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

It was mixed baggage of aspirations. As a school kid, my class 5 teacher was very happy that I was the only kid who wrote about the ambition to become a teacher. Torn between my love for plants, to become a botanist was overtaken by the career opportunity in catering and thus dropped out of Botany and graduated in Hotel Management. 

Besides a graduate in Hotel Management (BHM), I have a Masters in Business Administration (MBA), Certified NLP practitioner and Timeline Therapy, Certified Hospitality Educator (CHE), and Charted Fellow CIPD. 

I was an Associate professor with Manipal University and has worked in Human Resources and Training functions with numerous luxury Hotels and Resorts - Leela Palace Udaipur as Head HR, Six Senses Resorts and Spas in various locations including Maldives, Jordan and Thailand before working with Fairmont Jaipur, Raffles Seychelles as HR Director. 

I am currently Area Director for Host Engagement - Thailand and Group Director Learning and Development for Soneva Resorts, pioneers in sustainable luxury, based at the Corporate Office in Bangkok. 

I am extremely passionate about sustainability, human capital development, and also dedicate my personal time for community activities. I am currently involved in a project in Northwest Thailand, on the border with Myanmar, the town of Mae Sot is home to a large Karen minority which is one of the most vulnerable populations in Thailand along with the Tak Border Child Assistance Foundation, and the HCTC (Hospitality-Catering Training Centre) in order to help underprivileged young people by offering them a chance to access promising jobs in the hospitality-catering sector. 

So, I was an Associate Professor, continue to have an inspiring garden at home and have been working in the hospitality industry for the last 25 years fulfilling all my aspirations and passion. 

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

Hospitality Quotient – We could list a lot of attributes but I feel, what tops the list are the service attitude, passion for excellence and the quest to learn. There is a lot of hard work, people skills and certainly innovation and creativity that make unique experiences for both external and internal guests. 

Today, the patience and perseverance to grow in a role are less amongst the younger generation, this leads to frequent job changes and many candidates lacking the depth of experience and maturity in handling the role. 

I have noticed many good talents not planning their career in their quest to get promotions and better compensation and benefits, compromise on the type of organizations they select and ultimately leads to lack job satisfaction.  

Editor: What are the attributes you look for while selecting or hiring?  If someone wants to work with you, what should they do?

Most HR professionals would respond to this question would be to ?? hire for the attitude and train the skills. In my experience, retention and development strategy should be equally important for hiring. I would look for the value the candidate would bring to the role, team and the organization. 

I would hire someone in HR who matches the service attitude of a nurse, a student for life and the fire within to make a difference. 

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

• Creating unique experiences. Today guest doesn’t buy rooms or villas, they buy experiences. 

• Sustainability – Beyond a few green initiatives or a CSR activity, care for environment and community with responsible leisure lifestyle is on the rise. 

• Wellness – Plant-based food, vegan to food derived from bacterial cultures and made solely from fermentation and moulding techniques. 

From an HR perspective, the Hospitality HR has become a strategic partner in ensuring the selection, training and retention of engaged hosts who in turn can exceed guest expectation, leading to strong customer loyalty, repeat business and thereby a sustainable business as human touch is the core of this business. 

Editor: Tech is now an enabler for great hospitality. Can you share with us some of the techs that go into creating your guest experience? 

In the context of COVID-19, working remotely is one the rise and also technology that supports reduced human interaction. 

• Digital and Contactless Payments

• Safety systems and data protection 

• Remote working - Many of us work from home all the time or more frequently!

• More use of Distance and online learning.

• Use of vivid communication tools - More and more people have started using this platform Zoom due to this current Pandemic. 

• Telehealth - People are more open to this mode of wellness consultation. 

• Online entertainment including virtual wine tasting. 

Service is the technical delivery of a product with a monologue. However, hospitality is how the delivery of that product makes its recipient feel with dialogue, so Hospitality can only be with genuine human emotional connection. Hence, most of these changes now have to be temporary for health and safety purpose only.

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

• More employment of women in the Hospitality Industry.

• Work-life balance and employee experience.