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Showing posts from 2022

Hospitality Students Made Plans for the Winter Break and New Year

Bells are ringing, and the New Year is around the corner. Have you made plans for the holiday already?     I got a chance to check on four hospitality students at Cal Poly Pomona lately about their plans for the winter break. Our students feel appreciated about their in-person campus life and hope for a new academic year.     The student profiles     Bianca Louise N. Del Castillo , a second-year master’s student in the M.S. Program in Hospitality Management.   Brandon J. Oceguera , a first-year student with a focus on food and beverage. He now works in a country club in Orange County.   Destiny S. Wallace , a first-year student with a focus on lodging.   Jordan A. Garcia-Nazarit , a veteran and a junior with a hospitality major. He is also the President of the Hospitality Management Council, the central representative body of student organizations and Associated Students, Inc (ASI) within the Collins College of Hospitality Management.  ...

Facing Challenge of the Labor Shortage in Hospitality Industry (by Fung Ling Wong)

The hotel and restaurant industries have experienced a recession in the past two years and encountered difficulties. Nowadays, the hotel and restaurant industry has been recovering. Meanwhile, the hospitality industry needs to confront the severe problem of labor shortage.  Manipulating strategy to overcome labor shortages According to the American Hotel & Lodging Association (ALHA), the rate of job vacancies in the hotel industry is very high. The hotel industry has 91 percent of job vacancies that cannot be filled. In addition, 87 percent of hotels encountered a lack of staff. Additionally, Hospitality Asset Managers Association (HAMA) is concerned about the labor market. Matt Arrants is the president of the HAMA. He mentioned that labor is an important asset. A good employee can provide good services to the customers and help the business increase sales. During the pandemic, many hotel employees left their jobs. Some employees resigned from their jobs. However, many employee...

Going Digital: Human Resource Management (by Kelli Doan)

Technology has now become part of an employee’s daily work and a new way of life. This transformation creates an all-in workforce approach, with engaged employees that make up a more diverse workforce.    The Future of the Workforce   The workforce will continue to be diverse, with different generations constantly entering and exiting. There need to be new ways to achieve productivity while maintaining simplicity. Constantly upskilling employees in a way that appeals to them will contribute to productivity.  Technology as an Enabler: New technology and products will continue to change how we work. Embrace Disruption: “Change is the only constant.”  Utilize Information Technology: Social media will always yield better and faster results. Excellent Iteration: Projects develop at a fast pace to match evolving employees. Expectations. Move quickly through development and constantly ask for feedback. Be comfortable with smaller steps and changes. Delegate: Managers s...

Substance Abuse Among Restaurant Workers (by Francisco Diaz)

Every Friday evening, masses of people kick off their weekends by dining out; some go to their favorite restaurant, while others try out one of the newest places that are trending. They settle in, admire the quick and friendly service, and show delight in the food that has been meticulously plated and presented before them. They make sure to snap a photo of their dish “for the ‘gram” before digging in; they enjoy their meal and then head home while rubbing their bellies, ready for their next couple of days of rest and relaxation.  What many of these diners do not see is the Chef in the kitchen who is approaching hour thirteen of their workday, can’t remember their last day off, and is surviving on a combination of Oxycontin and Xanax to not only help relieve the aches and pains caused by the physical toll that years of work in the kitchen does to a body but to also help cope with the emotional pain caused by the damage that the demand that being a successful chef has on their perso...

Hospitality College in California Hosted "Welcome BBQ" as Its First Big In-Person Campus Event Since COVID

The Collins College of Hospitality Management at Cal Poly Pomona, one of the largest hospitality colleges on the West Coast, hosted a long overdue in-person event on campus on August 30. As a tradition, the College usually hosts a Welcome Barbeque in the first few weeks of the academic year to welcome hospitality students back to school.     In the past two years, most in-person campus events in the State of California have been put on hold due to strict social distancing guidelines. The Collins College brought back its proud tradition with a Habit Burger food truck and a Kona Ice truck (shave ice).   The Turnout   Over 300 hospitality students showed up at the cookout. They greeted and met with the faculty, staff, and administrators. They also got a chance to talk to different student clubs in the college and took part in some fun activities onside (e.g., photo booth, swag, door prizes, etc.)     The Feedback   The event was a great success. A survey ...

Does it matter if a candidate looks “good” in virtual interviews and on LinkedIn when HR managers make the initial hiring decisions?

Technology-mediated interviews (TMIs), such as videoconferencing and asynchronous interviews, can help both companies and job applicants save time and money in the selection process. The social distance mandates and people’s concerns about the widespread coronavirus during the pandemic have accelerated TMIs’ adoption. While the global economy is getting out of the pandemic, TMIs will likely stay, especially during the initial screening stage, as more companies want to embrace the four-day work week and the remote work trends. Besides TMIs, more HR managers use job candidates’  LinkedIn profiles  to access their qualifications and overall organization fit. It becomes prudent for hiring managers and job seekers to understand how job candidates’ TMI performance and LinkedIn profiles might jointly affect HR managers’ hiring decisions in the real world. The research Accordingly, I worked on a project with  R.L. Fernando Garcia  at SM Hotels and Conventions Corporation in ...

Are you worried if you would get penalized for choosing remote work?

Many people were forced to work from home when the pandemic hit. After two years of remote work, people have discovered the benefits that remote work offers. People want  the flexibility   of where, how, when, and how much they work, but companies have begun demanding workers to work in the office. More people become anxious about their careers if they continue working from home.      Where does the anxiety come from?     Some companies have already required employees to resume in-person work five days a week; others still offer hybrid work schedules or fully remote work to employees. The   anxiety   arises when employees worry that their choice of remote work would hurt their careers.     “If you want a job, stay remote all the time. If you want a career, engage with the rest of us in the office. … No judgment on which you pick, but don’t be surprised or disappointed by certain outcomes.”   said a CEO of an investment banking ...