Hospitality Industry Skills List and

Examples
The hospitality industry is a consistent form of employment in many areas, and a great place for
young people to break into the professional world. While many positions are entry-level, others
demand much skill and offer both great prestige and excellent compensation.

Here is a list of skills that employers seek in candidates for employment in the hospitality
industry. You can use this list to identify which relevant skills you already have and which you
should feature those in your application materials and job interview.

This list is not exclusive.

Some businesses may look for additional skills, which is why it is important to read job
descriptions carefully. Also, many hotels also hire for positions that are not particularly
distinctive of the hospitality industry, such as office staff.

Hospitality Industry Skills

Hotel Operations
Hotels employ front-desk staff, housekeeping staff, restaurant staff, managers, and sometimes
porters, event planners, and a concierge, depending on the type of hotel. Most of these
positions require excellent customer service skills, attention to detail, team work, and good
personal grooming. Creative problem-solving (because travelers sometimes have unexpected
problems) and a thorough knowledge of local resources and attractions are important as well.

 Hotel Front Desk / Guest Services Skills

 Concierge Skills

Food Service
Food service includes everything from fast food to working as a server in a high-end restaurant.

All of these jobs require excellent customer service skills, careful attention to detail (forgetting a
minor detail could give a customer food poisoning or trigger a life-threatening allergy), and a
thorough knowledge of the restaurant’s current offerings. The work is fast-paced, and a good
memory is crucial.

 Fast Food Worker Skills

 Food Server Skills List
 Waiter / Waitress Skills
 Restaurant and Food Service Skills

Food and Beverage Preparation

Food and beverage preparation may include customer service (for example, for bar tenders or
coffee baristas), or these jobs may be entirely behind the scenes (for example, line cooks). In
addition to specific skill using the tools of the trade, such as espresso machines and kitchen
equipment, more general abilities are absolutely required. These include, again, attention to
detail, plus a commitment to safety, the ability to work well as part of a team, and the ability to
work quickly and calmly in a high-pressure environment.

 Barista Skills for Resumes

 Bartender Skills List
 Chef Skills List

Maintenance and Cleaning

Someone has to keep restaurants, hotels, and clubs clean and sanitary. Other work includes
repairing equipment, changing light bulbs, and replacing broken locks on bathroom stall doors,
for example. There is substantial overlap between the custodial and maintenance skills sets,
and some positions may combine both roles to some extent. These skills include everything
from the safe and appropriate use of cleaning chemicals to basic electrical repair and carpentry.

Teamwork is often important, as is a strong work ethic.

 Maintenance and Janitorial Skills List

Management
Hospitality management requires skills some that are specific to the industry and others that are
important in any management context. When applying for such a position you will have to
demonstrate teamwork, leadership, budgeting, strategic thinking, customer service, and a
thorough understanding of your specific business—whether that means being able to speak
intelligently about food and wine for a restaurant manager, to understanding when the busy
season is for your hotel and why.

 Hotel and Resort Management Skills

 Management Skills List
 Soft Skills for Managers

Personal Skills
Your personal attributes are also known as soft skills. Your technical skills and credentials will
get your resume noticed and open the door for an interview, but it is your soft skills that will
convince the interviewer that you are the right person for the job.

They are called “soft” because they are difficult to clearly define and assess, but they are
critical. These include the social skills that allow you to work harmoniously with other employees
and the maturity to responsibly manage your workload and to adapt to changing situations.

 Interpersonal Skills List

 Leadership Skills List
 Top 10 Leadership Skills
 Organizational Skills List
 List of Soft Skills
 Top 7 Soft Skills
 List of Teamwork Skills
 Time Management Skills
 Top 10 Leadership Skills
Whether one is an office manager or a project leader, all good leaders require a number
of soft skills to help them positively interact with employees or team members.
Employers seek these skills in the candidates they hire for leadership roles. Here are
the top 10 skills that make a strong leader in the workplace.

Incorporating Skills into Your Job Search

You can use the skill words listed below as you search for jobs. For example, apply the
terms in your resume, especially in the description of your work history. You can
also incorporate them into your cover letter. Mention one or two of the skills mentioned
here, and give specific examples of instances when you demonstrated these traits at
work.

