The term “bench” indicates this individual is not assigned permanently to any one hotel. Instead, he/she is assigned on a temporary basis to provide leadership to hotels with vacancies or the need for additional leadership staffing.The General Manager is responsible for effectively leading and managing all aspects of the hotel and for delivering results that contribute to the mission and overall success of the hotel by accomplishing performance objectives focused on topline revenue, associate and guest engagement, profitability, and ensuring brand standards are met while maintaining the operational and service standards prescribed by White Lodging Hospitality.

• Serves as the strategic business leader of a full service hotel and is responsible for the overall performance of the hotel.
• Directs the leadership team in the development and implementation of hotel-wide strategies.
• Ensures implementation of the brand service strategy and brand initiatives with the objective of meeting or exceeding guest expectations
• Builds owner loyalty through proactive communication, setting and managing expectations and delivering solid business results.Operations/Property Management
• Develops a hotel strategy that is aligned with both WLS and the brand’s business strategies. Ensures sustainable work processes and systems are put in place to support execution of the strategy.
• Continually communicates a clear and consistent message regarding hotel goals to produce desired results.
• Identifies key drivers of business success and keeps team focused on the critical few to achieve results. Ensures integration of hotel goals in departmental game plans.
• Integrates business information and foresees events which may directly or indirectly affect the property’s business plan. Analyzes business results and works with executive committee to develop an effective strategy to address needs.
• Makes key decisions and oversees execution, removes obstacles to success. Ensures adequate resources are available to achieve business results.
• Creates a synergistic leadership team and business environment that consistently delivers positive results and continuously strives to improve these results.
• Inspires and motivates team to achieve operational excellence; encourages calculated risk-taking.
• Champions change, ensures brand and regional business initiatives are implemented and communicates follow-up actions to team as necessary.
• Is perceptive of hotel environment. Reviews public space walk-through results and ensures building is well maintained and operational areas have an atmosphere that meets or exceeds guest expectations.
• Ensures brand standards are maintained.
• Ensures property is a safe and secure facility for guests and associates.Guest Satisfaction
• Supports and encourages White Lodging’s and the brand’s service vision for product and service delivery and ensures alignment amongst the hotel leadership team.
• Fosters associate commitment to providing excellent service, participates in daily stand-up meetings and models desired service behaviors in all interactions with guests and associates.
• Demonstrates and communicates key drivers of guest satisfaction for the brand’s target customer; ensures core elements of the service strategy are in place to produce the desired results.
• Serves as the customer advocate on the property. Pulls together resources to resolve guest and operational issues and impact results.
• Is highly visible and interfaces with customers on a regular basis to obtain feedback on quality of product, service levels and overall satisfaction.
• Observes service behaviors of associates and provides feedback to individuals and/or managers; continuously strives to improve service performance.
• Facilitates/attends pre-convention meetings to establish relationship with customer, understand group needs and set and manage expectations.
• Reviews comment cards, guest satisfaction results and other data to identify areas of improvement. Reviews findings with leadership team and ensures appropriate corrective action is taken.
• Analyzes service issues and identifies trends. Facilitates the development of creative solutions to overcome obstacles and ensures implementation to continually improve guest satisfaction results.
• Ensures leadership team is focused on service failures or potential service failures for high profile groups e.g., space conflicts, direct billing errors or denials and works with team to identify long term solutions.
• Incorporates guest satisfaction as a component of staff/operations meetings with an emphasis on generating innovative ways to meet or exceed guest expectations and continually improve results.
• Ensures that a customer recognition program is in effect throughout all operations areas.Human Resources
• Hires team members who demonstrate strong functional expertise, creativity and entrepreneurial leadership to meet the business needs of the operation.
• Creates appropriate development plans and develops team members based on their individual strengths, development needs, career aspirations and abilities.
• Is knowledgeable of leadership talent in the property; identifies resource needs to strengthen team and plans for future openings.
• Sets goals and expectations for direct reports using the performance review process and holds staff accountable for successful performance. Coaches team by providing specific feedback to improve performance. Conducts annual performance appraisals with direct reports according to WLS policy.
• Ensures service, technical skills and leadership training occurs throughout the property to support successful daily operations.
• Establishes and maintains open, collaborative relationships with direct reports and entire leadership team. Ensures direct reports do the same for their team.
• Establishes a presence with associates on property and actively solicits associate feedback. Utilizes an “open door” policy and reviews associate engagement results to identify and address associate problems or concerns, referencing the Guarantee of Fair Treatment policy outlined in the Associate Handbook.
• Ensures that regular on-going communication takes place throughout the property to recognize performance, set expectations and create awareness of business objectives.
• Celebrates successes and publicly recognizes the contributions of team members; ensures recognition occurs in all areas.
• Ensures hotel policies are administered fairly and consistently, disciplinary procedures and documentation are completed according to WLS policy and procedures and supports Associate Review Process (where applicable).
• Ensures hotel participates in community service events sponsored by WLS (or brand initiative) to build teamwork and enhance community relationships.Sales and Revenue Management
• Reviews sales goals and strategies to ensure alignment with the brand business strategy and proper pricing and positioning of the property in the market.
• Supports the sales strategy and encourages leadership team to develop effective revenue management strategies and set aggressive goals that will drive the property's financial performance.
• Ensures the development of a strategic account plan for the demand generators in the market.
• Ensures Sales team understands and is leveraging brand’s demand engines to full potential.
• Ensures focus is on proactive selling as well as reactive selling.
• Perceptive of market conditions and communicates changes and potential revenue opportunities to leadership team.
• Develops strong partnerships with local organizations to further increase brand/product awareness; advises brand and regional team of growth opportunities.
• Reviews the STAR report, competitive shopping reports and uses other resources to maintain an awareness of the hotel’s market position.
• Researches competitor’s strategies to identify ways to grow occupancy and RevPAR and increase market share.
• Ensures demand forecasting and sound revenue practices are in place to maximize yield.
• Suggests innovative marketing ideas and proactively develops deployment strategies to continue to grow market share.
• Participates in sales calls and site visits with members of the sales team to acquire new business or close on business.
• Communicates regularly with meeting planners on property. Evaluates whether operations are meeting service needs and provides feedback to leadership team.
• Establishes a presence in the market by developing strategic alliances with local civic leaders, community and business organizations.
• Participates in local events or sponsors activities that showcase the property and is the voice of the brand and WLS in the market.Financial Management
• Responsible for financial planning (budgeting and forecasting) for hotel revenues and expenses.
• Reviews financial reports and statements to determine how business unit is performing against budget. Works with executive committee to determine areas of concern and develops strategies to improve the property’s financial performance. Leads cost containment efforts within the property including organizational restructuring when necessary.
• Coaches and supports leadership team to effectively manage occupancy and rate, wages and controllable expenses. Strives to maintain profit margins without compromising guest or associate satisfaction.
• Identifies opportunities to increase profits and create value by challenging existing processes, encouraging innovation, and championing necessary change.
• Highlights trends that are likely to shape the wants and needs of internal and external customers of the future; leads the organization in exploring business opportunities that create value for the customer while driving profit.
• Conducts comparative analysis and gathers best practices. Encourages leadership team to either establish new processes or improve existing processes to yield greater productivity e.g., banquet set-up and group check-in process.
• Ensures capital expenditure funds are being used to address the priorities outlined in the brand business strategy.
• Ensures contracts negotiated with retailers, service vendors and other contractors are beneficial for the property in accordance with WLS policy and reviewed by appropriate key senior management before completing.Owner Relations
• Establishes relationship with owner as a business partnership and builds owner loyalty through proactive communication, recognition and involvement in key decisions.
• Understands the owners' perspective and ROI expectations. Manages an effective balance between the owner's interests and WLS’s interests and develops solutions that create value for both.
• Promotes and sells ideas persuasively to owners for stimulating business opportunities, improving service and increasing profitability.
• Provides meaning or context to the financial results during owner meetings and demonstrates an understanding of cash flow and owner priorities.
• Ensures alignment of owner with brand strategy and maintains brand standards.
• Is knowledgeable of all management contract requirements for the property and ensures compliance with contract and reporting requirements.Key Accountabilities
• Guest Service Scores: Goals are met for all guest service related measurements
• Market Share: Hotel at natural rank or higher and growing share against the comp set
• Associate Relations: Associate Engagement Survey scores and impact plans (plans and actions implemented and measured)
• Flow Through: Proper management of all fixed and variable expenses to ensure optimal financial performance, Asset preservation and Associate retention

