Engineering department or the maintenance department is a back side department that does not maintain any contact with guests. Yet it is a highly important segment of the hospitality industry as it keeps all the electronics and mechanical equipment healthy and in running conditions. The broad category of the engineering department includes fire protection, waste management, energy management, safety and security, electrical, mechanical, and civil. The primary aim of the department is to ensure that all guest rooms associated concerns are resolved prior to guest arrival. The department also looks into backlog issues to plan and staff for them. It provides two types of maintenance services- Preventive Maintenance, and Breakdown or Corrective Maintenance.
Engineering department plays a vital role in smooth functioning of a hotel. It delivers utility services such as refrigeration, air-conditioning, hot water, steam, and electricity. The department is also responsible for maintaining engineering and services of the diverse equipment used inside a hotel. A smooth flowing of services is essential for maintaining guest happiness. Hence, the engineering department indirectly contributes to guest satisfaction and the revenues of a hotel. It is responsible for all engineering-related works inside a hotel like minor repairs, energy management, waste management, painting and patch work, fire equipment maintenance, normal cleaning, heavy cleaning, audio visual equipment maintenance, electrical and electronics maintenance, mechanical maintenance like taking care of air conditioners, refrigerators, ventilator, and heating, care of swimming pools and hotel grounds, and civil engineering,
Sales and marketing department is a vital part of the hospitality industry as it maintains the guest flow inside a facility. The department thinks of new ways to attract guests and increase revenue. Its task is to promote and sell the hotel facilities so that there is a steady inflow of the guests. A sales and marketing professional works to maximize the revenues of a hotel through program development to augment occupancy and use the leisure, meetings, and accommodation facilities in a profitable manner. Hence, the sales and marketing department plays an important role in the hotel’s revenue generation.
The sales and marketing manager should have an awareness of the factors that impact the hospitality industry and acquire an in-depth comprehension of the customers’ requirements and attitudes. The job includes coordinating promotional and marketing initiatives to fulfill guest requirements and working in close collaboration with different departments in the hotel to maximize guests’ satisfaction during their stay at the facility.
Finance department in a hotel ensures that the best is offered at the minimal expense. The traditional role of finance department in a hotel is different from the corporate office. Here, the department tracks the expense of running the hotel and ensures that there is a profit. Although a majority of jobs are purely financial, yet, the finance department needs to have an operational knowledge of hotel rooms and food and beverage outlets. The finance team must also be skillful in dealing with people and leading challenging conversations like negotiation.
Different level of professional is tasked with a different responsibility. Director of Finance oversees the entire department and ensure timely and proficient completion of all critical jobs. Assistant Director of Finance works directly under the Director of Finance and acts as a link between the leadership team and the other finance professionals. Purchasing Manager ensures the maintenance of good’s quality, gets rebates and deals, and maintains the contract between external suppliers and the hotel. Income Auditor ensures the correct recording of hotel income. Cost Controller controls the costs by ensuring that the purchased goods’ prices are correct. Financial Controller manages the everyday departmental operations.
As a service-dependent industry, hospitality thrives on customer service and professionals offering these services- the employees. Hence, it is vital to keep the employees happy and this job is done by the human resource department. The job of human resource is to recruit, interview, and hire staff to fulfill different roles within the hotels. Human resource also acts as a bridge between employees and management for effective communication and handling of concerns and serves as a negotiator between management and union leaders. It attracts, motivates, and places employees in various hotel departments. Motivated and happy employees provide the preferred form of customer service needed for hotel’s success.
The hospitality industry suffers from the problem of employee satisfaction and retention. Hence, the job of the HR is two-fold- cultivation of dedicated and skilled talent pool and retention of employees within a demanding environment. The department also investigates any claims of misconduct and delivers suitable corrective measures to ascertain that the hotel operates on a zero-tolerance policy towards crimes and discriminations.
The security department is a vital segment within the hospitality industry. It actively sets policies, organizes programs, and delivers training schedules to ensure the safety of its employees, guests, and facility. The director of security is charged with a high responsibility to ascertain that a busy hotel filled with equipment, employees, and guests remains secure and safe at all times. It is achieved through regular planning, monitoring, and suitable initiatives to avoid any kind of emergency. The security department also trains all the hotel employees to respond in an equipped manner to any case of emergency.
The department appoints security personnel at strategic locations both inside and outside the hotels and employs various protective measures at each point within and outside the hotel. The goal is to discourage criminals from entering or harming any part of the property. It protects building entrances by ensuring bright lights, clear visibility, and restricted entry. Lobbies are made safe by eliminating obstructive barriers. Guest rooms are secured through electronic locking system. Glass doors and walls in guest amenity areas allow maximum witness area while strategically placed phones empower guest to call for help in a threatened situation. Parking can be made safe through open garages, metal halide lighting, single entry and exit points, clear visibility, and installment of CCTV cameras and emergency telephones.
The Purchase and Store department procures, stores and issues inventories for all departments inside a hotel. Food control starts with the order placement and ends with the banking of cash takings. Purchase and Store assists to increase revenue and control the food expense. The department must be situated in close proximity to the preparation area to ensure a smooth flow of essential materials.
The job of a stores manager is to obtain, check, stock, and issue required materials against suitably authorized requests. The manager needs to exercise stringent control on the supplies to deliver cost estimates and aid in future budgeting. He also oversees all incoming goods to ensure they meet the criteria for price, weight, and quality. The job entails record keeping as the manager needs to display the stock of each commodity received, issued and on hand along with issue dates and receipts. It allows the management to evaluate the record’s accuracy.