewpoint from my experience and share some personal insights of my own interview history. Until then, have a great day and please share my blog with your fellow hoteliers in your network.
My best regards,
Helmut
