We spoke to Benjamin Cassim, Senior Lecturer for a Diploma in Hospitality and Tourism Management at Temasek Polytechnic’s School of Business, about current hiring trends and industry-specific interview questions. He shares his wisdom here.
What are the current hiring trends for your particular industry of expertise? What are employers looking for, what’s the industry outlook, and what skills are they prizing?
Benjamin: In Singapore, there remains a staff shortage within the hospitality and tourism industry (this applies to all industry sectors).
The jobs available range from entry-level positions all the way up to senior management positions (in some cases).
Apart from using social media (particularly LinkedIn) to advertise available positions, employers are also actively reaching out to institutes of higher learning (IHLs) and universities, holding career fairs and participating in career fairs – all in an effort to connect with potential candidates.
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The job market for the Hospitality & Tourism industry in Singapore will remain robust, at least over the next 5-8 years.
Because of the current staff shortages, the industry focuses on transversal skills when looking for new hires. Its focus is on operational skills that can be learnt on the job. Technical skills are required for some positions, such as finance, accounting, and kitchen operations.
What industry-specific questions tend to be asked during interviews in your industry, and how are they best answered?
Benjamin: The questions asked during interviews will need to focus on some key areas:
- Dealing with difficult guests/visitors in pressure situations
- Steps one can take to add value to the guest experience
- Approaches one can take to better connect with guests/visitors from diverse cultural/national backgrounds
- How to use technology to enhance how you perform/execute your job
- Examples and experiences of being a part of a team to solve a problem
Are there any particular jobs in your industry that also have very specific questions, and how can they best be answered?
Benjamin: Here’s a quick summary of different types of roles in the hospitality and tourism industry below:
- Customer-facing positions – dealing with demanding guests; what does service recovery look like; creativity in enhancing guests’ experience
- Front office – hands-on experience with using a property management system, such as Opera, for a hotel
- Event specialists – past experiences in events; some basics in terms of how an event is managed
- Marketing (social media) – examples of candidates’ social media posts; ability to identify what makes a post-eye-catching and a good read
- Sales – communications skills and persuasiveness
Are there any technical or skill tests (written, hands-on or project) that could accompany an interview as part of the hiring process for any roles in your industry? What are they usually like, and what is the best way to approach them?
Benjamin: Here are some tests that employers tend to do at the interview stage:
- Customer service simulation (role-play scenarios) for communication skills, problem-solving, customer-centric responses/behaviour, etc.
- Tourism knowledge (for tour curation, travel consultants) – local knowledge regarding travel, tourist experiences, capturing memorable moments, etc.
- Language proficiency test
This article was done in collaboration with Temasek Polytechnic.
