Diversity and Inclusion in the Hospitality Industry

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Diversity and Inclusion in the Hospitality Industry

Posted on 6/23/2021

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“We pass diverse candidates every day — on the street, at the train station, in the parking lot. But accessing them is a much different thing. Time and time again, recruiters and human resource professionals depend on standard methods for talent acquisition and hope for different results. They recruit on campuses at the same elite universities; they utilize online application software to screen for ‘the right’ backgrounds, i.e., cookie-cutter backgrounds; and they trust their guts when assessing culture fit. We know workplace diversity can boost our bottom line, but we’re also aware that utilizing the same tired approaches isn’t yielding results.”
Dr. Art Langer, Chairman and Founder of Workforce Opportunity Services

What is Workplace Diversity?

A diverse workplace incorporates unique individuals with a wide range of skills, perspectives, and experiences. While these workers may be different, they come together in the spirit of achieving the same goal.

Some of the traits we most often consider when discussing workplace diversity include:

Age
Gender
Religion
Ethnicity
Race and culture
Sexual orientation
Educational background

The Value of a Diverse Workplace

The more diversity your workers bring to the table, the wider your talent pool will be — and that makes for better ideas.
Research shows that diverse and inclusive teams outperform the competition by 80%.
A comprehensive study from Josh Bersin & Associates indicated that companies reporting inclusive talent practices demonstrated higher cash flow and superior business outcomes than their peers.

https://harver.com/blog/inclusive-workplace-in-hospitality/#What

Diversity in Hospitality

The hospitality industry is currently experiencing a trend towards increasing diversity in its ranks.

The mix of employee cultures and backgrounds offers a platform to tailor services for guests who reflect the company’s staff composition, which is a sure-fire way to increase occupancy and profit.

In other words, if you’re a hotel or restaurant owner, a diverse workforce increases the likelihood of having a member of staff that better understands the needs of your specific clients. So, in theory, you should be able to effectively customize and adapt a customer experience to ensure everyone who walks through the door feels as welcome as they possibly could be, which ultimately boosts brand loyalty amidst your clientele.

Diversity should be included among ALL ranks of the organization in order to be most successful in performance, effectiveness, and profitability

McKinsey & Company, Why diversity matters, Retrieved February 26, 2021., https://www.hvs.com/article/9012-The-Importance-of-Diversity-at-all-Levels-of-the-Hospitality-Industry

What can your organization do to promote Diversity & Inclusion?

Creating an Organizational Culture

An organizational culture is defined by the values, beliefs and attitude that reflect a company’s priorities and guide their business. Diversity has to be a part of the organizational culture in order to be effective. Defining internal policies that outlines rules and regulations regarding diversity, ensuring that employees are familiar with the policies and reinforcing these priorities in regular staff meetings can be an essential part of building diversity into the culture.

Below you will find a few key ways to increase Diversity and Inclusion in your organization: