Certification

• Reduced turnover. By highlighting strengths, skill certification builds loyalty, encouraging staff to stay with a property and excel.
• Measurable improvements in guest service. By building confidence, skill certification helps employees deliver quality service.
• More knowledgeable, competent employees. As the culmination of job-specific training, skill certification demonstrates that employees know their jobs inside and out.

Employees will benefit from increased job satisfaction and a greater awareness of their career potential, as their jobs become opportunities to learn and grow. They will take pride in their accomplishments and display commitment to improved performance as they wear their new lapel pins -- and are recognized globally as having attained the industry's symbol of professional excellence.

A variety of training resources is available to help prepare staff for the Skill Certification testing process.

Hospitality Skills Training Guides -- Simple guides that spell out exactly what line-level employees must know and do for their particular job. Each guide will help you train every employee in that position and includes:

• Job Knowledge sections that teach employees about the property, their department, and their specific job
• Task Lists that tell employees exactly what functions they should be able to perform in their jobs
• Task Breakdowns that offer step-by-step directions for every procedure and the proper use of equipment and supplies
• Job Tips that give employees practical suggestions for being more productive Guides are available in:
• Printed Copy Masters: Each 3-ring binder offers from 100-200 pages of job details and training tips for a single position. Fill in company procedures and copy the pages needed to use again and again. Designed for easy customization throughout, the guides can be personalized with property specific information to make training even more valuable. Also, every skills guide contains a suggested training schedule and a four-step training method. Hospitality Skills Training Guides are available for 19 line-level hospitality positions.

In addition, Front Desk Agents can take advantage of the Going the Extra Mile training for building service skills. Available as a self-study program or a 1-day, on-site seminar, Going the Extra Mile gives front desk employees the skills they need to:

Read guests and anticipate their needs and wants

• Resolve complaints and handle special requests
• Work positively with irate guests
• Take messages without fumbles
• Take accurate reservations
• Deal with challenging check-in and check-outs
• Handle group arrivals without confusion
• Respond appropriately to emergency situations
• Maintain security, guest privacy, and key control
• Put business-building sales techniques into action
   And more...

To successfully earn a HSC designation, a candidate/employee must complete the following program requirements:

• Be currently employed in the position and have a minimum of 90 days experience in the position.
• Achieve a score of 75% or better on a written test, and
• Receive ratings of "Acceptable" on 75% of the tasks outlined on the competency assessment form.