Editor: Tell us about your journey. How did it all start?

 Glad to share about my journey that started after I completed my senior secondary education from Delhi Public School, Bokaro Steel City, Jharkhand. Being a technocrat, my father always wanted me to become an Engineer. But destiny had something else in store for me. I was fascinated by the glamorous aspect of the hotel industry and I ended up clearing the JEE and getting a seat at IHM Lucknow in 1995 in the then in vogue program i.e. 3 years Diploma in Hotel Management, Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition. 

After graduating, the industry rewarded me with opportunities to work with leading hotel chains of India including Taj and Radisson.  

Acting on my father’s advice of utilizing my spare time in acquiring an additional qualification as it never goes waste, kept me on my toes. Consequently, I got myself enrolled in Bachelor of Business Administration program and later on completed my Masters in Hotel Management.

 After about eight years of industry experience, I realized my keenness towards academics and joined Heritage Institute of Hotel & Tourism, Agra as Lecturer cum Training and Placement Officer. After a long stint in the Industry and later teaching at the Rawal Institute of Management, Faridabad, the idea of writing a book on Front Office germinated in my mind. My teaching notes shaped out as a book titled “Managing Hotel Front Office Operations” which was published by CBS Publishers, New Delhi in 2016.

Wanted to grow higher and chase my dreams of heading an Institution and chose to enroll myself in PhD in Hospitality from Amity University, Noida in 2017. I honed my skills as an academician and a researcher by presenting research papers in the national and international conferences organized by leading academic institutions. As a result, I had been entrusted with the responsibility of heading the Department of Hotel Management at IES University, Bhopal.

I am presently associated as Director-Principal, Chandigarh College of Hospitality, CGC Landran, Mohali. I am empaneled as Board of Studies Member at FHMCT, Parul University, Vadodara. I have been involved with various journals as Reviewer/Editorial Board Member. I have been conferred with ‘Best Director-Principal (Chandigarh Region)’ awarded by Aahar Ways (2022-23) and ‘Exemplary Academic Leader of the Year Award – 2021’ by Eureka Publications. 

Editor: What do you think it takes to succeed in this industry?

 The gift of the gab, tower of patience, knack of mixing with each other and working as a team member, proactive approach, strong multi-tasking abilities, capability of sustaining hard work to ensure time bound results and passionate about work are some of the prerequisites for success in this industry.

Editor: What according to you can trainees do while they are training at hotels to make it a win-win for them & the hotel/unit?

The hotel management curriculum of all the universities/ institutions across India has industrial training as an integral component. The duration of training may range from 18 – 24 weeks depending on the university a student is enrolled with. It is imperative for students to undergo industrial training in all the core areas of a hotel, regardless of whether they plan to work in the industry or not. 

The objective of the industrial training for students is to have hands-on exposure in hotels where the theoretical knowledge gained at institute is validated by relevant experiences in real life situations. Additionally, it familiarizes them with the latest trends, processes and technologies. 

The institutions must sensitize the budding managers towards the Do’s and Don’ts during industrial training by organizing pre-training workshops. The T&P coordinator of the institute must give the students a crystal clear picture about the hardships and challenges that they will face during their training in terms of punctuality and regularity. Students should be briefed that they are supposed to remain on their toes for extended working hours.

The students on the other hand have to be counselled that training acts like a stepping stone and grooms them properly to embark on a rewarding journey in the dynamic world of the hospitality industry. They should be willing to adapt to the ever changing industry and have the zeal to learn new skills. In order to understand the intricacies of each department, students should try to gain exposure in all the core areas of the hotel. They should be ready with a checklist of their own before joining the industry. Last but not the least, students should try to undergo training in a branded hotel rather than looking for a hotel which is offering higher stipend.

Editor: What are some of the trends you see impacting the hospitality industry?

Circumstances over the past few years have triggered a transformation within the hospitality industry.  Some of the latest trends impacting the hospitality industry have been listed below:

 Tech explosion: The past year has seen a tech explosion like never before with the rapid advancement and implementation of artificial intelligence. Chatbots have proven to be a customer service asset both during the booking process and in responding to recurring questions.

 Global Tourism: Recent years have seen a rise in international travel in response to the easing of pandemic-era restrictions.  Guests want staff who can speak multiple languages and provide services aligned with cultural needs. Offering an inclusive and respectful stay is paramount for appealing to foreign guests.

