Exclusive Interview | Kishor Joshi, General Manager – Operations , Jaypee Siddharth, New Delhi
/“My favourite interview question is asking about a challenging situation that the interviewee faced and how they arrived at the solution.”
Kishor Joshi, General Manager – Operations , Jaypee Siddharth, New Delhi
Tell us about your journey. How did it all start?
I hailed from a middle class family, and never thought of getting into hotels. But one can’t challenge destiny.....After completing my Hotel Management from Govt. Institute Of Hotel Management, Almora,I started my career with Hyatt Regency and Park Royal, in Delhi and gained exposure to the processes and operations of the industry.
I was then associated with The Imperial, Delhi for a period of 8 years, where I had the opportunity to apply my skill set in serving the luxury segment clientele. I had a steep learning curve in The Imperial and it is largely responsible for where I am today. I was a founding member of The Spice Route (Rated amongst the 10 best Restaurants in the world by Conde Nast travellers) and opening manager of San Gimignano. I had the opportunity to represent the hotel at an Indian Food Festival in Hôtel Plaza Athénée, Paris. After this, I moved to The Leela, Mumbai, another luxury property, and with a sizeable travel segment clientele as Food & Beverage Incharge.
My stint at The Leela was followed by a 9-year tenure in Sahara Star, where I had the opportunity to conceptualize and develop several dining units. I was a part of the Operations & Management team at The Balkan Peace Festival in 2013 at North Macedoni (then: Macedonia), which was attended by the who’s who of European politics, including the ex-PM of the United Kingdom.
I also strategized the setup of a service base at The MCA Stadium, Pune, 125 km away from the city for the catering of the players and corporate guests for the IPL team Pune Warriors India . My journey at SaharaStar was followed by a stint at The Lalit, New Delhi, the flagship property of The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group as Resident Manager. During my tenure there, I managed several high profile events; such as movement of 12 Heads of States during International Solar Summit, different International Teams during FIFA U17 World Cup 2017 and Team Delhi Capitals during IPL 2018.
I also managed the Operations of the newly built The Lalit, London for a small duration. Presently I am associated with Jaypee Group and working as General Manager- Operations of Jaypee Siddharth, New Delhi.
What do you think it takes to succeed in the industry?
I believe there are three key factors to succeed in this industry.
Firstly, one should have a deep understanding of their area of specialization. This knowledge needs to be coupled with the right set of soft skills and interpersonal attributes. Ultimately, it’s the passion for service quality which acts as the key differentiator. To conclude I would say always stick to your basics.
I personally belong to the Food & Beverage background, and have worked closely with Indian, Mediterranean and South East Asian cuisines. Along with this, I have attended several sessions of recognized Sommeliers to sharpen my beverage knowledge.
What are the attributes you look for while selecting or hiring? If someone wants to work with you, what should they do?
I am involved in the screening of profiles from the mid-junior to senior levels. In a mid-junior profile, I usually look for qualities like knowledge of fundamentals, ability to grasp, willingness to learn and passion.
For a senior profile, I place high regard to the pedigree of workplace, skill set and the ability to think & react on adverse situation and being hands-on. More importantly, they need to have respect for the workforce and human values, as it is necessary for the team heads to treat their team well to serve their guests better.
What advice would you give to a young, aspiring hotelier for their internship?
The most important thing to make it big in the hospitality industry is to be hospitable. I would advise the next generation of hoteliers to have 3Ps – Passion, Patience and Perseverance. Further, as per the demands of the industry they should be willing to go the extra mile due to the involvement of human angle and the dynamism that comes along with it.
What is the next tech/app software that you would like to see? This could be for guests, operations, etc.
I would like to see a development towards paperless operations. This would save a lot in terms of the ecology and finances, and help in integrating numerous service touchpoints. A small example is paperless menu. It simultaneously caters to placing customized orders and automated calculation of your bill, ensuring clear communication through digital documentation.
Things such as paperless check-Ins, paperless bills, paperless documentation at finance are other starting points. I would like to see an increase in the adoption of these practices and more development in the paperless applications.
What is your favourite interview question and why?
My favourite interview question is asking about a challenging situation that the interviewee faced and how they arrived at the solution. As clichéd as it may sound, these incidents speak profusely about the mental strength and character of a professional. Their course of action is the function of their level mindedness and chaos management abilities in the best interest of business and guests. They form a right parameter to assess the hands-on approach, which is pivotal in this dynamic space.
