Sources staff as a factor of service innovation in the modern hotel industry : analysis of selected issues

Purpose: The main objective of the article is to indicate the role of staff in the formation of pro-innovative politics in the service activities of modern hotel facilities. The paper shows how important the role of staff is in hotel service and that it is a major factor in innovation activities.

Design/Methodology/Approach: In today's market, service companies, as a result of competitive factors, must pursue strategic key organisational objectives such as survival and growth. One industry where service innovation plays a particularly important role is the modern hotel industry. A hotel business, regardless of type, should be able to create or adapt service innovations, otherwise the lack of modernity that comes from innovation will benefit the competition. The research hypothesis was defined as follows: an important source of innovation in hotel services is individual hotel employees, regardless of their position and place in the organisational structure.

Findings: The creativity, entrepreneurship, level of knowledge and appropriate qualifications of individual employees become important for a hotel enterprise in the course of implementing its market service strategy. Each of them can be an innovator.

Practical Implications: A practical aspect of service innovation on the part of staff is the right selection of employees at the recruitment and hiring stage. When looking for innovative solutions and factors in the personnel selection process in the hotel industry, three basic factors should be taken into account, such as expertise in the profession of hotelier, the characteristic personality traits of a hotel employee, the sense of self identity as an employee belonging to a certain management system and the ability to cooperate in an integrated personnel team.

Originality/value: The paper is of practical use. The results can be used by those responsible for the hotel management process, especially recruiters.