What personal attributes and skills does a hospitality employer look for in a potential employee?

Have a look at our list and you’ll soon realise that the key attributes and skills are pretty similar to what you’d need to get a job in other industries.

So, even if you don’t plan to stay in hospitality forever, these attributes and skills will be transferable to so many other occupations.

Personal attributes and skills

You can’t really fake these things but you can learn them if you put your mind to it. Here’s our top 19, in no particular order:

• Reliability - as simple as turning up to work on time!
• Commonsense - taking a logical approach to tasks, thinking before you act, not being impulsive.
• Initiative - ability to make your own (informed) decisions when you’re faced with a new situation - employers shouldn’t need to spoon-feed you (but don’t think you can’t ask questions if you get stuck).
• Honesty - being trustworthy, acting with integrity - employers look for employees who are going to give them straight answers and admit to mistakes, and who won’t put their fingers in the till!
• Enthusiasm - having a positive attitude and being motivated to work - act like you’re enjoying yourself and you probably will!
• Commitment - taking the responsibility of work seriously, turning up for your shifts, and being focused when you’re on the clock.
• Well-groomed appearance - dressing neatly (polish those shoes!), ensuring you have clean hair and nails, practising good hygiene
• Positive self-esteem - holding yourself confidently and having belief in your own worth.
• Sense of humour - ability to see the light side of things - while you shouldn’t act the clown, don’t take yourself too seriously.
• Adaptability - being flexible - every customer and every day is different!
• Loyalty - respecting your employer and workmates, not bad-mouthing others, respecting confidentiality (such as not giving trade secrets to the competition).
• Customer service - it’s what hospitality is all about: attending to the needs and wants of customers - exceed their expectations.
• Communication skills - ability to communicate clearly with customers, workmates, and your employer, and to understand what it is each needs and wants.
• Teamwork - invariably you will need to be able to work as part of a team - in some positions, you will need the ability to lead.
• Problem solving - problems arise daily and need to be solved swiftly and to the satisfaction of your customer and employer.
• Organisation and time management - ability to plan, prioritise, and manage your time.
• Ability to work under pressure - ability to multi-task and work quickly in hospitality "peak hour" with a lot of activity happening around you.
• Ability to learn - no one expects you to know it all in the beginning - listen and learn, ask questions, and try not to make the same mistake twice.
• Computer skills - technology plays a bigger and bigger role in hospitality - in hotel receptions (reservations, check-ins, check-outs), on the restaurant floor and in kitchens (meal orders), and in the office (stock levels, financial reports).