The role of an interim manager in the hotel industry
In the hotel sector, it is common to use an interim manager for certain strategic positions. The Interim Manager may thus be called upon to manage one or more hotels for a specific period, replacing a manager who has gone on leave, training, work stoppage, etc.
Strongly impacted by the recent health crisis, the hotel sector is looking for innovative profiles, proactive and ready to quickly make high-stakes decisions.
To assume this very operational position under good conditions, the Interim Manager must have sufficient experience in the hotel and accommodation sector as well as real managerial know-how.
Find out everything you need to know about interim management in the hospitality industry .
Why hire an Interim Manager in the hospitality sector?
The hotel sector has experienced fundamental upheavals in recent years: the health crisis, in particular, has fundamentally reshuffled the cards. Faced with very sudden closures that they had not been able to anticipate, the hotels all had to review their internal organization and their commercial strategies.
In this context, the hotel establishments that know how to make the difference are those that are able to adapt to the expectations of the “next world”: new relationship with customers, new services offered, flexibility in the management of equipment and of course very scrupulous respect for health rules is now required in the hotel sector.
In addition to these constraints, there is a major challenge: the hotel sector is experiencing recruitment difficulties at all job levels. Candidates are becoming increasingly rare and departures are very numerous. Hotel establishments must therefore take care to maintain their high standards in their recruitment policy. They must be able to recruit totally different profiles in a single year and above all, they must be able to train newcomers to make them operational in a very short time.
In high-level managerial positions such as the management of a hotel or a hotel group, an interim manager specializing in hotel issues can really make a contribution.
What positions for an interim manager in the hotel industry?
The management of a hotel is the most classic of the positions occupied by interim managers in the hotel industry .
Very operational, the manager’s mission is then to make the establishment work. He must ensure the smooth running of services and staff, the quality of reception, customer satisfaction and the profitability of the hotel. This mission is fundamentally oriented on the ground and transition management: the hotel manager supervises the teams, ensures the application of all the rules of cleanliness and hygiene and the perfect satisfaction of all the Customers.
The role of an Interim Hotel Manager is also more strategic: it is the responsibility of the Interim Manager to manage the administrative and financial issues related to the operation of a hotel, such as the management of the premises with the owners and the insurance. , hotel management with the hotel chain, managing the establishment’s budget, defining needs in terms of recruitment and, if necessary, setting up specific training.
The Transition Manager can also ensure the interim management of a hotel group. Its mission is then to put in place a coherent group strategy, to define a common line and to ensure that all the hotel establishments follow this fixed direction.
The hotel industry also calls on Interim Managers on missions with strictly defined challenges: this sector subject to crucial recruitment issues can call on an Interim Manager who is an expert in human resources to set up a recruitment plan. making it possible to deal with a disengagement of talents.
Finally, a profile with knowledge of the new standards in progress with significant experience in CSR and OHS can be delegated to a group of hotels to train staff on the standards, in particular health rules and ensure their strict application.
What profile for an interim manager in the hotel industry?
A man in the field endowed with unfailing leadership, the interim hotel manager demonstrates unfailing investment.
He must not only know how to manage a team, but also be able to make decisions and ensure the logistical organization of an event.
Hospitality is a sector where staff are increasingly mobile. It is therefore necessary for the Interim Manager to have recruitment skills and know how to train and supervise his staff. He must be able to ensure a legal, social and tax watch in order to be able to answer all the questions of his Clients and his team.
To make a difference with his competitors, the Interim Manager must know how to communicate with his Clients in order to anticipate their needs and desires, he must know how to arouse the enthusiasm of his entire team to develop the pride of belonging to establishment and ensure that everyone feels involved in the life of the hotel.
Finally, he must be very comfortable with new technologies and know how to use them to bring more to the establishment: services and online booking, but also use of new tools to ensure day-to-day management.
What price for an interim manager in the hotel industry?
A transitional hotel manager represents a cost of approximately €1,500 per day . A price impacted by various parameters: size and profitability of the hotel, number of people managed and season when the Manager is assigned to the management of the hotel.