hilton: Finding top talent: Hospitality sector demand seen at 600-1,000 GMs in five years

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NEW DELHI: On days, even the early bird can have a tough hunt. Ask Atul Dangayach . Managing director of the eponymous group , he has kickstarted an earlierthan-usual search for two general managers to run his upcoming properties in Bengaluru.'It's getting harder to find the right general managers, especially for large luxury assets,' said Dangayach. The group owns properties run by chains such as Marriott International , Accor and Radisson Hotel Group . It will launch Hilton 's first Waldorf Astoria hotel in India as well as a Raffles hotel in Goa. 'The industry has grown so rapidly and traveller preferences are so evolved now— talent has not been able to catch up,' he said. 'It's also a tough and demanding role, and not everyone's cut out for it.'Industry insiders said rapid expansion by hotel chains over the next five years is likely to create demand for 600-1,000 new general managers, or heads of hotels. Dilip Puri, founder and chairman of the Indian School of Hospitality, refers to it as the GM conundrum.'The dearth of general managers is likely to be felt across segments,' said Puri, who works with chains such as The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts and Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts in Sri Lanka on training general managers. 'Considering changes in technology and consumer behaviour, brands are sometimes promoting candidates for failure, as many are not equipped with the required skill sets.'Natwar Nagar, founder of The Job Plus that works on skilling hospitality candidates, pegs the requirement at about 1,000 over the next five years. 'Attrition has also gone up,' he said, adding that there have been lateral movements in hospitality as well as to other sectors, such as real estate, and commercial facility management.Two senior general managers from Marriott shifted to full portfolio roles this year. The company declined to comment on their replacements and the potential demand for new talent. Another cluster general manager at a luxury chain has moved to a real estate major's hospitality division. Multiple former general managers now hold CXO-level roles at real estate firms, while a former general manager is the India head of an international airline.The Indian hospitality sector is on the brink of a decisive general manager deficit, especially across luxury, upper-upscale and upscale segments, said Neha Garg, founder director of Red Kite Consulting. 'We estimate 660–800 general managers will be required across all branded segments over the next five years,' she said. 'Within luxury and upper-upscale segments, demand could exceed 100 new general managers, which does not include succession or replacement demand.'If the industry does not proactively nurture talent, there could be a shortfall in the coming years, especially in fast-growing segments and emerging markets, said Nikhil Sharma, managing director and chief operating officer, South Asia, at Radisson Hotel Group. 'We have been strengthening our talent pipeline to ensure we have capable general managers ready as new hotels come online,' he said.Zubin Saxena, senior vice-president and regional head, South Asia, for Hilton, said talent is going to be the single largest priority for hotel chains. 'The industry is likely to double its operating hotel supply in the coming years, and as an industry, we need more qualified general managers to manage and run our hotels and deliver world class quality,' he said.Accor will need about 50-60 new general managers over the next three years, said Vineet Mishra, vice-president, operations, for India and South Asia at the chain. 'While the existing talent is strong, a potential shortfall could definitely surface in future years particularly within tier II-III cities, where operational difficulty accompanies an ever growing expectation for adherence to brand standards,' he said.

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