When should you call on the services of a short term manager in the hospitality sector?
A manager is a person who leads his or her team, defining work methods and priorities. This is done with the sole aim of achieving the company’s objectives, while establishing a certain benevolence with employees.
The short term management profession has been booming since its creation in France in the 1980s. Although it got off to a shaky start, the number of short term managers has been rising sharply of late. It is, as the name suggests, a temporary job, with average assignments lasting 7 months. Long associated with a company’s redundancy plan, short term managers now have a positive image.
This explains why they are being used more and more frequently. In fact, even companies that have never used a short term manager before are now in favor. The position can be found in a wide variety of fields, including finance and industry. The hotel industry is no exception.
When to call on a manager ?
Companies often decide to call in a short term manager to deal with an exceptional, special situation. This may or may not be a crisis situation. It could be a manager shortage, an increase in activity, or seasonal activity. Or for project management, change management, etc.
The short term manager is considered an expert in his or her field. They provide an answer to a problem, or an organizational solution, or sometimes both. He’s a hands-on person who knows the issues involved in his business. As a specialist, he or she is immediately operational, and knows how to deal with all kinds of situations.
The hotel industry is renowned for its labor shortages and recruitment difficulties. Hospitality professions are considered to be “hard” jobs, in particular because of the time, organizational and physical constraints involved.
Faced with a growing crisis in the hospitality industry, the short term manager could be the answer to staff turnover and help build employee loyalty. Increasingly, the human factor is becoming a central concern for companies looking to regain a sense of cohesion. In the face of employment difficulties in the hotel industry, a short term manager could provide a solution.
The advantages of using a manager in the hotel industry
This is often a transitional solution. As experts, short term managers, who are generally recruited for shorter or longer assignments, are highly experienced. They have worked for a wide range of companies in France, and often abroad. This multi-terrain professionalism gives them a great capacity to analyze situations and issues, and to find suitable outlets. It’s an outside viewpoint that brings fresh eyes and new solutions.
These often long-term solutions will have an undeniable effect on the company’s performance. Better organization, optimized workflows and objectives will have a positive impact. Companies often give short term managers a central role for the duration of their assignments.
The use of an short term manager in the hotel industry can be carried out either through a “portage salarial” firm, or directly with the manager, who will be independent. Whatever the reason for the manager’s intervention (crisis situation, reorganization, etc.), he or she will be able to pinpoint the difficulties and provide solutions. The short term manager is a local expert.
