by Ken Vincent, Featured Contributor
Obviously a candidate that has both is nice, but hiring managers don’t always have that luxury.
So, sometimes you have to pick which is preferable and, everything else being pretty much equal, that often comes down to your preference.
Over the years I have heard a lot of arguments on both sides. They still rage, though none of them are really new.
In favor of a college education:
- Young and energetic;
- Full of enthusiasm;
- Has the latest theories and methods;
- A better grip on the latest technology;
- Potential for a longer term of employment; and
- No bad habits from prior employers to break.
In favor of experience:
- Not idealistic and hung up on theory;
- Has had time to develop the skill sets needed, and will need less training;
- Knows from experience what works and what doesn’t;
- More likely to stay with you due to financial obligations and the difficulty in finding new jobs as one ages;
- Has learned a lot of techniques from various employers;
- Less likely to be focused on personal issues vs. career; and
- Has maturity.
Well, the list could go on and on, but you have heard them all I’m sure.
So, where does your preference lie and why?
Experience wins every time. I have seen many bright eyed bushy tailed managers coming straight out of hotel schools and they make a lot of costly mistakes. The bottom line is, I would rather they make those costly errors on some one else’s payroll. A smart person with experience will win the day every time, because they have seen multiple ways to do things, and have learned from their own errors along the way (note I said “smart person”). It only takes one serious EEOC, ICE, Liability, OSHA, Bad Contract or Sexual Harassment claim to make all of the money you saved hiring an inexperienced manager go up in smoke, plus far more. They also usually don’t properly understand the difference between Operations or Revenue Management 101, and the real world, this only comes with experience. Experienced managers have a better grasp on the importance of political alliances with local authorities, and businesses so they can get things done and avoid a lot of mine fields. Just one example of this would be my own relationship with the local fire marshal. A fire protection company came to me with a 7000.00 price to fix some sprinkler issues detected in the annual fire inspection. This company was trying to get rich off each one of their clients, and they were quick to tell you only they could remove any yellow tags they posted on equipment. Of course that isn’t true, but the only one that can over ride something such an inspector tells you to do, is the local fire authority, in our case, the fire marshal. The fire marshal came out and looked at the imaginary deficiencies, and told us they were not a problem, and the company was trying to rob us…final price for fixing this…1700.00. If you take into consideration all the various things that cost you money over the course of a year, and save money through experience on each one, you have paid for your GM several times over. This is far better than paying someone for on the job training that could cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost revenue, lawsuits, and expenses…and you too could learn something from that experienced manager. Of course, new managers with a college education, have benefits too, if they are carefully supervised under the tutelage of an experienced manager that can keep them from making big mistakes that can hurt the bottom line or the hotel’s reputation. The other problem with young newly minted managers with college degrees, but no real experience, is they will jump jobs frequently, leaving you in a constant hiring cycle looking for another manager. I am sure you are now saying that this guy is certainly part of the old guard, and maybe I am at 54 with 38 years experience, but I keep up with the latest trends, and I also know what doesn’t work…because I have tried it, and I remember my own years moving up the ranks and some of the mistakes I had to make to be where I am now.