How to write a hospitality manager job description

Hospitality managers are the backbones of restaurants, hotels, and other hospitality businesses. Hiring the wrong person for this role can lead to a total system breakdown. It can cause work disruptions, high staff turnover, financial losses, and irreversible damage to your company’s reputation. 

Unfortunately, this isn’t unusual. A weak hiring process – starting with a poorly written job description – is often to blame.  That’s why ensuring your hospitality manager job description is clear, accurate, and attracts the right talent is crucial. 

In this guide, we help you to craft a well-rounded job description. We cover the skills and qualifications to look for and mistakes to avoid. What’s more: our free template gives you the perfect way to start writing your job description today.

What is a hospitality manager?

A hospitality manager is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of hospitality businesses, such as hotels, restaurants, resorts, and cruise ships. 

The responsibilities of a hospitality manager vary depending on the nature and size of the business they work for. Here are some of their fundamental duties:

• Providing guests with a positive experience and addressing any requests or complaints 

• Training and supervising staff members 

• Overseeing reservations, restaurant management, housekeeping, maintenance, and other operations 

• Managing budgets, controlling costs, and optimizing revenue streams 

• Ensuring compliance with industry regulations and labor laws

• Preparing to handle crises, emergencies, and security issues 

Key skills to look for in hospitality managers

Hospitality managers across different hospitality businesses need a blend of hard and soft skills. 

Hard skills 

• Ability to work with data, including collecting and analyzing customer feedback and making data-driven decisions to improve the guest experience 

• Familiarity with local, state, and federal regulations, such as health and safety standards, licensing, labor laws, and more

• Proficiency in relevant hospitality tools, such property management software (PMS) like Opera or Fidelio, point-of-sales systems (POS) like Aloha, and customer relationship management (CRM) platforms like HubSpot

• Solid understanding of budgeting, cost control, and financial analysis to manage the business side of the establishment

• Operational skills – like inventory management, resource allocation, event planning – that are essential to managing restaurants, hotels, and other similar establishments

Soft skills

• Good attention to detail to spot anything that could hamper the guest experience  

• Exceptional customer service and a genuine commitment to addressing guests' needs 

• Strong written and verbal communication skills – including the ability to listen actively – for interacting with hospitality staff, customers, and leadership

• Ability to find quick and effective solutions to customer requests and concerns or any unexpected problems 

• Strong leadership and team management attributes for creating a positive work environment and motivating staff members to do their best  

How to write an effective hospitality manager job description 

Use these strategies to craft a robust hospitality manager job description. 

Tailor it to your specific business 

Clearly outline what business your company is in, and customize the role description to reflect your specific needs. This is essential to attracting candidates with the right qualifications. 

For instance, a hospitality manager for a cruise ship will need expertise in passenger safety and other skills that may not be required for the same role in a restaurant.

Sell the role 

There’s always plenty of demand for hospitality managers given the competitive nature of the industry. Thus, use your job description to sell the role to top talent. 

Touch on your company’s history, track record, and reputation in the industry. Also, explain why it’s the best place for a hospitality manager to work – for instance, by discussing employee benefits, growth opportunities, and more. 

Keep it updated with industry trends

The hospitality industry constantly evolves in terms of market trends and regulations. So, it’s important to ensure your job description reflects any new requirements. 

For example, the COVID-19 pandemic brought new health and safety regulations for hotels, restaurants, and other hospitality establishments. These included social distancing, mask-wearing, capacity limits, and enhanced cleaning protocols. 

Hospitality manager job description template

The following job description template is a good starting point for creating your own job description. 

Company introduction 

Briefly introduce your company, including its name, mission, and business type – for example, a restaurant. Also, outline the company’s history and spotlight achievements, like awards and star ratings. 

Benefits of working with [your company]

Discuss which employee benefits will be available to the successful candidate. This could be healthcare coverage, retirement plans, perks, or even flexible working options. Spotlight any development opportunities, including training or certifications, your company sponsors. 

Hospitality manager job brief 

[Company name]

Job Title: [For instance, Hospitality Manager]

Reports to: [For example, Head of Hospitality]

Position type: [Full-time, part-time, or temporary contractor]

Location: [On-site, hybrid, or remote]

[Compensation details]

Hospitality manager responsibilities 

• Manage all aspects of [hotel/restaurant/resort/other] operations, including guest services, dining, accommodation, events, and leisure facilities.