You can also use these words in your interview. Keep the top skills listed here in mind
during your interview, and be prepared to give examples of how you've exemplified
each.

Each job will require different skills and experiences, so make sure you read the job
descriptioncarefully, and focus on the skills listed by the employer. These words will be
especially useful when answering questions about leadership. Also review our list
of skills listed by job and type of skill.

Top 10 Leadership Soft Skills

1. Communication

As a leader, you need to be able to clearly and succinctly explain to your employees
everything from organizational goals to specific tasks. Leaders must master all forms
of communication, including one-on-one, departmental, and full-staff conversations, as
well as communication via the phone, email, and social media.

A large part of communication involves listening. Therefore, leaders should establish a

steady flow of communication between themselves and their staff or team members,
either through an open-door policy or regular conversations with workers. Leaders
should make themselves regularly available to discuss issues and concerns with
employees. Other skills related to communication include:

 Active listening
 Articulating
 Business storytelling
 Clarity
 Concision
 Correspondence
 Editing
 Explaining
 Expression
 Facilitating group conversations
 Nonverbal communication
 Presentation
 Public speaking
 Reading body language
 Reducing ambiguity
 Verbal communication
 Written communication

2. Motivation

Leaders need to inspire their workers to go the extra mile for their organizations; just
paying a fair salary to employees is typically not enough inspiration (although it is
important too). There are a number of ways to motivate your workers: you may build
employee self-esteem through recognition and rewards, or by giving employees new
responsibilities to increase their investment in the company.

Leaders must learn what motivators work best for their employees or team members to
encourage productivity and passion. Skills related to effective motivation include:
  Allowing employee autonomy
 Asking for input
 Assessing interests of staff
 Convincing
 Mentoring
 Open to employee concerns
 Persuasive
 Providing productive and challenging work
 Providing rewards
 Recognizing others
 Setting effective goals
 Team-building
 Thanking staff
 Understanding employee differences

3. Delegating

Leaders who try to take on too many tasks by themselves will struggle to get anything
done. These leaders often fear that delegating tasks is a sign of weakness, when in fact
it is a sign of a strong leader.

Therefore, you need to identify the skills of each of your employees, and assign duties
to each employee based on his or her skill set. By delegating tasks to staff members,
you can focus on other important tasks. Some skills that make a good delegator include:

 Accepting feedback from employees

 Allotting resources for employees
 Assessing employee strengths and weaknesses
 Defining expectations
 Evaluating employee performance
 Identifying measurable outcomes
 Matching the task to the right employee
 Prioritizing tasks
  Setting expectations
 Teamwork
 Time management
 Training
 Trust in employees

4. Positivity

A positive attitude can go a long way in an office. You should be able to laugh at
yourself when something doesn't go quite as planned; this helps create a happy and
healthy work environment, even during busy, stressful periods. Simple acts like asking
employees about their vacation plans will develop a positive atmosphere in the office,
and raise morale among staff members. If employees feel that they work in a positive
environment, they will be more likely to want to be at work, and will therefore be more
willing to put in the long hours when needed.

Some skills that help make for a positive atmosphere in the workplace include:

 Caring
 Conflict management
 Developing rapport
 Diplomacy
 Encouraging
 Empathetic
 Friendliness
 Helping others
 Humor
 Interpersonal
 Positive reinforcement
 Respect
 Social
5. Trustworthiness

Employees need to be able to feel comfortable coming to their manager or leader with
questions and concerns. It is important for you to demonstrate your integrity –
employees will only trust leaders they respect.

By being open and honest, you will encourage the same sort of honesty in your
employees. Here are some skills and qualities that will help you convey your
trustworthiness as a leader:

 Ability to apologize
 Accountability
 Business ethics
 Confidentiality
 Conscientious
 Consistent in behavior towards employees
 Credibility
 Emotional intelligence
 Empathy
 Honesty
 Integrity
 Moral compass
 Reliability
 Respectfulness
 Standing up for what is right
 Thoughtful

6. Creativity

As a leader, you have to make a number of decisions that do not have a clear answer;
you therefore need to be able to think outside of the box.

