Diversity in hospitality: how cultural inclusivity defines the industry

Stefano Battaglia

Glion Lecturer

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As the most global of industries, hospitality is powered by diversity – with large hotels typically having multiple nations represented among both guests and staff. Glion faculty member Stefano Battaglia takes a closer look at the challenges, and opportunities, of managing diversity in hospitality.

Once the preserve of the wealthy ‘jet set’, international travel is now accessible to an ever-growing proportion of the global population. This ‘democratization’ of travel is evident if you visit any typical major hotel lobby. You’ll hear different languages spoken, witness different dress codes, and experience different cultural customs.

That presents both a challenge and an opportunity for the hospitality industry, where customer service is king.

Using my experience of working as an HR business partner and learning & development consultant, I teach Glion students the leadership and intercultural skills they need to thrive in diverse settings. And in this feature, I want to discuss how diversity can be a building block to a premium customer experience, highlight some benefits of having a diverse workforce, and explore a few of the strategies a hospitality manager can deploy to promote diversity in the workplace.

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The importance of diversity in the hospitality industry

The first thing to note is that the hospitality industry already boasts quite a diverse workforce. In the UK, for example, around 40% of employees have a non-native background. The same is true for Switzerland, while in the US the number is a still substantial 30%.

Even so, the diversity seen among the workforce will often be dwarfed by that of the guests, who could literally be flying in from anywhere in the world. For customer-facing staff, that means meeting and greeting a never-ending array of nationalities, cultural histories, religious beliefs and other differences – all of which the guests themselves will expect to be understood and accommodated.

This process goes to the heart of what we do in a hotel, and the need to delight our guests to ensure they become returning customers (and give good reviews on sites like TripAdvisor). The good news is that intercultural communication is a skill that can be learned. In fact, it’s the subject of a course that I have begun teaching to Glion students as of this semester – a task that excites me greatly since this is an endlessly fascinating topic.

Looking away from the customer for a moment, there are other benefits to having a more diverse team. One of these is that it generally creates an environment which is more resilient and adaptable to the changes encountered in a dynamic and fast-moving business like hospitality. Hearing different perspectives on an issue helps us to plot the best solution, whereas monocultural thinking could mean we miss the winning idea.

From a business standpoint, having a workforce that is delighting customers (and feeling good for doing so), while finding great solutions to problems, means you have a happy employee base – and that almost certainly means less turnover of staff. This is very important in a business sector that has historically featured quite high turnover. Far better to keep great staff on board than to have to continually dip into the external talent pool.

Challenges of promoting diversity in hospitality

While there is much to applaud in the hospitality industry’s approach to diversity, it would be wrong not to acknowledge the challenges still to be overcome. Perhaps the most significant is how to take the impressive diversity we see at the operational level and translate it into the leadership sphere.

Taking gender as an example, we are still awaiting a female CEO to take the helm of a major multinational hotel company. Given that women make up around 70% of the total hospitality workforce that is clearly a significant omission. There’s too much talent out there – Maud Bailly at Accor and Karin Sheppard at IHG Hotels & Resorts to name but two – for this to remain the case forever; but outside the C-suite we also see gender imbalance in positions such as hotel general manager.

Of course, one way to correct such imbalances is through targets and quotas. For me, these have their benefits, but they can be something of a blunt instrument and, in the worst cases, can lead to people feeling that others view their promotion through the lens of quotas rather than pure merit.

Far better, in my view, is to adopt targets as goals while maintaining a meritocratic approach, at the same time ensuring that your inclusion strategy is well-formed, so individuals feel respected and valued. And of course, learning and development initiatives should be focused on helping high potential individuals make the leap to positions like GM confident that they are equipped with the tools for success.

Another challenge to promoting a more diverse workforce is the unconscious bias that many of us carry within us. It’s possible to train this out, but in hospitality it’s estimated that only around 30% of companies undertake unconscious bias training and other similar diversity training programs. I don’t think that’s enough, and I believe that more initiatives of this kind would greatly benefit groups who may feel marginalized within an organization.

Creating memorable guest experiences through diversity

Let’s turn back to the person who must be at the center of any hospitality story: the guest. And the key word to keep top of mind here is ‘personalization’. Throughout the hospitality business we are already harvesting and using data to personalize guest stays (allocating a favorite room, including bespoke amenities, etc.) but at a human level a guest’s experience should also be personalized to their cultural background.

This creates memorable guest experiences, enabling the guests to feel valued and respected. In addition, having staff who understand cultural differences helps to reduce the potential for conflict; something which is always a risk factor within a busy hotel environment.

Here, of course, being able to call upon a good range of language skills can be a huge asset. With international diversity often comes a range of languages, and being multilingual can be invaluable for success in client-facing hospitality roles. At Glion, for example, we offer elective language courses within our Bachelor’s degree curricula, to help our students stand out to potential employers.

It’s also essential to respect diversity in physical ability, with the onus on hotels to provide facilities suited to guests – and staff – who may use a wheelchair or have visual impairments, for example.

The importance of intercultural fluency

“With international diversity often comes a range of languages, and being multilingual can be invaluable for success in client-facing hospitality roles. At Glion, for example, we offer elective language courses within our Bachelor’s degree curricula, to help our students stand out to potential employers.”

Stefano Battaglia

Before exploring strategies to promote diversity, it’s important to consider the wider industry context. Hospitality was one of the sectors hardest-hit by Covid lockdowns, with enforced closures leading to significant staff shortages as many workers left the industry – many for good.

Finding and hiring quality employees remains challenging for hotels, and one way to attract job-seekers is by building a strong reputation for diversity and inclusion.

In addition, diversity and other human capital metrics are increasingly emphasized within ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) requirements, adding an important regulatory dimension

That means a crucial part of any diversity strategy is measurement; without accessible data, managers cannot effectively drive progress in promoting diversity.

To drive progress, hospitality managers have three key tools at their disposal:

• Implement diversity training programs – This includes unconscious bias training, as well as training on managing microaggressions, ageism, and cultural competency.
• Establish inclusive recruitment and hiring practices – Ensure that no one is excluded from your recruitment strategy based on race, social background, disability, or other characteristics.
• Cultivate a respectful and inclusive work environment – This means celebrating different cultures and, as a manager, leading by example to set the standard for your team. Coaching in self-awareness can also support this goal.

Conclusion

In the hospitality and F&B industries, embracing diversity has become a strategic necessity rather than a choice. Companies and leaders that prioritize inclusivity not only enhance employee satisfaction and retention but also create a richer guest experience by fostering environments where diverse perspectives can thrive.

Diversity enables businesses to respond more flexibly to the varied needs of a global clientele. At Glion, we recognize the importance of instilling these values in our students, equipping them to drive meaningful change in the industry. As we look to the future, continued efforts to expand diversity, especially at leadership levels, will be key in shaping a more inclusive and successful hospitality industry.

Photo credits

Main image: JohnnyGreig/Getty
Team break: keeproll/Getty
Guest service: Hispanolistic/Getty