WE ❤️ HOSPITALITY - Jamal Siddiqui

The last year has been terrible for the hospitality sector. Most businesses have seen extreme financial challenges and its reputation as an employer has been severely affected. We are now hearing from many, many of our clients about their fears for the future from staff shortages to skills gaps and top mid-senior talent moving to other sectors.

Krishnan Doyle is sharing his conversations with service industry leaders and operators on all that is good about hospitality & catering with the purpose to improve the sector's reputation as one of the largest employer worldwide but also as a great place to develop your career. 

How did you get into leisure and fitness? 

I began my career in the leisure industry at the age of 19 as a casual attendant at the Mountbatten Centre in Portsmouth, which is my hometown. I worked there for some three years as a shift supervisor and gym instructor and cover duty manager.

My drive to enter the industry was purely led by the fact that I had always been a keen athlete, running for the Hampshire squad and a competition swimmer, plus training to become a karate instructor which I later achieved. It seemed entirely logical therefore to work in a sporting environment, where I felt at home with like-minded people and surrounded by sport and leisure. I have to say the pay in those days was considerably better often toping up my weekly paycheck with instructor rates and shift enhancement’s, which was later got rid of, in local authority run sites. My target was to become a GM of my own facility one day, this happened not too long after my initial baptism in the sector.

Do you think it is important to have studied a related topic to be a success in the sector? 

Absolutely key to success in any sector especially today. However, I do not feel it is necessary to study sport and leisure specific subjects, these give you a little insight but nothing that really aids in the day to day running of a busy leisure facility. My first leisure qualification was an HND in leisure management from Farnborough Technical college many years ago, I was proud at the time to having achieved this but found later on that it was really only a ticket to entry in the business. I do realise of course that times have changed but not to the degree that I would have expected. I have recently in the last two years spent time as a guest lecturer on several occasion for year two-degree student at Canterbury University, seeking a career in the leisure. I really enjoyed this, and the feedback was amazing and also gratifying. My point is that I was amazed that for the most part, the students seemed to know very little about life within leisure as a career. My purpose became as a result to inform them how and when and what they needed to get on in the industry.

My view on education having spent many years in the industry and in all sectors, would be to undertake generalist qualifications and not specialise, it does not make any difference to being hired or not, experience at entry level is always more important as the work is often very hands on and can be picked up very quickly, the lead in times for lower to middle management posts is short and can be learnt.

My basis for this argument is, the outside world e.g. retail, white goods, IT manufacturing etc...do not understand our business, it was quoted to me one day at an interview outside our industry that there perception was that we all ran around in shell suites and took keep fit classes, manager or not! Clearly, I had to correct, needless to say I did not get the job! (DHL). To this day I am of the same opinion, we are in the leisure market seen as a “soft industry”, known to be poorly paid. This reflects badly on our ability to attract calibre staff, which personally I have always struggled with.

Again, coming back to the question, yes, we must educate but do not isolate, if for example you are offered a master’s degree with leisure, do not take it. If you are offered an MBA or MA take it, this will benefit you more in the long run and leave you with a broader set of opportunities in the future. I for one did exactly that and qualified with an MBA in strategic management, which everyone understands in the marketplace, especially for senior posts.

Which leader / figure inspired you and why?

I have always looked up to inspiration leaders, none within our industry, but mostly from the world of politics and world leaders. 

Mahatma Ghandi I found to be a true inspiration and would only be found in an eastern country. I must say also that my Grandfather who I sadly never met, to me is someone I truly respect for his work in the propagation of Islam in the name of peace, compassion and tolerance. I find the world leaders today lacking in qualities such as truth, leadership, honesty and integrity.

What keeps you in the sector and why to you enjoy working in it? 

I was fortunate to retire at the age of 55 but still remain close to the coal face in terms of recruitment within our sector. I have always and still do love our industry with a passion and would like to play a part in it again should the opportunity arise, but for now I am content in the knowledge that I did make a difference.=

Tell us about the development / training that you give to your teams and management

My view is that you come to the industry with set of qualifications, the rest can be learnt on the job. After a period of settling in training can be evaluated to the specific needs of the business having already met some basic criteria. I offered sponsorship of courses to those members of staff that in my view showed promise and dedication and would be a long-term asset to the business. For others I did not and for so many a job in the leisure industry can be short lived, (whilst at university for example). I would not waste my time or company money on individuals who don’t really want to be there, this becomes apparent quite quickly.

What advice would you give to those starting out in the sector? 

I think I have really covered this in the above paragraphs.

Undertake generalist qualifications, to keep your options open later on in your career.

If your manager offers you training or coaching courses, take them all, it all looks good on your CV.

Prepare a decent CV, have someone experienced help you with it, I have seen some awful CVs!

Be prepared to earn low pay for some years unless you have two jobs.

Be prepared to undertake all sorts of jobs when you arrive and remain flexible to your employers. I do not choose between a CEO or a cleaner, if it’s dirty clean it, if someone needs help then assist them, all too often I have heard from my staff that “this is not my job”? My answer is, would it be OK if I did it then? Because I do it. I refer to rubbish on floors dirty changing rooms etc.

Know your product well and be ready to answer a lot of questions from the public and clients.

If you could go back and tell yourself one piece of advice as you started your career, what would it be? 

I would never have bothered changing sectors at various times in my career, it did me no good, again - other sectors do not understand what we do and see us as a soft target.

If you would like to take part as a leader in this thriving sector, get in touch with Krishnan (krishnan@corecruitment.com)