COMPETENCE DEVELOPMENT AS A FACTOR TO IMPROVE THE COMPETITIVENESS OF HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY EMPLOYEES

Abstract

The development of employees' competencies is considered as a component and factor in increasing the competitiveness of a hospitality enterprise. Modern approaches to the formation of employee competencies and the corresponding learning outcomes are reviewed. The professionalism of an employee of a hospitality enterprise has a technological, communicative and social level. The components of professional competence of employees of hospitality enterprises are considered: motivational, value-meaningful, cognitive-professional, effective-professional, self-psychological, regulatory. Modern methods and forms of competence management include retraining, participation in seminars, training programs, master classes, self-education. The structure of competencies of employees of the hotel and restaurant business was analyzed. The priority of the competence approach in the training of specialists has been emphasized. The advantages of the competency-based approach lie in meeting the needs of employers in an adaptive workforce, and providing opportunities to maximize labor productivity in the workplace. It has been proven that the adaptive behavior of hospitality workers is a key prerequisite for the clients of accommodation establishments to have a unique and pleasant experience. For hospitality workers, it is necessary to develop skills related to the possibility of extraordinary circumstances and actions in which it is necessary to make non-standard decisions. The competitiveness of employees is no longer in the possession of certain knowledge, but in the individual traits of the employee, in the ability to apply and modify this knowledge, to adapt to environmental conditions. Due to the differences, dynamic changes and volatility of customer needs, adaptive employee behavior is particularly important to provide a personalized and individual service experience and to increase the market competitiveness of luxury hotels. Therefore, the challenge for hotel and restaurant business enterprises is to help their employees better implement the concepts of flexible services and develop the skills to adapt to the conditions of a constantly changing environment.