Do you know that research says every one percent increase in guest satisfaction can grow hotel revenue by 1.3 percent? You might wonder how this correlation works, and what it has to do with the hotel operation manager job description. Well, operations are the defining factor of a hotel’s success and thus operations managers are the key players.
These employees stay at the heart of daily tasks. Managing everything from the front-desk to the back-end logistics, they’re responsible for keeping and exceeding customer satisfaction and business profit. So, what and how do they do it? We’ll get to its bottom. Keep reading.
Hotel Operations Manager Job Description
As in every other sector, the operations role in the hospitality industry is all about routine activities. In the case of hotels, these activities include executing, maintaining, and improving daily operations like guest check-in/check-out, room service, dining, and invoicing. Broadly, hotel operations managers perform the following tasks:
- Making sure that all departments work optimally while increasing profits and reducing costs.
- Working and coordinating with all departments and their heads for real-time, effective decision-making.
- Planning, executing, and controlling all main daily operations.
- Maintaining an excellent culture and environment to help employees perform daily tasks effectively.
- Organizing regular interdepartmental meetings with all heads to discuss daily tasks, performance, and feedback.
- Performing all duties associated with the general manager in her/his absence, including representation in meetings and events.
- Keeping hotel standards and standard operating procedures up to the mark while increasing profits.
- Discuss routine operations and provide operational input to the higher management, especially the general manager.
- Maintaining inspection routines for all rooms and departments to make sure that all things are working fine.
- Not compromising the safety and health of employees and guests. This may include safety audits and fire walks.
A hotel operations manager is, thus, responsible for overseeing all such operations while keeping two primary goals in mind: guest experience remains smooth and enjoyable while the hotel’s business profitability stays intact. It’s a kind of leadership role since keeping an eye on day-to-day functions demands the following skills:
- Supervision
- Decision-making
- Problem-solving
- Time and team management
- Communication
By looking at the duties of a hotel operations manager, it’s easy to confuse the description with that of a Hotel General Manager. Nevertheless, the two jobs vary greatly since the latter is broader in scope. Particularly, besides managing routine operations, a general manager is also responsible for developing business growth strategies. These strategies usually involve human resources, marketing, finance, and supply chains.
To help you understand the hotel operations manager job description better, we’ve explained the main duties below.
Coordination With All Departments
A hotel operations manager coordinates with all departments to make sure that no daily operation is interrupted. The ultimate goal is to maintain and improve the quality of all services and offerings while increasing profits, simultaneously.
Operations managers analyze daily tasks in detail to spot any shortcomings or potential for betterment. Once analyzed and spotted, s/he may call a meeting or use other internal communication means to notify the concerned departments.
Similarly, in case of any unexpected problems like power breakdown, s/he also needs to timely take all the necessary departments on board to resolve the issue at its earliest. This ensures that the customer experience and, in turn, the business profit is not compromised.
Maintaining Quality and Standards
Hotel operations managers ensure adherence to brand standards to maximize customer satisfaction. This is done by keeping a check on the quality of all services offered by the hotel, and rectifying any issue if it shows up. Not to mention, quality control, especially in terms of cleanliness and hygiene, is a decisive factor in hoteling businesses.
The operations manager may conduct regular room inspections to assess if all standard operating procedures are being followed. If there’s any shortcoming, s/he needs to ensure that these standards remain at the heart of the daily functioning of the hotel.
The operations manager is also responsible for monitoring guest feedback. S/he analyzes the potential incorporation of all feedback, and if they’re applicable, the operations manager takes relevant departments on board.
Promoting a Culture of Excellence
Hotel operations managers maintain a sense of amiability among hotel employees just as the hotel maintains this sense with the customers. This makes the team more cooperative which improves organizational efficiency, which in turn generates more profit.
Operations managers implement various employee training programs that help generate this sense, besides enhancing their skills and knowledge. Operations managers can also design and implement a rewards program to garner employee trust and boost their morale.
They are also responsible for developing leadership skills across the organization. This can further boost their confidence, prepare them for future job promotions, and ensure efficient organizational running in case any unexpected circumstances occur.
Substituting For General Manager
Operations managers are a tier below general managers and are responsible for deputizing them in their absence. As discussed earlier, the main difference between the two roles is that the general manager has some additional duties including strategizing the business.
If the general manager’s post is vacant or if s/he is on leave, the operations manager will have to look after the finances, supply chain, human resources, and marketing as well as strategize them to ensure these vital business pillars stay intact.
The operations manager will also hold all necessary meetings with the stakeholders to ensure that all business progresses. S/he also needs to address their concerns timely, if any. These additional duties are to be performed without impacting any daily operations.
Working With the General Manager and Monitoring and Evolution Manager
General managers have to make wider decisions, and operations managers act as their eyes and ears. They are responsible for providing accurate and up-to-date information to help make strategic decisions impactful and meaningful. They also have to cooperate on several aspects and issues.
However, the coordination is not one-sided. Operations managers are responsible for providing business improvement recommendations too, which higher managers have to analyze and implement if possible.
Operations managers are also important with regard to the key performance indicators. They are responsible for their monitoring, implementation, and reporting to the higher management.
Staying Informed
Operations managers need to keep their hotel industry knowledge up to date. This helps the business flourish as the hotel will incorporate all the latest useful trends being followed elsewhere. For this purpose, operations managers should develop a strong network of relations across the industry.
To help build this network, operations managers usually participate in hospitality conferences, seminars, or workshops. They can also search for and analyze different hotel associations for broader contacts with other relevant businesses.
Depending on the hotel, an operations manager might only be able to spot and analyze relevant networking potentials and the ultimate decision will rest on the higher management.
Working the Administration
Operations managers are tasked with various administrative jobs usually associated with specific departments. They have their input, for instance, in budgeting, expense management, and cost-cutting since they have firsthand information on each area of operation.
Similarly, having direct interaction with employees, an operations manager is responsible for recommending to the human resource department the training and skills required in case of new hires.
Operations managers also need to be familiar with hotel management software to some degree. These may include enterprise resource management and point of sales to make sure that all financial transactions and records remain smooth.
Final Words
Hotel operations managers are tasked with executing and monitoring daily tasks to make sure that the business grows. Though their duties may vary from hotel to hotel, they usually have to maintain quality, friendly environment, administrative support, and inter-departmental coordination. They’re also responsible for providing informational input to the higher management, i.e., the general manager, to form future strategies smoothly.
It’d not be wrong to say that hotel operations managers are the backbone of hotel management. They provide the necessary link in a hotel both horizontally and vertically: between various departments and between senior and junior management. By knowing the job description, operations management aspirants can make informed decisions about their careers.
