Introduction
In the contemporary business environment, it is vital for people to possess skills that would enable them perform their activities efficiently. Academic knowledge may help in gaining some of these skills. However, some skills are outside the realm of academia (Rao, Tang & Wang, 2002, p. 15).
When organisations are conducting interviews for prospective employees, they usually determine whether the candidates possess skills that would enable them perform their work efficiently. Technical jobs require people to possess various professional skills to perform their work effectively (Rao, Tang & Wang, 2002, p. 16). The service industry requires people to possess a different set of skills to work effectively.
However, certain skills are necessary for people to perform their work in different industries. Determining the set of skills that are necessary in performing various services is a complex undertaking. Most managers make several assumptions when determining the skills that their employees should possess (Gruqulis, Warhurst & Keep, 2004, p. 1).
Social skills enable service workers to provide their services efficiently. Social skills involve emotional labour. Service workers have to make various complex decisions that determine the efficiency of their services. Making the wrong decisions may reduce the efficiency of their services. Therefore, skills have meaning in services.
Relevance of Skills in the Service Industry
Service work refers to work that involves continuous interaction with clients. Therefore, service work has a tangible and intangible element (Jones & Taylor, 2007, p. 40). Information processing is one of the major tangible elements of service work (Jones & Taylor, 2007, p. 39).
On the other hand, the interaction with clients is one of the major intangible elements of service work (Mithas & Whitaker, 2007 p. 238). Service based organisations usually compete using both the tangible and intangible element.
Managers and policy makers usually use a certain set of skills to determine people who should fill various vacant positions. Determining the right set of skills that an individual should possess is a complex undertaking (Mithas & Whitaker, 2007 p. 239). Job complexity and task discretion are the major factors that determine the set of skills that employees of service-based organisations should possess.
Job Complexity
The tangible elements of a job determine its complexity. Customisation is one of the major aspects of service work. It helps in improving the quality of service that organisations offer their clients Organisations usually engage in mass customisation of data. Mass customisation may increase the complexity of the work.
Usually, employees in service-based organisations concentrate on assimilating the information. In so doing, they overlook the complex task of analysing the information. Analysing the information may provide insights that may help the service workers to improve their efficiency (Gruqulis & Lloyd, 2010, p. 94).
The intangible elements of a service-based work also determine the job complexity. The intangible elements refer to the emotional or aesthetic aspect of the job of service workers. Social skills are vital in improving the efficiency of work. However, various scholars argue that social skills are not real skills (Korczynski, 2005, p. 3). This is because social skills are simply personality traits of the individuals who perform the duties.
Therefore, it is would be wrong to refer to them as ‘skills.’ These scholars argue that real skills are technical (Korczynski, 2005, p. 4). However, it is a fact that social skills are vital in performing various duties in service-based organisations. Social skills involve emotional labour. Emotional labour is a skilled form of labour (Korczynski, 2005, p. 5). This is because it requires employees to use various complex social skills.
Most organisations value technical skills than social skills (Korczynski, 2005, p. 5). Employees who possess higher technical skills usually receive better remuneration packages (Korczynski, 2005, p. 5). On the other hand, most organisations offer lower wages to employees who use their social skills to perform their duties.
It is a fact that emotional labour is skilled labour (Korczynski, 2005, p. 4). Service workers usually make various complex decisions that determine the efficiency of their activities. The service workers may use the body language and or tone of the customer to determine the most efficient emotional response (Balnave et al., 2007, p. 321).
One of the major characteristics of service work is that women dominate it (Balnave et al., 2007, p. 322). Most organisations have the perception that women are better suited to perform these duties due to the emotional labour that it requires. Therefore, labelling the complex social skills of service workers as inborn attributes of the women instead of skills may be gender discrimination (Bolton, 2004, p. 29).
People who perform skilled emotional labour usually receive less pay than their colleagues who perform various technical duties (Balnave et al., 2007, p. 321). Emotional labour usually attracts higher wages when it is necessary in performing various technical duties (Lindsay & McQuaid, 2004, p. 310). Therefore, it is vital for organisations to appreciate the importance of service workers by offering them better pay.
Task Discretion
Task discretion determines the skills that service workers should employ. Bureaucratisation, cost-minimisation, and customer-orientation are some of the major factors that determine the structure of service-based organisations (Korczynski, 2005, p. 6). These factors enable the organisations to appeal to their customers using both price and quality of their services.
Organisations may have several rigid procedures that service workers should follow while performing their duties. This reduces the task discretion of these workers. One of the major benefits of this method is that it makes it easier for the organisation to supervise the employees (Korczynski, 2005, p. 6). However, increased bureaucracy reduces the quality of services that the organisation offers its customers (Korczynski, 2005, p. 7).
On the other hand, organisations may allow service workers to alter various procedures. Empowering employees usually leads to a significant improvement in the quality of services that the organisation offers. Most contemporary organisations use this model (Korczynski, 2005, p. 7). These organisations increase the task discretion of service workers.
This enables service workers to choose and apply the right emotional response, which the management would approve (Korczynski, 2005, p. 8). Increased task discretion necessitates the management to recruit employees who possess skills that would enable them perform their duties effectively. The attitude of the employees determines the decisions that they would make when they face various situations (Varca, 2004, p. 457).
One of the major developments in contemporary business practices is the managerial control of the emotional displays of service workers. The emotional displays help in improving the competitiveness of the organisations (Kim, 2007, p. 152). Managerial control of emotional displays usually reduces the task discretion of the employees. This has a negative effect on the intangible aspect of the work of the service workers.
Conclusion
Skills that are necessary in the service sector have various implications on the practices of organisations. They determine how organisations recruit their employees. Organisations require their employees to be emotionally intelligent.
In addition, the skills determine the training that the organisation should offer its employees (Lloyd & Payne, 2009, p. 619). Most organisations in the hospitality industry strive to control the emotional displays of their employees. The importance of service workers necessitates organisations to offer them good wages.
References
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