IN many hospitality organisations today, training is often measured by hours completed. Staff attend programmes, certificates are issued and reports are submitted. On paper, everything appears structured and well managed.
But on the ground, the same issues remain.
Service is inconsistent. Teams struggle during peak hours. Staff hesitate when dealing with difficult guests. The gap between what is planned and what actually happens in operations remains very real.
The problem is not a lack of training. Most organisations are already investing in it. Training calendars are full, budgets are approved and programmes are delivered throughout the year.
The real issue is alignment.
Too often, training is driven by what is available – available modules, available trainers or compliance requirements – rather than by what is actually happening in daily operations. From experience, what works on paper does not always work on the floor.
Starting from operations
This is where the approach needs to change.
Instead of asking, “What training should we run?”, the better question is, “What are our teams struggling with right now?”
It sounds simple. But it requires stepping out of the training room and into operations – to observe, to listen and to understand.
In practice, this does not require complex systems. Sometimes, a few focused questions are enough. What are the main operational challenges? Where do staff struggle most? What affects the guest experience most significantly?
When these questions are asked across different levels – from frontline staff to supervisors and managers — patterns begin to emerge. More importantly, they reflect reality, not assumptions.
Not all training needs are equal
One key realisation is that not all training needs carry the same weight.
A department with a larger team may require broader coverage but a smaller team may have a greater impact on guest perception. In hospitality, impact is not always about size.
At the same time, many of the gaps identified are not related to knowledge. Staff often know what to do. The challenge lies in confidence, particularly when handling guest complaints or making decisions under pressure.
This is where training needs to shift.
It is no longer about delivering more content. It is about building capability. The focus moves from “what we teach” to “what needs to change”.
Rethinking the 16-hour requirement
Take the common requirement of 16 training hours per year for executives and above.
In many cases, this is treated as a target to fulfil. Hours are completed, attendance is recorded and the requirement is met. Beyond that, however, the impact is often limited.
This is a missed opportunity.
Those 16 hours can be structured to address real leadership challenges. Instead of attending unrelated programmes, executives should focus on areas that directly affect their roles – maintaining service consistency, managing guest escalations, making operational decisions and coaching their teams.
Four focused modules. Four hours each. Practical and relevant.
That is where development becomes meaningful.
From theory to practice
Another important shift concerns how training is delivered.
Operational teams are not looking for theory-heavy sessions.
They do not need lengthy explanations. What they need is clarity and application.
Real scenarios. Actual cases. Situations they face every day.
Short, focused sessions tend to be more effective – easier to absorb and easier to apply.
Because in operations, if something cannot be applied immediately, it is usually forgotten.
Making training work
At its core, training is not about running programmes. It is about solving problems.
When learning is aligned with actual operational challenges, people pay attention. When it reflects real situations, they engage. When they see improvement, they believe in it.
This is where learning and development becomes more than a support function. It becomes part of operations.
Not separate. Not additional. But integrated.
What really matters
Training should not be measured by the number of sessions conducted or hours completed. It should be measured by what has changed.
Are teams more consistent?
Are supervisors more confident?
Are guests handled more effectively?
If the answer is yes, then training is working.
If not, then something needs to change.
Training that starts from the ground up does not simply build skills. It builds confidence, improves consistency and strengthens performance.
And in hospitality, where every interaction shapes the guest experience, that is what truly matters.
Beyond all this, however, there is one critical factor that determines whether training truly works: support from leadership.
Without the involvement of senior management and department heads, even the most well-designed training will struggle to sustain impact. When leaders actively support training initiatives, reinforce learning on the floor and align expectations with daily operations, the difference becomes visible.
More importantly, when department heads acknowledge and recognise the efforts of their teams following training, it creates encouragement and motivation. It signals that learning is not merely a one-off activity but something valued and expected in the workplace.
Training does not end in the classroom. It is sustained through leadership, reinforced through daily practice, and strengthened through recognition.
That is when training truly becomes part of the culture – not just a programme, but a way of working.
The views expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of Sarawak Tribune.