 Holistic hospitality, health & well-being: After the turbulence of the past few years, the importance of well-being takes on increased importance, in addition to a continued desire for healthy, organic food and accessible fitness facilities and amenities.

 Digitalized guest experiences: Holistic hospitality, health & well-being: The more widespread use of technology-assisted options, such as, contactless payment, mobile check-ins and fast, reliable wi-fi have all become increasingly common in hospitality services and control many aspects of the guest cycle and experience

 Sustainability is the keyword: In recent years the hospitality industry has been making small steps by prioritizing the removal of disposable plastics, eliminating unnecessary paper consumption and reducing food waste.

 Healthy Dining: Guests, nowadays, are opting for healthier meal. People want gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options. 

 Editor: Two things you would like to change in the industry. 

It is good to see that the hotel industry has bounced back after three years into the pandemic. But, talent crunch is a major challenge confronted by the industry. Exacerbating the problem, hospitality management institutions have witnessed a year-on-year decline in the admissions.  

Furthermore, many students have decided to switch courses even after spending lakhs of rupees in hospitality management courses owing to long working hours without any dignity of labour. It has become a nasty trend in the industry to make the interns slog for hours, get the work done for pittance stipend, and save up on labour costs.

Interns accuse star hotels of not adhering to the labour laws and exploiting them. They feel that the atmosphere in the hotel is not conducive and seniors invariably talk to them in abusive language. In fact, at times the ordeal is such that many students give up what they have been doing during their internship to switch careers. These are the primary reasons why students are decisively giving up a career in this industry.

A lot of negative messaging has gone into the market about the hospitality industry and hospitality career. Hotels have to change their working environment that has usually been portrayed to be taxing and demanding throughout the year. The concepts of work-life balance, competitive pay package and defined work hours would definitely help the industry in attracting and eventually retaining the talented workforce.

Editor: What do you expect the industry to do to support academics?

 Hospitality management institutions serve the industry in two ways. Firstly, it provides the workforce necessary to run the industry. Secondly, it furnishes innovative ideas to establish new business start-ups. However, this plain simplistic association does not work so simplistically because of the intrinsic differences.

Therefore, keeping in mind the current scenario wherein a massive gap exists between academia and the industry, bridging the divide between these stakeholders is very important.  The handshaking between them in the form of Academia Industry Collaboration (AIC) shall lead to betterment of the results, both in terms of studies as well as prospective employees.

Institutions can revamp their curriculum in the light of their interaction with the industry professionals by incorporating them in the Board of Studies (BOS). This will help them in increasing the employability of their graduates. In today’s rapidly changing technological landscape, Faculty Immersion Programs (FIP) can be organized for senior faculty members to get a sneak-peek into the emerging industry trends in the hotel industry. Vice-versa, hotels can improve the professionalism of their employees by communicating and expressing their ideas with students and getting feedback from their perspective. 

Hotel visits and expert lectures may be held wherein industry professionals can share their expertise and work behaviour with budding talents, giving them a comprehensive understanding of professional working. It is time that industry and academia meet more often in the form of HR Conclave and Faculty Development Program. Collaborations between industry and academics, in the form of Collaborative Lab and Centre of Excellence, are critical for promoting research and understanding and creating a competent workforce.

Rajeev R Mishra (PhD) is currently Director-Principal, Chandigarh College of Hospitality, Chandigarh Group of Colleges, Landran, Mohali, Punjab. An alumnus of IHM Lucknow from the batch of 1998, Dr. Rajeev R Mishra holds a Doctoral Degree in Hospitality from Amity University, Noida. He has over 25 years of cumulative experience in the hotel industry and academia, with almost 17 years in academia and 8 years in hotel operations.

Before joining Chandigarh College of Hospitality, he has worked with various leading academic institutions like IES University Bhopal, AURO University Surat, Rawal Institute of Management Faridabad, UEI Global New Delhi, IPS Academy Indore and Heritage Institute of Hotel & Tourism Agra. He has published over 35 research papers in the field of talent development, talent management and tourism in various indexed journals of national and international repute. He has presented more than 25 research papers in the national and international conferences organized by leading academic institutions to his credit.