Institute of Hospitality launches new business network “The Community”
More than 8 out of 10 Institute of Hospitality members believe that online business networking could promote knowledge sharing within the hospitality industry and a huge 75% feel that virtual communities have the potential to improve their professional mobility. Encouragingly, more than 60% of members also acknowledge that social media networks could help them get to know and better understand their customers.
These are just some of the findings revealed in a recent Institute of Hospitality social media survey conducted on behalf of professional social network service, Viadeo, and in conjunction with online sector network, The Hospitality Hub.
Despite the widespread positivity about the ability to socialise and do business via online networks, of the 600 Institute of Hospitality and British Hospitality Association members quizzed on their attitudes towards social media and its place in day-to-day hospitality trade, only 20% had actively done business with someone they had originally ‘met’ online. Of this group, 28% held senior management or equivalent positions and 19% were middle and junior level staff.
While some march forwards with hundreds of ‘friends’ to their online names, others tip-toe cautiously, dipping in and out when it suits. For some, the concept of doing business or maintaining professional relationships via a virtual community is something they’ve simply not given thought to. Nearly half of all respondents admitted that they preferred to invest time in just one professional social network and this tended to be hospitality industry or business specific.
Back in the autumn, recruitment firm Taleo predicted that, within five years, as many as half of all job interviews could come from the contacts employers and potential employees make through social networks and online forums, rather than from traditional job advertisements.
This forecast appears to be echoed in the Viadeo research, with nearly 6 out of 10 of those polled agreeing that online professional networking sites were likely to be useful to them when it came to finding a job or securing a promotion in the future. Similarly, nearly two thirds felt online professional networking sites would become increasingly useful for recruiting staff in the future.
Among other findings, the poll found that almost 45% went online in excess of four to five times a day to gain information. People working in larger hotels were more likely to use Facebook than those at smaller hotels (53% versus 31% respectively) and larger hotels, perhaps unsurprisingly, were more likely to be on online professional networks than small hotels (53% versus 38% respectively).
Launch of "The Community"
With these concerns and preferences in mind, the Institute of Hospitality is thrilled to have used the survey’s findings to fuel the extensive development of a brand new online professional and social network exclusively for members, called “The Community”.
The Community is an online networking platform, similar to sites like LinkedIn and Facebook, but built exclusively for Institute of Hospitality members to create a safe and productive environment within which to exchange information, meet like-minded professionals and share news and expertise.
Members of The Community can exchange e-mail-style messages, talk in real-time using the chat function and initiate or join debates in the public forums. Members can also develop blogs and become part of shared interest groups, which form mini communities in themselves. Other features include the events tool which allows users to create and invite network members to attend, notifying their availability via the RSVP function. Even better, members can then share the success of their event by uploading photographs and videos.
Last, but not least, members are able to advertise their business, products and services in a dedicated ‘classifieds’ section of the network, which will be fully searchable by other members.
The Institute of Hospitality has been uniting professionals, promoting excellence and fascilitating learning for more than 70 years. We strongly believe that our new social network, The Community, will add a new dimension of interactivity to your professional and personal life and we hope you enjoy using it as much as we have enjoyed developing it for you!
Please note that should you not wish to be a part of this exciting new movement in communications technology, then please e-mail info@instituteofhospitality.org.
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