Learning to try nontraditional solutions, or approaching problems in nontraditional ways,

will help you to solve an otherwise unsolvable problem. Most employees will also be
impressed and inspired by a leader who doesn't always choose the safe, conventional
path. Here are some skills related to creative thinking:

 Analytical
 Cognitive flexibility
 Conceptualization
 Critical thinking
 Curiosity
 Embracing different cultural perspectives
 Foresight
 Identifying patterns
 Imaginative
 Innovative
 Listening to others’ ideas
 Making abstract connections
 Observation
 Open-mindedness
 Problem solving
 Sound judgment
 Synthesizing
 Visionary

7. Feedback

Leaders should constantly look for opportunities to deliver useful information to team
members about their performance. However, there is a fine line between offering
employees advice and assistance, and micromanaging. By teaching employees how to
improve their work and make their own decisions, you will feel more confident
delegating tasks to your staff.

Employees will also respect a leader who provides feedback in a clear but empathetic
way. Some skills for giving clear feedback include:
  Being open to receiving feedback
 Building confidence in employees
 Clarity
 Clearly laying out expectations
 Coaching
 Following up
 Frequent feedback
 Listening to employees’ responses
 Mentoring
 Positive reinforcement
 Providing specific advice
 Respectful

8. Responsibility

A leader is responsible for both the successes and failures of his or her team.
Therefore, you need to be willing to accept blame when something does not go
correctly.

If your employees see their leader pointing fingers and blaming others, they will lose
respect for you. Accept mistakes and failures, and then devise clear solutions for
improvement. Here are some skills and qualities that help leaders convey their
responsibility:

 Acknowledging mistakes
 Being open to customer feedback
 Evaluating best solutions
 Forecasting
 Learning from past mistakes
 Listening to feedback from employees and managers
 Project planning
 Reflectiveness
 Resolving problems
  Transparency
 Trouble shooting

9. Commitment

It is important for leaders to follow through with what they agree to do. You should be
willing to put in the extra hours to complete an assignment; employees will see this
commitment and follow your example.

Similarly, when you promise your staff a reward, such as an office party, you should
always follow through. A leader cannot expect employees to commit to their jobs and
their tasks if he or she cannot do the same. Some skills related to commitment in the
workplace include:

 Applying feedback
 Commitment to company objectives
 Determination
 Embracing professional development
 Following through
 Keeping promises
 Passion
 Perseverance
 Prioritization
 Professionalism
 Team player
 Work ethic

10. Flexibility

Mishaps and last-minute changes always occur at work. Leaders need to be flexible,
accepting whatever changes come their way. Employees will appreciate your ability to
accept changes in stride and creatively problem solve.
Similarly, leaders must be open to suggestions and feedback. If your staff is dissatisfied
with an aspect of the office environment, listen to their concern and be open to making
necessary changes. Employees will appreciate a leader's ability to accept appropriate
feedback. Skills related to flexibility include:

 Ability to learn new skills

 Ability to respond to new problems or issues
 Adaptability
 Improvising
 Negotiating
 Open to feedback
 Recognizing individuals’ strengths and skills
 Treating employees as individuals

What are the types of leadership?

Soft Skills List and Examples

Soft skills are the personal attributes you need to succeed in the workplace. These are often
related to how you work with others – in other words, these are people skills. Soft skills are
different from hard skills, which are directly relevant to the job you are applying for. These are
often more quantifiable, and easier to learn. A hard skill for a carpenter, for example, might be
the ability to operate a power saw or use framing squares.

Regardless of the job you're applying for, you need at least some soft skills. Employers want
employees who are able to effectively interact with others. These skills are also very hard to
teach, so employers want to know that job candidates already have these skills.

Below is a list of six important soft skills that most employers look for in employees. It includes
lists of related soft skills that employers also tend to seek in job applicants. Develop these skills
and emphasize them in job applications, resumes, cover letters, and interviews. The closer a
match your credentials are to what the employer is looking for, the better your chances of
getting hired.

How to Use Skills Lists

You can use the skill words listed below as you search for jobs. For example, include the terms
in your resume, especially in the description of your work history. You can also incorporate them
into your cover letter.
Mention one or two of the skills mentioned here, and give specific examples of instances when
you demonstrated these traits at work.

You can also use these words in your interview. Keep the top skills listed here in mind during
your interview, and be prepared to give examples of how you've exemplified each.

