Whilst a large percentage of employees working in hospitality - few hold executive positions. In response to the need to attract, retain and engage more female top talent, the Women in Lodge Council (WIL) in the US is building a growing network. 

The WIL has an online directory with an online networking tool. Women from all sectors of lodging can use this as a resource, as it enables and encourages hospitality professionals, students and organizations seeking employees, mentors and speakers to connect.

On the network, the women are successful executives who believe that building a network helps promote women's leadership, a culture of inclusiveness and cultural awareness as well as continuous development toward business development.

The appeal of hospitality for women is that generally it is an industry that judges people on their ability and results. There is an opportunity to have a career with depth and a range of experiences. Most hospitality positions also involve multi-tasking, are people focused and practical. For some women however, they realise the real need for stamina to sustain the long working hours but start to question where the intellectual stimulation is.

For many who have passed into senior positions, the intellectual stimulation arrives. Decision making, policy reviewing, planning and researching is very much part of senior managers jobs. The academic side of the hospitality industry is growing and there is a greater need for staff with higher levels of qualifications.

In spite of all the appeal and diversity in a hospitality career, few women are relocating with international careers. Most women are concentrated in first level supervisory programmes and below. When it comes to moving up the ladder, the current debate is: Do women stay where they are from personal choice or because they are pressing up against the glass ceiling.

A big factor that prevents continuation in a women's career on her way to the top is at times the need for career breaks. That is, time taken off to have children. Once a break has been taken to start a family, one of the greatest difficulties in the past has been returning to the same position and working long hours. Now that the industry is seeing the importance of balance between family and work life, returning to work is perceived as more viable by many.

Given the current international skills shortage, there is a need for more experienced staff which means senior staff staying on and continuing their training. An initiative that is new in Australia, is the provision of top up training for hospitality women returning to the work force after children. A supervisor is hardly likely to be tempted to return to work in a casual position waiting on tables, if the opportunity for her to return as a supervisor isn't available.

Hotels and restaurants in all sectors are embracing in-house or out-sourced training, realising there is a great need to increase the individual skill base. In addition to training, there is the movement to encouraging job sharing, where two employees can work part-time covering a full time position, usually a senior position.

However, what has been identified by research so far is that lack of success by women it is not necessarily a factor of discrimination. There is occupational segregation within hospitality but women frequently choose to taken different roles to men; Women are naturally drawn to different jobs with hospitality to men. A further research study has investigated factors that enable a woman to succeed. When answering, what does it take to make it to the top? both genders agree. It is an up hill journey that involves being achievement oriented. Focus, being strongly career oriented, determined and with plenty of energy have also been identified as essential. What is at large is whether women have the same need for power and authority.

For those feeling like Cinderella with house work to do rather than the next CEO with work to be done, the recommended course of action is education. Return to college and gain vital managerial and supervisor skills as well as assertiveness and a fresh drive. There are believed to be many opportunities for women who want to make it to the top.

SpotLight is the weekly column exclusively written for 4Hoteliers.com by Sarah Muxlow, it is highlighting the challenges and issues which the global hospitality is facing today.

Sarah is writing for hotel and restaurant owners, hotel chain managers, producers/growers/sellers of food & beverage, restaurant associations, governing bodies and hotel schools. She is looking at the problems they face...competition, trends of branding, staff shortages, unskilled staff, turning out students who are looking for good in-house management training schemes with hotel chains, what makes a good quality training course at a hotel school and more... 

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