COMPETENCIES
Business Acumen, Develop Talent, Financial Acumen, Generate Revenue, Inspire followership, Managing the Vision, Negotiation, Owner Relations, Select and Recruit Talent, Team Building.

SKILLS

• Proven track record in delivering financial results
• Proven track record of building a cohesive team and facilitating goal accomplishment
• Ability to inspire associates and to create a culture of care and accountability
• Proven track record of positive associate satisfaction scores
• Commitment to exceptional guest service
• Strong communication and listening skills, excellent speaking, reading and writing skills
• Aptitude in financial management, financial reports and analysis
• Excellent leadership skills with a hands-on, lead-by-example work style
• Ability to prioritize business objectives
• Excels at selecting top talent
• Extensive knowledge of hotel operations including rooms, food and beverage and event management
• Solid knowledge of food and beverage concepts and sales strategies
• Ability to understand complex sales organization and corresponding sales processes
• Knowledge of revenue management and marketing strategies
• Knowledge of purchasing, inventory controls, supplies and equipment
• Knowledge of governmental regulations and safety standards (OSHA, EPA, ADA, CFC, NFPA)
• Ability to effectively manage labor productivity
• Financial management skills e.g., ability to analyze P&L statements, develop operating budgets, forecasting and capital expenditure planning
• Ability to use strategic planning and product positioning skills to grow the business
• Ability to evaluate business trends, determine applicability to customer profile and modify business strategies accordingly
• Ability to creatively execute against the strategy and drive results; can originate and invent new ways to create a unique guest experience and maximize revenue
• Ability to manage customer preference, loyalty and satisfaction
• Ability to take constructive action without relying on directions from others
• Ability to network and build relationships to grow the business
• Ability to exercise flexibility rather than rigid adherence to procedures in order to accomplish goals
• Effective decision-making skills; can choose a course of action amongst options involving uncertainty or risk
• Strong problem-solving skills; encourages new innovative solutions when appropriate
• Strong analytical skills
• Strong communication skills (verbal, listening, writing)
• Effective influence skills
• Good negotiation skills
• Effective change management skills
• Strong associate relations skills
• Customer focus
• Excellent food & beverage, event management, rooms operations and quality assurance skills, including experience with strategic planning, budgeting, negotiating and interpreting contracts, SOPs and project management.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver results under tough conditions, even when faced with complexity and ambiguity.
• Experience evaluating business trends and developing and successfully implementing new business programs and strategies that enhance multi-unit business performance.
• Knowledgeable in managing owner relation issues is preferred.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE
2 or 4 year college degree or equivalent work experience. Experience in similar leadership role required. Minimum of 3 – 5 years of experience as a GM required. GM experience with the specific Branded Hotel or upscale property is a plus.