Page 13 - ATA

LOCAL Monday 5 august 2019
A17

Hotel

Hustle

Column by: Shanella Pantophlet
STANDARDS

ORANJESTAD — Standards or standard operating
procedures are probably the most common words
in hospitality speech. We are nothing if not standard-
ized. Recently there’s been a lot of conversations in
and around appearance standards and if they are
outdated and potentially racist, sexist or ageist.

The hospitality business especially on the front of
house side is very aesthetically focused. The appear-
ance standards for anyone working the front of the
house or who has direct contact with guest can be a
mile long and very exclusionary. Personally I’ve always
felt that a lot of our standards especially the ones on
tattoos to be very outdated. Someone showing up
to a job interview with visible tattoos shouldn’t mean
an automatic rejection, because the company may
miss out on the best candidate.

The same can be said about hair a family member with a tattoo, be taken off the shelf, dusted off
standards and that’s where the whether they hide it or not. Work- and reviewed. Even if your cur-
racism can come in a bit. A lot ing in the Caribbean long sleeve rent set are open to interpretation
of black women are now mov- shirts, long pants and buttoning there should always be room for
ing back towards their natural to the neck are both impractical expansion and some specificity
hair stylings. There’s such a gamut and uncomfortable. when needed. The goal should
of ways that natural hair can be On the other hand employees be to adapt, but not lose the
presented from afros, cornrows to should also be more aware of the company identity along the way
even well kept dreadlocks that it company and environment they or missing out on the opportunity
can be daunting to rewrite the work in. Just because your boss of talented employees, because
hair standards rules, especially for is okay with the tattoos or pierc- they don’t meet the strict aesthet-
restaurants. I’m still a very strong ings you already have, doesn’t ic guidelines set forth.
proponent of keep it clean and mean you shouldn’t be consider- Our guests come to Aruba for
up and out of your face or tied ate of future placement or ability the relaxed atmosphere, the laid
up and back if working with food, to cover up with makeup. Same back attitude and a true Island
but I realize hair is one way people goes for hairstyles they should still experience. It’s something com-
use to express their individuality The key to standards and mak- fit the cleanliness and grooming panies should keep in mind when
and shouldn’t be used as a strike ing exceptions or adjusting to the standard as should beards, just writing their standards, the dress
against them. The same goes for way the world is moving forward because you have one doesn’t code of a 5 star hotel in Man-
men with longer hair or those who should be through understand- mean you need to look like Santa. hattan, shouldn’t be applied to
keep a beard for religious or even ing. Timeshares want to give off Standards will always be there, but your home away from home in
medical purposes. the family vibe and everyone has every now and then they need to Aruba.q

Aruban born and bred Shanella Pantophlet is passionate about tour-
ism. That is the world she studied and works in, so we might as well call
her a specialist. Luckily for Aruba Today Shanella also loves to write.
And together with the fact that the majority of our readers are tourists,
we found ourselves a perfect combination for a column: Hotel Hustle.