Lower costs and greater effectiveness are the main reasons why hoteliers are increasingly outsourcing some functions of establishments. Allowing a hotel to focus on what it has and does best is the great benefit of outsourcing.
by Ana María Restrepo
There are many definitions that can be found about administration, but the really important thing is what these terms carry for sure, taking into account what is done today. Planning, organization, direction and control are the main verbs that accompany an administrator who seeks to define the good use of resources and activities to achieve objectives and have an efficient organization.
Within this concept are framed a number of strategies, plans and activities that will allow a better administration and in this case we will talk about outsorcing. As such, this term relates to the contracting of services or products externally. In the case of hotels, it is the outsourcing of services, entrusting the acquisition of human resources to specialized companies, according to what Valterina Gherardi Torres, general manager of MVH SAC Hotel Solutions, explains.
Being more specific, and as Juan Carlos García, specialist in hotel outsourcing, tells it, "the subcontracting of additional tasks or complementary functions of the hotels allows to achieve a fast and efficient management in a short space of time, thus achieving a reduction of costs, in such a way that the hotels can concentrate more their attention to their main activity".
The operation of outsourcing
It should be noted that these subcontracted departments are managed by the company that provides the services, and as mentioned by Juan Carlos, said company is responsible for managing those areas of the hotel, billing the client for what is produced.
This price includes the salary of workers, uniforms, work tools (cars, vacuum cleaners, cleaning products, scrubbers, etc.), vacations, severance pay, supervision, among other elements.
Iñaki González, director of AADESA S.A, also explains that contracts can be handled by paying percentages according to the results or some objective.
The outsourcing of hotel services is carried out in the areas of cleaning, administrative, security, maintenance, commercial representation and some in accounting; however there are some establishments that also do it for reception, restaurant and central food services of reservations and digital marketing.
This process is coordinated by the human resources department and any matter related to the personnel provided by the outsourcing company is dealt with directly with that company not with the staff, Valterina explains.
The services provided
It is important to note that each of these services has its own characteristics that support the good image and continuous positioning of the hotel establishment, so it is necessary to have very well defined each department and what is required for it. In this case, Juan Carlos García gives an example of the management of some departments and some advantages of it:
- Floor department: The realization of this service includes, among other activities, the sizing and flexibility of the staff according to the needs of the hotel, cleaning and tuning of the assigned rooms, cleaning of annexed areas, management of cleaning products, machinery and uniformity, office logistics and carts and supervision of the provision of the service.
- Office Department: With the outsourcing of this department the client obtains quick advantages in productivity, waste management, control of critical points, logistics of chemical products, reduction of absenteeism and therefore reduction of costs.
- Department of noble areas: In this there is a direct reduction in personnel costs. Product management and the contribution of machinery such as presses or scrubbers; in addition to uniformity and supervision of the provision of the service, they guarantee maximum professionalism.
However, it must be taken into account, as Iñaki mentions, that this type of hiring can be carried out as long as activities that are not essential or key in the business are fulfilled.
And where are the costs?
One of the main reasons why companies outsource hiring is the fixed costs that are generated internally; when outsourcing occurs, these become variables, in addition to the fact that the subcontracted personnel do not satisfy the establishment, the one who must take care of the new process is the company providing the service, not the hotel.
When talking about an estimated cost, Iñaki González states that these depend on the size of the hotel, for example, in the case of cleaning there is an estimated cost per room. In this regard Juan Carlos complements by saying that the hotel, according to the category, will have a type of room and a cleaning ratio, that is the important thing to obtain the price of cleaning a hotel room, knowing that the time it takes the work and the necessary tools to carry it out must be taken into account, in this way you can give a price to the cleaning of a room.
Valterina explains it with the following formula: Payroll (salary) + extra cost (43%) + profit (30% to 35%) = outsourcing per person.
Hands on
However, before implementing this type of outsourcing, it is important that hoteliers think about whether it is really convenient to work with this model, evaluate the economic factors, the flexibility of functions, the extension of authority and the rights over the staff, in addition to analyzing the pros and cons of outsourcing.
The main advantages, as explained by the professionals consulted, are the following:
- Increased flexibility
- Specialized management
- Decrease in business risk
- Agility in response and increased profit from the farm
Juan Carlos states that outsourcing also has some advantages over Temporary Work Agencies:
- Have the same staff
- Have materials and uniforms
- Faculty of Management
- Fidelity
- Proven experience in the sector
- Knowledge of the service
Compared to hiring one's own, the benefits imply not having to pay for materials and uniforms, reducing personnel costs, saving time and compensation, as well as other points to take into account:
- Subcontracted personnel cannot be assigned complementary tasks, minor jobs
- The warnings are made directly with the outsourcing company so that they proceed
- The cost paid to the outsourcing company is high
This organizational and management strategy presents a landscape for hoteliers of quality, efficiency and savings that will allow them to focus on the basic functions that differentiate them and make them competitive.
The hotels of category of 4 and 5 stars are the ones that most opt for this management, especially in France, Italy, Spain, Germany and the United States; however, in Latin America its implementation is already being evidenced due to the constant arrival of large hotel chains.
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