Engineers in Hospitality: Why Are They Often Overlooked in Hotel Placements?

Why are engineers not welcome in the Hotel/Hospitality sector? In the recently conducted campus placements of The Leela Group of Hotels, Resorts, and Palaces, several engineers were not shortlisted just because they had mentioned in their self-introduction that they come from an engineering background.

Engineers are not made for that. I mean, even 12th grade education is enough for hotel management. So why do you study engineering and then join a hotel?

The hospitality sector is booming at an enormous rate. Isn't that reason enough? Your engineering background only adds to your problem-solving and analytical skills. Additionally, the recruitment at Leela was for the HR manager level for freshers.

How can an engineer become an HR manager? That would mean anyone can transition into HR, as HR is all about skills and nothing else. But why on earth would an engineer switch to working in a hotel? IT is also booming, so can a hotel waiter become a software engineer? What kind of engineer are you? Think.

Dear Mr. Ravi,

You seem to imply that an engineer cannot become an HR Manager while a 12th pass individual can. I have personally worked with an individual who holds an engineering degree and has been successfully working in Human Resource Development for the past 10 years. Notably, this person has been employed in prominent organizations like Vardhman and Mahindra.

Regards, VISHAL

I think this is a notion. I have a couple of friends who are MBAs with an engineering background and are working in leading hotels in the country.

Thank you!

Dear Souvik,

If I have followed your post correctly, then you want to say that there was campus recruitment going on in an MBA institute and ABC hotels came for recruiting people. They rejected some students when they declared that they are from an engineering background.

If this was the case, then we should first try and find out whether the students were rejected only because they all were from an engineering background or if it was a mere coincidence.

If the answer to the question is "yes," i.e., it was not coincidental, then there can be a few reasons behind it:

1. An engineering degree + an MBA in HR is a very suitable profile for manufacturing concerns.

2. An engineering degree in IT/Computers + an MBA in HR is a suitable profile for IT.

So, they must have thought that these people will have greener pastures to explore even if they join the Hotel industry, and hence it will be difficult to retain them.

These are my personal views (guesswork), but it is really difficult to interpret what might have been the actual reasons for such rejection.

I can understand that you are feeling bad someone got rejected in an interview round just because he is well qualified (overqualified?), but just keep your spirits high; you might have something better than this in store.

All the best.

Thanks and Regards,

Indrani Chakraborty

Our Indian army has a lot of vacancies open, but not everyone is suited for that role. Every job requires a specific kind of personality, background, attitude, skill set, education, and training.

Let me know... Will medical professionals like serving tea or cooking kebabs. 😆😆😄

Engineers are welcome in the hotel/hospitality sector, but in specializations where their engineering skills would be utilized in a better manner, such as in the Engineering Department of the hotel.

In the HR field, a graduate with Hotel Management and an MBA in HR would be an ideal fit, as he/she would understand the organization's hierarchy and job positions better than others, especially someone with an engineering background.

Jayant

Souwik,

Why are you taking such a negative viewpoint - that the hospitality industry is against employing engineers just because one hotel chain rejected the candidature of engineering students for an HR job? They may genuinely have found better candidates from other backgrounds.

Also, they may well consider you very favorably for positions where an engineering degree is an advantage. Be positive, and I am sure you will get a suitable posting very soon.

Jeroo

Dear Sender,

Please note that if you have the ability to learn and the willingness to learn anything and to do any job, then the sky is the limit.

Even an engineering graduate can become an HR manager, and capability counts.

If anyone has the capability of running the show, they can manage any department.

I have many examples where non-technical personnel are successfully running technical departments and technical personnel are running non-technical/service departments.

I do not want to mention the name of the gentleman who has become the technical director of a famous automobile industry with his sound working experience only. Believe me, he is just an 8th standard graduate.

Engineers are normally not preferred in hotel/hospitality industries because they may not adjust to the environment of the organization, and sometimes they may be overqualified for the job profile.

Sometimes, they may be paid poorly depending on the size of the organization, and hence they may not continue with the organization for a long period (e.g., service industries with minimal turnover).

Various aspects need to be considered before engaging an engineer in a service industry.

With regards,

L. Kumar

Tomorrow you may ask why an engineer cannot do the heart-operation.
There are basic requirements and specifications for each role and job.
To be a lawyer you must study law.
To be a Chartered Accountant you must do CA.
To be a Doctor you must at least do MBBS.
Same way, to work in a hotel, you must study “Hotel Management” and not “Engineering”.
Thanks and Regards