There are many things that mobile has replaced over the years. The iPhone camera pretty much spelt the end for camera rolls (remember Kodak?), print newspaper sales have dramatically declined in the face of mobile news consumption, and mobile learning is beginning to disrupt traditional classroom based learning. The list goes on.
For the hospitality industry, one area that mobile could prove truly enabling is performance measurement, and over time mobile could replace the CV as a means by which hotels and cruise ships assess their applicants, before inviting them for their first round of interviews. More and more hotels are using mobile learning to train their employees, and this has resulted in a huge amount of data that accurately reflects an employee’s skillset. There is no reason why this data couldn’t be developed into a mobile CV, and here are three reasons why:
Data doesn’t lie Ð There are few job applicants who haven’t, however slightly, embellished their own CVs. From exaggerating their Microsoft Office skills, to claiming fluency in another language, the temptation to paint a rosier picture too often results in misleading CVs, and wasted time on the part of the employer. By consolidating all training and learning results onto one mobile CV, employees are able to see a much more accurate picture of a candidate’s skillset. Importantly, the data will be third party; i.e. not influenced by the candidates themselves. The only way they can improve it is by performing better during tests Ð in other words, learning more and becoming better employees.
Performance measurement Ð The skills required from hospitality employees are generally homogenous from hotel to hotel. A high level of language capability, understanding of basic hotel functions and departments, perhaps knowledge of CMS systems etc. All of these functions can be taught to a high level (superior to that of traditional classroom-based learning in most cases) through mobile learning, but unlike being classroom taught, mobile learning is able to accurately measure employee ability and performance over time. This allows future employers to see how the applicant has progressed, what areas he/she is particularly strong in, and where the biggest improvements have come. For properties who are looking for good Mandarin speakers, they need only check their Mandarin learning skills, and long term learning performance. The same goes for other areas of the hotel
Consistency and standardisation Ð As mentioned previously, the basic skillsets required from hotel employees are very similar, and so comparing and contrasting employees at this level is made much easier. Unlike traditional CVs, which come in different shapes and sizes and with no content standardisation, having a properly templated, mobile CV will allow the HR manager to quickly and easily identify the star performers, or those with basic potential, while discarding candidates who are less relevant.
Rather than relying on CVs that have been written by the applicant, a mobile CV could provide a much more accurate reflection of an employee’s basic skills and experience. Of course, nothing can replace a true, face-to-face interview, but as a first line of scrutiny, a standardised mobile CV would allow hotels to choose the right candidate for the job.
By David Topolewski
David Topolewski is Chief Executive Officer of Qooco
