In the hospitality industry, emotional intelligence (EI) competencies are becoming increasingly important for success. These competencies, which foster skills like empathy, communication, and relationship management, help managers and employees establish emotional connections with guests and colleagues, leading to increased loyalty and return business. The EHL Swiss School of Tourism and Hospitality based in Passugg is leading the way in developing an emotional intelligence assessment specifically tailored to the hospitality industry, which will help companies identify and cultivate these skills in their teams. In this overview, we'll explore the importance of emotional intelligence in hospitality and how it can be developed and measured for maximum impact.
Emotional intelligence encompasses the abilities to recognize and understand emotions, to regulate one’s own emotions, and manage the emotions of others. These competencies are increasingly being recognized as essential for success in the hospitality industry. Here's why:
Hospitality is a people business, and guests are looking for experiences that make them feel seen, heard, and valued. Leaders and employees who can effectively connect with guests on an emotional level create memorable experiences that drive loyalty and positive word-of-mouth.
By fostering emotional connections with guests, employees with strong EI competencies can create experiences that exceed expectations and drive satisfaction and loyalty. Guests are more likely to return to a property where they feel valued and emotionally connected.
Loyal guests are not only more likely to return, but they are also more likely to recommend a business or hotel to others. This can lead to increased revenue and growth for the business.
EI also plays a critical role in how teams function and communicate. Leaders who can understand and regulate their own emotions, as well as recognize and manage the emotions of others, are better equipped to create a positive and supportive work environment. This can improve employee retention, productivity, and overall job satisfaction.
By assessing EI competencies, hospitality companies can identify areas where employees may need additional training or support. This can help create a culture of continuous learning and improvement, leading to better overall performance and success.
A major challenge facing the hospitality industry is the lack of a consistent and comprehensive way to measure emotional intelligence specifically in the hospitality context. This makes it difficult for companies to identify areas where employees may need improvement, resulting in missed opportunities to enhance the guest experience and create a positive work environment. To address this challenge, new ways to measure EI, such as the emotional intelligence assessment being developed by EHL Passugg, are crucial for companies to gain insights into the emotional skills of their teams and support employee development, well-being, and success.
EHL has partnered with the University of Geneva to develop the world's first emotional intelligence assessment for hospitality. The assessment tests competencies through real-life scenarios, allowing companies to identify areas for growth and development.
By providing a standardized way to measure EI, the assessment enables hospitality companies to target emotional competencies to support employee success. With this solution, EHL is helping hospitality companies create emotional connections with their guests and colleagues.
Feel free to connect with us for a personal exchange. There are many exciting opportunities now and, in the future, to be part of. What we know will help transform our approach towards hospitality.
Beatrice Schweighauser
Director Academic Programs and Executive Board Member
Beatrice Schweighauser is a Swiss certified hotelier as well as a trained HR specialist, adult educator and certified school director. As Director Academic Programs, she is responsible for the academic courses on the Passugg campus and is involved in projects of the EHL Group's Swiss education landscape. She has been involved in the topic of Emotional Intelligence for more than 10 years and as a project manager she ensures its implementation in the Affective Hospitality modules and drives the possibilities of its commercialization in the industry.
Frank Giannotti
Senior Lecturer at EHL Passugg
Frank Giannotti, project development team of the EHL EI Assessment for Hospitality, holds a Bachelor's Degree in International Hospitality Management from Northern Arizona University. With over 20 years of industry experience as a GM in Arizona and Hawaii, he is now a Senior Lecturer, Affective Hospitality Leader, and International Career Coordinator at EHL SSTH.
Dr. Juliane Völker
Postdoctoral Research Scientist at University of Geneva
Juliane Völker, project development partner of the EHL EI Assessment for Hospitality, is a Postdoctoral Research Scientist at the University of Geneva. With a PhD in Psychology from the University of Trier, Germany, her expertise lies in emotional intelligence, psychological assessments, and research methodology.
Dr. Marcello Mortillaro
Head of Applied Research at the Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva
Dr. Mortillaro authored several influential publications in international scientific journals, and he is frequently invited as a commentator in the media to talk about emotions and emotional intelligence in the workplace. His expertise lies in emotion, nonverbal behavior, and emotional intelligence. He developed one of the first instruments specifically designed to assess emotional intelligence in the workplace objectively (the Geneva Emotional Competence Test), which has received widespread public and industry attention.
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