Business and leisure travel activity has recently increased and your guests expect a unique and memorable experience for spending their hard-earned dollars at your hotel. In addition to staying ahead of the curve with new technology, amenities, and conveniences for your guests, the same is true for your employees. The hospitality market is changing and increased occupancy means more jobs for laundry, kitchen staff, servers, chefs, and other staff.

By 2022, the hospitality industry will support 328 million jobs: that’s 10% of the U.S. workforce and represents a 49% increase in job postings since 2013. Once you understand how the hospitality job market is changing, you’ll be better able to tailor your approach to meet the challenges ahead. It’s a people business and keeping your employees happy and engaged is a big part of talent attraction and retention.

What are the current issues?

The Affordable Care Act 

• The ability to track hours and compliance efficiently so it doesn’t add a lot of time and expense
• Some hotels are keeping their workers under 30 hours/week in order to avoid health care costs
• There is some confusion about shared responsibility rules: determine what your role is.

Baby Boomers are retiring

• Nearly 10% of current hospitality workers are ready to retire
• That means almost 1 million jobs will need to be filled
• Training current employees to learn new skills and be promoted to help fill the gaps

Service Staff 

• Due to increased occupancy, the housekeeping staff will see the highest need
• Servers, kitchen staff, chefs, and laundry will also be in demand
• Along with those listed above, wedding/meeting/event planners will see growth
• Utilizing part-time or temporary workers is a new trend to meet the increased demand when needed

Technical & Professional Staff 

• New technologies in reservations, room upgrades, amenities, etc., means more technology specialists to provide reliable service
• Use social media (LinkedIn and other platforms) to attract new professional talent
• Ensure your website is mobile-ready for viewing jobs and social channels
• Implement a Referral Rewards Program to reward current employees for bringing qualified candidates to you
• Be sure you are offering competitive salaries and benefits for each position
• Most importantly, act quickly when you find the right person. Leaving a strong candidate waiting while you get multiple approvals up the chain of command, will not end well. There are too many opportunities for professionals with the right skills.

Hiring at the Managerial Level

The best management hires have a commercial point of view as well as the right attitude for a good cultural fit. Meeting the demands of running your hospitality business success relies on making it clear exactly what he/she is required to achieve and how that affects guests, staff, and other management.

To attract and retain your talent at this level, consider offering a “Loyalty Package” that involves benefits such as bonuses and shares options. Also, according to a recent survey, 67% of professionals state they’re searching for a more interesting challenge when they change jobs and more than half are looking for a better work-life balance. Offering career development, job security, and better benefits (such as life insurance and private health plans) are also part of the retention plan: it’s no longer just about a salary bump.

Companies are also planning to diversify their management demographics to include more women and to promote younger and diverse employees into management roles. Career recruitment events (held at your hotel) attract large numbers of diverse and qualified applicants that you can meet in person, thereby reducing the hiring time required.

The Bottom Line

Keeping your staff engaged, happy, and motivated are key factors in retaining talent. Stay on top of your skill gaps by monitoring your people analytics, providing career development and education to those already working with you, and promoting from within.  Keep your wages in line with current salary statistics and look beyond the borders to hire workers with H-1B visas to hire temporary workers for special occupations