Tackling the Hotel Talent Shortage - A paradigm shift

The writing was on the wall for the industry’s labor supply problem even before COVID precipitated the phenomenon. In describing the backdrop for the recent acceleration of the labor supply crisis, a 2022 study by HES-SO Wallis echoed a familiar sentiment: While hospitality’s international exposure was seen favorably, respondents highlighted the industry’s stressful working environment, frequent overtime and low salaries. More than 50% of respondents consider that hospitality work is “not valued in our society” and mention that working hours are “staggered and sometimes restrictive”. Portrayals of the hotel industry in the news during the pandemic have also had a corrosive effect on its perception by younger generations, especially with respect to rigid and steep career progression models.

In December 2021, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) published several strategic recommendations to make the industry more attractive to jobseekers, which included “facilitating labor mobility and remote working, providing safety nets, upskilling and reskilling the workforce and retaining talent, and creating and promoting education and apprenticeships.”