Each job will require different skills and experiences, so make sure you read the job
descriptioncarefully, and focus on the skills listed by the employer. Also review our lists of skills
listed by job and type of skill.

Top Soft Skills

Communication Skills
Communication skills are important in almost every job. You will likely need to communicate
with people, whether they are clients, customers, colleagues, employers, or vendors. You will
need to be able to clearly and politely speak with people in person, over the phone, and in
writing.

You will also likely need to be a good listener. Employers want employees who can not only
communicate their own ideas, but also listen empathetically to others. Listening is a particularly
important skill in customer service jobs.

 Able to listen
 Listening
 Negotiation
 Nonverbal communication
 Persuasion
 Presentation
 Public speaking
 Read body language
 Storytelling
 Verbal communication
 Visual communication
 Writing reports and proposals
 Writing skills

Critical Thinking
No matter what the job, employers want candidates who can analyze a situation and make an
informed decision. Whether you are working with data, teaching students, or fixing a home
heating system, you need to be able to understand problems, think critically, and come up with
solutions.

Skills related to critical thinking include creativity, flexibility, and curiosity.

 Adaptable
 Artistic sense
 Creativity
 Critical observer
 Critical thinking
 Design sense
  Desire to learn
 Flexible
 Innovator
 Logical thinking
 Problem solving
 Research
 Resourceful
 Think outside the box
 Tolerant of change and uncertainty
 Troubleshooting
 Value education
 Willing to learn

Leadership
While not every job opening is a leadership role, most employers will want to know that you
have the ability to make decisions when push comes to shove, and manage situations and
people. If it is a job that has the potential for advancement, the employer will want to know that
you have what it takes to become a leader in the future.

Other skills related to leadership include the ability to resolve problems and conflicts between
people, and to make executive decisions.

 Conflict management
 Conflict resolution
 Deal making
 Decision making
 Delegation
 Dispute resolution
 Facilitating
 Give clear feedback
 Inspiring
 Leadership
 Management
 Managing difficult conversations
 Managing remote teams
 Managing virtual teams
 Meeting management
 Mentoring
 Motivating
 Project management
 Resolving issues
 Successful coach
 Supervising
 Talent management

Positive Attitude
Employers are always looking for someone who will bring a positive attitude to the office. They
want employees who will be friendly to others, eager to work, and generally a pleasure to be
around.
  Confident
 Cooperative
 Courteous
 Energetic
 Enthusiastic
 Friendly
 High energy
 Honest
 Patient
 Respectable
 Respectful
 Sense of humor
 Work-life balance

Teamwork
Hiring managers look for job candidates who can work well with others. Whether you will be
doing a lot of team projects, or simply attending a few department meetings, you need to be
able to work effectively with the people around you. You need to be able to work with others
even if you do not always see eye to eye.

Some skills related to teamwork include the ability to negotiate with others, and to recognize
and appreciate diversity and difference in a team. Another related skill is the ability to accept
and apply feedback from others.

 Accept feedback
 Collaborative
 Customer service
 Deal with difficult situations
 Deal with office politics
 Disability awareness
 Diversity awareness
 Emotional intelligence
 Empathetic
 Establish interpersonal relationships
 Experience dealing with difficult personalities
 Intercultural competence
 Interpersonal skills
 Influential
 Networking
 Persuasive
 Self-awareness
 Selling skills
 Social skills
 Team building
 Team player

Work Ethic
Employers want job candidates with a strong work ethic. People with a strong work ethic
complete tasks on time, stay focused, and stay organized. They are able to budget their time
and complete their work thoroughly. While they can work independently, people with a strong
work ethic can also follow instructions.

A strong work ethic is difficult to teach, so employers will be impressed if you can demonstrate
your strong work ethic in your job application.

 Attentive
 Business ethics
 Competitive
 Dedicated
 Dependable

 Follow direction
 Highly organized
 Independent
 Make deadlines
 Motivated
 Multitasking
 Organization
 Perseverant
 Persistent
 Planning
 Proper business etiquette
 Punctual
 Reliable
 Resilient
 Results oriented
 Scheduling
 Self-directed
 Self-monitoring
 Self-supervising
 Stay on task
 Strategic planning
 Time management
 Trainable
 Work well under pressure