WE ❤️ HOSPITALITY - Tom Wortley

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 hotels & resorts? 

I was a late bloomer, just 4 years ago at the age of 41! A chance conversation with a fantastic Hotel GM, (Andrew Mosley Grand Hotel Brighton) whilst staying to run the Brighton Half Marathon.  Andrew has known me since I was 15 and we were discussing what I was up to career wise and he made it clear that I had to move into being a hotel GM as I had the knowledge of people and product management on a large scale from restaurants and bars alongside being immersed in it by my parents’ careers.

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

With hindsight, I would definitely have studied a relevant topic to and joined a major hotel company much earlier in my career.  Without doubt I would have had a much stronger foundation to progress and pursue a hotel management career.  However, hopefully my journey too also illustrates there is no set pattern and if you are motivated enough you can achieve whatever you set out to in time.

Which leader / figure inspired you and why? 

I guess my late father has been by biggest inspiration in terms of career and it wasn’t until his passing that I even considered the world of hotel management.  He was a absolute people person who gave his all to his team, guests and friends. This was really brought home to me by how many people who worked with him have gone on to be hugely successful and speak very fondly of his input into their own careers.

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

My favourite things are people and products…I’m a hospitality geek! These are the two things I’m most inspired by at work and combining them at a high level can give such huge enjoyment in the hospitality world.

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

Personally, I always try a combination of nurture, empower and challenge. Everybody works differently and to different motivations, personally I love finding the nuances to keep people performing to a high level in our business.

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

Target a position in the environment you want to work in.  The environment that matches your personality will give you the best chance to succeed and grow your career.  The world of hospitality is very switched on to this now and there are some outstanding employers now in the market across all segments.

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

Get into hotels straightaway!  My own path has definitely not been a straight line, but it does prove that if you really want something you can achieve it, given a plan and persistence.

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