Meet Yvonne Lim MIH, Co-Founder of Discovery Hotel Industry Consultancy. Yvonne shares why she loves hospitality, what its been like living and working in Malaysia during the pandemic and why she decided to join IoH now.Tell us more about your current role and workplace
I am the Co-Founder of Discovery Hotel Industry Consultancy (DHIC), a member of Discovery Tourism Group providing productivity consultation across the hospitality industry from budget to luxury hotels. Services include tourism project planning, destination management and development consultancy, travel technology, MICE events & communications. I am also a certified trainer under the Ministry of Human Resources Malaysia for the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF) – an agency tasked to catalyse the development of current and future workforce to support Malaysia’s vision of becoming a high-income economy.
Why did you decide to become a consultant?
Hospitality is a glamorous business but a very tough industry to sustain and retain talents. I have been faced with this industry dilemma throughout my 30 years of working experience in the hospitality industry. Instead of lamenting over it, I decided to do something about it last year by setting up a consultancy with accreditation to the Ministry of Human Resources through the HRDF program. Then the pandemic came, and a more urgent initiative emerged; to upskill and reskill hospitality employees to meet the needs post Covid-19, specifically in the digital space.
Did you always want to work in hospitality when you were growing up?
I was exposed to the hospitality while I was working part time in the banquet department during my student days. I liked the work environment and opportunity to interact with guests. The work culture fitted my character and personality well, and the rest is history!
What do you love most about working in this industry?
Without doubt, being able to travel and working alongside colleagues of different culture, nationalities have been a driving force. Bottom line, it’s people, people and people.
What has it been like living and working in Malaysia during the pandemic?
I am proud, I think Malaysia as a nation had been able to handle the pandemic quite well so far; with hotel functions slowly recovering to modest level. Although the hospitality industry has been badly hit, the determination of the stakeholders to stay agile and resilient has been encouraging, hence our spirits remain high.
In what way has hospitality been impacted over there?
A total of 4,880 hotels, including budget hotels in the country, are registered with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture. According to the Malaysian Association of Hotels, about 15 percent of the hotels in Malaysia may have to shut down their operations due to Covid-19 pandemic. Some hotel operators have also indicated that they would remain closed till the end of this year, while some said they would only resume their businesses after a vaccine for Covid-19 is found.
Is there anything you think the UK hospitality industry could learn from Malaysia?
Due to the pandemic, business continuity across the hospitality sector is jeopardised. At the same time, unemployment levels are record high. For the hospitality industry to survive, they need to pivot immediately, changing operations and embracing digital solutions literally overnight. The Malaysian Government pumped additional funding to support digital transformation under the Future Workers Training (FWT) initiative; basically, an up-skilling/re-skilling cum placement programme that eases the financial burden of both employers and employees. The programme entails hospitality employers to identify the required skills and competencies (e.g. digital marketing) critical to continuity of their businesses post pandemic. HRDF accredited trainers are then engaged to provide the relevant training to a pool of retrenched workers so that they can be re-employed again. Government funding supports the trainer’s fees and training costs while the re-employed workers are given up to 6 months subsistence allowance by the Government.
You joined the IoH in the middle of the pandemic, what made you decide to do this?
I was doing some research on accreditation and endorsement for our training programs and came across IoH through Typsy. Since the IoH membership credential is internationally recognized, I believe being a member of the IoH will complement and expand my professional development. I hope to gain further international exposure in the global hospitality industry; perhaps to play a part in rethinking how the industry can be more resilient post Covid-19. I also look forward to connecting with IoH members in the APAC region to share regional challenges and opportunities.
What has been the most memorable day in your career?
I was promoted to Department Head at the age of 26 in a hotel that has won the prestigious Tourism Award for Excellence of Hotel Services within three years in operation, it was my first taste of mission accomplished being able to validate myself and definitely a cherished moment in my career.
What is the best piece of advice you have given a client?
A hotel client was apologising profusely for an overdue monthly payment, apparently being held up by the Finance Dept. I advised my client, “Don’t worry about it. This is a stressful time for everyone. Take your time!”. The payment was received two days later including an advance for next three months!
Tell us three personality traits that you think someone needs to succeed in hospitality.
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