• Hire, train, supervise, and motivate staff members to provide exceptional service and adhere to the required company and industry standards. 

• Address customer concerns and requests and analyze feedback data to ensure the highest level of customer satisfaction.

• Manage budgets, control expenses, and optimize revenue to maximize profitability. 

• Keep the establishment compliant with all local, state, and federal regulations. 

Qualifications 

• Bachelor's degree in hospitality management, business, or a related field (or equivalent training)

• [5+] years’ experience as a hospitality manager in a similar establishment

• Strong grasp of industry-specific regulations, health and safety standards, and quality assurance

Preferred qualifications 

• Certification in hotel or restaurant management – for example, Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA) or Certified Hospitality Trainer (CHT)

• Fluent in [additional languages]

3 things to avoid when writing a job description for hospitality managers

Stay away from these common pitfalls when writing your hospitality manager job description. 

1. Neglecting behavioral attributes  

Don’t forget to specify which characteristics you’re looking for in an ideal candidate. Your candidate can be highly skilled in data analysis and budgeting, but a lack of good communication and interpersonal skills means they won’t succeed as a hospitality manager.  

2. Listing excessive requirements

Being too demanding with qualifications and experience can unnecessarily limit your candidate pool. Include the skills that are essential for the role, but consider whether other requirements can be learned through on-the-job training. 

For instance, a candidate who doesn’t know how to use your company’s chosen POS system could still master it with the right training. 

3. Using discriminatory language 

Avoid using biased language in your job description because it might deter qualified candidates from applying. For example, don’t write “Looking for a hospitality manager who is a native English speaker.” This will restrict your talent pool to certain nationalities. Instead, consider “Looking for a hospitality manager with strong English language skills.” 

Some discriminatory language could even get you into legal trouble. To adhere to employment laws and engage in fair hiring, ensure that your job description focuses on the skills necessary for the job rather than personal characteristics that won’t impact job performance. 

Next steps: Attracting and assessing hospitality manager candidates

A good job description can help you attract top talent. But after you post it online, you’ll still need to sift through the applications you receive, including many that don’t fit the bill. 

TestGorilla’s online tests help you screen applicants quickly and objectively. Consider using the following tests to find the best talent for the job. 

• TestGorilla’s Hospitality Skills test helps you hire for hotel and restaurant positions.

• Our Hospitality (Hotel Excl. Restaurant) focuses exclusively on hotel positions, while our Restaurant Management test helps you hire for restaurant positions. 

• Our Business Operations Management and Budgeting tests help to assess candidates’ operational skills. 

• The Salesforce, Hubspot, or Zendesk CS assessments check for proficiency with CRM tools.

• TestGorilla’s Customer Service and Communication Skills tests help ensure that applicants have strong communication and interpersonal skills. 

• Our Leadership and People Management test determines if candidates can successfully manage and motivate their staff members.

• The Problem Solving test looks at an applicant’s ability to identify problems proactively and find effective solutions.

• TestGorilla’s Culture Add test and personality assessments, such as our Enneagram and DISC assessments, can show you if candidates possess empathy and other essential traits for the job.

FAQs

How should I advertise my hospitality manager job description online? 

Most companies post their hospitality manager position on popular job boards like LinkedIn and Indeed. You can also use other niche sources of recruitment, such as hospitalityjobs.com or social media. Remember to include relevant keywords like “hospitality manager responsibilities” so your job description can stand out in search engines. 

Where can I include travel requirements for my hospitality manager role? 

Specify travel requirements and other non-negotiables early on in your job description – for instance, in the “work location” section. Traveling is a critical commitment that candidates should know up front. It’s also an effective way of preventing applications from those who can’t travel for work. 

Hire the best hospitality managers with TestGorilla

A well-written hospitality manager job description is essential to attracting top talent for the role. It clearly outlines what the job is and which skills and qualifications are necessary for success. However, you must still screen many applications, which is very time-consuming. 

TestGorilla enables you to find the best candidates with speed and precision. You can use role-specific skills tests, cognitive ability assessments, and personality and culture tests to accurately assess candidates’ hard and soft skills fairly and efficiently. 

Create a free account, take an online product tour, or sign up for a live demo to learn how TestGorilla can improve your hiring process and help you find the perfect hospitality manager.