The Best Hospitality Managers Have These Three Qualifications You Might Not Expect

by | Nov 15, 2019 | Hospitality Industry, Manager Tips

1) Quickbooks Expertise

A hospitality manager must constantly be aware of the money and resources coming in and going out of their business. QuickBooks is accounting software used to keep track of daily transactions and manage sales and expenses. From invoicing to bill paying – Quickbooks is essential to running a business. While many of you may be questioning why understanding a financial software would be essential for a great hospitality manager – consider what the experience of learning the software means for the way a person thinks about budgeting. Hospitality management is constant budgeting – of finances but also of time,

human resources, supplies and equipment. Mastery of a financial record keeping and reporting software, like Quickbooks, shows an aptitude for and dedication to being organized and using data to make the best decisions for a business’s bottom line. Quickbooks teaches one to be organized in data collection and prioritize efficiency in budgeting and monitoring expenses. A great hospitality manager will be able to create reports for upper management and the knowledge gained from mastering Quickbooks will result in thorough and financially focused reports that recognize patterns and areas of inefficiency. These reporting techniques can identify areas of improvement and forecast the best plan of action for a business’s staffing, inventory and even promotional needs. If you want to be the best candidate for a hospitality management position, consider learning Quickbooks.

2) A Great Sense of Humor

A great Hospitality Manager must be a leader. There are a lot of strong reasons why leaders who can crack a joke – and more importantly, take a joke – are the kind who make the best Hospitality Managers. Humor is a major stress buster! Being able to bring levity to a stressful dinner service or intense meeting will lighten the burden for everyone in the room. Another reason humor is important is that people enjoy working with and for people they actually like. It seems so simple, but it’s proven over and over again that being able to share a

joke, bond over a funny movie moment or know the right way to break the ice makes a person more likeable by putting those around them at ease. Laughter triggers a pleasurable physical response making people feel genuine happiness. If your staff is made of happy people they will make the best hospitality service providers by passing that joy onto the customers. Humor can also be an incredible way to get the best performance out of your staff by sparking creativity and letting your team know that their thoughts and ideas are heard and valued. When a Hospitality Manager is able to show genuine humor, it reflects their intelligence, humanity and likelihood to be trusted and respected.

3) Parenting Skills

If you’re applying to be a Hospitality Manager or hiring one for your business- you’ve either written or read a list of qualifications and responsibilities just like this one below many times. The funny thing is – if you read this like a job description for being a parent, every single line makes sense.

  • Problem-solving aptitude 
  • Excellent leadership and organizational skills
  • Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills
  • Organize and coordinate operations to ensure maximum efficiency
  • Supervise and evaluate staff
  • Ensure supplies and equipment are adequate in quantity and quality
  • Handle customer complaints when necessary
  • Assume responsibility of budgeting and monitoring expenses
  • Enforce adherence to regulations and quality standards
  • Ensure all records are kept properly and consistently
Parenting is often heralded as being “the most difficult job” and you’re unlikely to find many parents who would disagree with you. If you’re interviewing for a job as a Hospitality Manager, make sure to point out how much the lessons you’ve learned and skills you’ve acquired as a parent can make you a strong candidate. If you’re hiring a Hospitality Manager you’d be wise to look for someone who has the problem solving skills, patience, communication skills, negotiating skills and management skills that being a parent imparts.
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