Technology
recruitment Rethinking
Hospitality Professionals Association (HOSPA) discusses why investing in staff training can help tackle the current crisis facing the hospitality industry.
shortages. The impact of the pandemic, exacerbated by the implications of Brexit, has meant that around one in ten hospitality workers have left the industry in the past year. The Caterer estimates that this equates to around 92,000 workers. As has now become painfully apparent, many of those who left are not looking to return. Furthermore, staff retention within the industry has been severely impacted. Retention in the hospitality industry, pre-pandemic, was only around 70% according to a YouGov poll – this has now decreased even further. Is it really all that surprising that these workers no
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longer want to work in the industry?Wages remain low and the perception in the UK is that hospitality is certainly not a career of choice. Between low salaries, unsociable working hours and highly pressurised working environments, it was clearly demonstrated in March of 2020 just how fickle job security in the sector could be. Critically, many workers left the industry because they perceived there to be minimal growth opportunities for them. It is evident that more action needs to be taken to combat the challenges that have been glaringly brought to light by the current socio- economic conditions. Moreover, attracting skilled workers has become
nigh on impossible and combined with an increase in staff turnover, this has further amplified the challenges facing hospitality businesses. A study by Big
ob vacancies in the hospitality sector are at an all- time high and the long-awaited recovery has been hampered by unprecedented skills and labour
Hospitality stated poor retention in the industry itself costs the sector £275m per year. The cost of training hours was not included in this study, which makes one wonder what a more holistic figure may be. There is good news though. While there is a skills
shortage, upskilling seems to be a buzzword and a study by Deloitte uncovered that many professionals, even when they are about to bake their seventh banana bread in a lockdown, are still fully invested in their own professional development. A quarter of millennials and 27% of Gen Zs reported they learned new skills and improved their working capability during this period. The government has also been working closely with the sector and has implemented initiatives to support training the domestic workforce, while moving away from being reliant upon foreign labour. Cynical references to the impact of Brexit aside, the Kickstart Scheme is a great example of this and businesses should heed the advice of the government to invest in the development of their teams.
The solution for improvement It would not be fair to provide such a stark picture of the industry without providing some suggestions as to how the situation might be improved. While investing in staff training will not solve all of the myriad issues currently facing hospitality businesses, it will go a long way in assuaging the current crisis. HOSPA presents its top four reasons for committing to the professional development of any team working in hospitality.
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Hotel Management International /
www.hmi-online.com
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