Combat Labour Shortage in the Hospitality Industry   

After an unfortunate pandemic and some years of furlough, the hospitality industry is finally returning to its usual patterns. However, many hotels’ operational jobs and professionals will not return to the industry due to risks in job security. Joblist survey confirms that almost 1/3 of former hospitality professionals indicated they were not considering returning to the field. The labour shortage is causing some struggles to meet the demands in the industry.

Several causes have been identified in the hospitality industry that have led to a labour shortage. The pandemic has caused hospitality workers to experience many layoffs, poor compensation, and a stressful work environment. Let us have a look at why many workers in the hospitality industry do not want to return to their jobs:

• Hotel shutdowns – The closing of borders for almost two years caused a drastic effect on hospitality businesses leading them to shut down operations. As the operational costs were relatively high without optimum guest capacities, hoteliers could not make ends meet. This caused several job losses. Many employees joined alternative industries to survive during the pandemic.
• Wage gap has been a core factor in this industry – Due to recent economic and environmental challenges, many other successive industries are offering better pay than the hospitality industry, leading to job changes.
• The high-pressure work settings in the industry cause staff morale to decline quickly. Low morale can affect work performance, also affecting the organisation’s brand image.
• Limited quality training in the industry, making employees’ performance less than optimum.

However, the hospitality industry has always been known to bounce back from environmental and economic challenges quickly. Technology has also played its part in helping increase operational effectiveness and productivity during pandemic times. It has also helped tackle shortages in manpower as well. Here are some ways in which technology can help save the hospitality industry.

1. Automated operations

The hotel sector is advancing toward digitalisation as a result of its evolution. Digitisation can be done in various aspects of the operations, right from supply chain and materials management to sales and marketing, from housekeeping to the POS and much more. The entire process can also be digitised with the right kind of Property Management Solution. The primary examples of using automation are boosting productivity, cutting expenses, and improving experiences for workers and customers.

2. Customer-centric services

Good Hospitality technology enables a hotel to intuitively respond and service a guest, thereby enhancing the customers’ experience and comfort. This can help optimise employee efficiency as well as reduce their manual labour and make customers happy.

3. Usage of mobile applications

Mobile applications are changing how guests experience their travel and are setting new standards of expectations. These applications are vital in luring new visitors to the hotel. Today’s customers want to be able to plan and book their stay, food and travel needs directly from their mobile. The right technology partner can help a hotel provide the right experience to its guests while reducing workforce requirements at the hotel.

4. Cross-resource utilisation

Cross-resource usage entails providing personnel with a secondary skill set so they may quickly transition into another function. Hotels can train their workers using tech-focused training platforms where they can learn more about different departments and jobs. With such a system in place, cross-resource utilisation can be achieved seamlessly, especially with cloud-based systems, which can be accessed from anywhere at any time.

As Labour shortages have existed since the pandemic, hospitality businesses are taking serious measures to mitigate the issue. Despite the introduction of advanced technologies, a collaborative effort between human roles and the right technology will help combat these shortages. Choosing an experienced technology partner is essential to help drive business operations more efficiently and profitably, as well as create customer experiences delightfully.