Assistant Front Office Manager

Job description

With thousands of hotels in over 100 countries and territories, Hilton offers countless opportunities to delight. From an open door to a welcoming smile and an exceptional experience, we offer the millions of travellers who stay with us every year a welcome they will never forget. In addition to our flagship brand, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, the family of brands includes Waldorf Astoria, LXR, Conrad, Canopy, Curio Collection, DoubleTree, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton and many others. 

If you appreciate the impact global travel can have on the world, you may be just the person we are looking for to work as a Hilton Team Member. Because it’s with Hilton where we never forget the reason we're here: to delight our guests, Team Members, and owners alike.  

 

The Assistant Front Office Manager is concerned with the strategic management of the Front Office department following Hilton brand standards, policies and procedures. He / she is responsible for the operation of all front desk operations, Transportation team, Concierge and telephone service centre. 

 

What will I be doing?  

As the Assistant Front Office Manager, you will be responsible for performing the following tasks to the highest standards: 

• Maintain a high customer service focus by approaching your job with the customers always in mind. 

• Have a positive impact, taking personal responsibility and initiative to resolve issues, always clearly communicating with both customers and colleagues. 

• Be motivated and committed, approaching all tasks with enthusiasm and seizing opportunities to learn new skills or knowledge in order to improve your personal performance. 

• Flexible, respond quickly and positively to changing requirements including the performance of any tasks requested of you. 

• Maintain high team focus by showing cooperation and support to colleagues in the pursuit of team goals. 

• Contribute ideas and suggestions to enhance operational / environmental procedures in the hotel. 

• Actively promote the services and facilities of Hilton hotels to guests and suppliers of the hotel. 

• Actively seeking verbal feedback from customers and team members at every opportunity. 

• Agree on and implement actions to make improvements to customer service. 

• Positively deal with and learn from customer complaints and comments with follow-up and feedback to the Front Office Manager. 

• Make sure all customer requests and queries are responded to promptly and effectively while assisting on the floor during peak periods each day. 

• Be available to assist on duty in the hotels during any busy days or special events. 

• Maintain a presence in the lobby, setting the example to team members for guest service. 

• Be proactive towards guests, assisting them with any reasonable requests, and training all team members to see these things before guests ask. 

• Knowledgeable of Hilton departmental standards. 

• Able to explain the standards to the team and train each team member individually with specific job skills checklists that relate to their responsibilities. 

• Assess team members’ performance against standards. 

• Monitor standards through regular standards review checks. 

• Develop action plans to address shortfalls in standards and identify shortfalls before they affect customer service. 

• Implement and follow through with improvements identified. 

• Demonstrate positive leadership characteristics which inspire team members to meet and exceed standards.  

• Prepare rosters and job schedules for team members to meet business needs (taking into consideration internal activities, occupancy, external events, promotions, etc.) 

• Communicate effectively with Housekeeping, groups and tours on in-house groups holding catering events, ensuring direct liaison with group leaders upon arrival for special requests. 

• Describe, assign and delegate duties and authority for the operation of the department at all times. 

• Understand the situation in other departments and its implication for your own department. 

• Planning ahead and ensuring adequate resources are available. 

• Coordinate with the Housekeeping department to ensure that cleaning is followed up with and procedures are maintained. 

• Ensure the shift is reviewed, handovers and briefings are carried out. 

• Maintain in-depth technical knowledge and skills required for the job. 

• Maintain guest histories to assist with returning guests. 

• Establish good communication with the Housekeeping team. 

• Attend and participate in regular operational and hotel meetings. 

• Ensure that supplier liaison together with the Purchasing team ensures maximum support with regards to sponsorship, marketing and pricing initiatives. 

• Be responsible for the maximization of room revenue and profit through commercial rooms management, ensuring a consistently high standard of customer service within the department. 

• Make all decisions regarding overbooking the hotel on the same day, ensure all out bookings are carried out by members of the Management and that overbooking levels for future days will be monitored by the Revenue Manager. 

• Understand the goals of the hotel and the department’s role in achieving it, communicating goals to the team. 

• Ensure that the daily operation is managed by the Guest Service Managers and Supervisors who are totally accountable for the profitability and service standards achieved. 

• Set and agree to departmental objectives for self and team. 

• Represent the needs of the team to others in the hotel. 

• Get members of the team to work cooperatively with others. 

• Keep the team up to date on departmental, hotel and company activities through regular communication meetings and memos, including special events and promotions in the restaurants and bars. 

• Be aware of potential highs and lows in the business. 

• Create and implement sales promotions and team member incentives as per discussion with the Front Office Manager.  

• Assist the Marketing and Communications team with the preparation of the events brochure. 

• Assist with the annual marketing plan to establish a list of marketing activities in line with the annual business plan, supported by appropriate advertising and promotion budgets from suppliers and the Revenue Manager and the Marketing and Communications team. 

• Identify, communicate and act on potential sales leads. 

• Participate in the development of the annual budget, developing short and long term financial operating plans.  

• Use key monitors and financial targets to evaluate the department’s performance and make future plans. 

• Analyze financial information that is provided via the payroll system and ONQ, to assist decision making.  

• Complete regular financial and operating reports, as required or requested by the Front Office Manager and forecast potential costs. 

• Review expenses on a monthly basis to implement actions for improvement, following company control procedures. 

• Control costs without compromising standards. 

• Communicate relevant financial information to the team. 

• Analyze and explain any financial variance against plan. 

• Set-up and maintain leave plans, monitor, control and minimize overtime for the department. 

• Carry out seasonal inventory of operating equipment. 

• Understand the quantity and quality of people needed for the department to operate. 

• Carry out selection interviews and make effective recruitment decisions based on skills and attitude. 

• Ensure the new recruits have all relevant information before commencing employment. 

• Plan and ensure departmental orientation, trainings and assessments to maintain standards are carried out. 

• Regularly review individual and team performance against objectives and provide feedback. 

• Develop and implement department training plans to meet business needs. 

• Carry out training programs for team members with the Training Manager and departmental trainers. 

• Assist in the training of team members ensuring that they have the necessary skills to perform their duties with the maximum efficiency.  

• Review and evaluate all training activities. 

• Carry out annual appraisals with all team members and identify individual training needs, in accordance with legal and hotel guidelines. 

• Introduce appropriate product knowledge courses for team members. 

• Communicate to the team their responsibilities within Health & Safety (H&S). 

• Provide relevant training to the new join team member.  

• Understand the relevant H&S legislations and their implication on the operation of the department. 

• Ensure that safe and healthy working practices are implemented at all times. 

• Participate in community public relations for the hotel. 

What are we looking for?  

An Assistant Front Office Manager serving Hilton Brands is always working on behalf of our Guests and working with other Team Members. To successfully fill this role, you should maintain the attitude, behaviour, skills, and values that follow: 

• Good communication, organization and coordination skills. 

• Good team spirit. 

• Strong sense of responsibility and self-motivation. 

• Patient, responsible and proactive in dealing with problems. 

• Able to maintain excellent relations with team members.                                                                             

• Able to work under great physical and mental pressures. 

• Familiar with computer systems. 

• Fluent in spoken and written English to meet busines needs.  

 

What will it be like to work for Hilton? 

Hilton is the leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxurious full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and mid-priced hotels. For nearly a century, Hilton has offered business and leisure travellers the finest in accommodations, service, amenities and value. Hilton is dedicated to continuing its tradition of providing exceptional guest experiences across its global brands. Our vision to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality unites us as a team to create remarkable hospitality experiences around the world every day. And, our amazing Team Members are at the heart of it all!