As demand for the hotel industry ramped up, so has demand for revenue experts to sort through the data of that demand and maximize rates and profitability.

But leaders in the revenue-strategy discipline say labor in that field — like many others — has been in short supply and has required employers to move quickly to secure the few potential employees out on the market.

Speaking to Hotel News Now during an exclusive joint interview of revenue experts at the 2021 HSMAI Revenue Optimization Conference, executives said there's an intense competition for revenue talent.

"I think a lot of us are going back through the Rolodex of every person you've ever worked with in your life to try to appeal to the personal side and say 'Oh my gosh, do you want to come back? Do you want to be part of the team again?'" said Kerry Mack, vice president of revenue and distribution for Highgate Hotels. "But especially in the major markets as we start to come out of [the downturn], it's an aggressive salary and wage war."

Mack said remote work has become a huge sticking point in recruiting revenue managers and strategists and has drawn many out of the hotel industry completely.

"There's too many people that are allowing [work from home], and that's a huge perk," she said.

Lori Kiel, chief revenue and marketing officer for the Kessler Collection, said hotel companies are often caught in the middle of having ownership that don't believe in letting employees work remotely and potential employees who insist on it. She said there needs to be more flexibility from the ownership side to be more competitive.

Read the full article at HotelNewsNow (part of CoStar)