In the post-pandemic world, food venues and other parts of the hospitality industry are failing to keep up with the demand for workers. According to the Office for National Statistics, there were 164,000 hospitality vacancies between January and March 2022.
BigHospitality states that “some 30% of hospitality businesses had reported that job vacancies were harder to fill than usual. According to The Drinks Business, 94% of hospitality and leisure businesses struggle to find personnel.
With those statistics mentioned, let’s chat about the hospitality staffing crisis and what’s happening inside the hospitality industry right now.
Why Is There A Shortage Of Staff In Hospitality?
BBC states that one in five workers left the sector during the coronavirus pandemic and that previous issues with Covid and Brexit worsened matters. Unfortunately, data reveals that the hospitality staffing crisis within the hospitality industry was already rising before the first Covid lockdown in March of 2020.
Some of the shortages, such as chefs and restaurant managers, were caused because the economy was reopened after the Covid pandemic, and every business in the area was competing to land people for their positions.
The pandemic also disrupted education in terms of college courses, and many workers had to start their studies over again, which caused a delay in finding people to fill the vacancies.
Harry Murray, President of the Hospitality Professionals Association, believes that the shortage wasn’t solely based on pay but the fact that young people want more flexibility, and the potential employees recognise the pressures associated with working in the hospitality industry.
What Are The Current Issues In The Hospitality Industry In 2022?
The perception of the hospitality industry’s job culture is a huge driving factor behind the shortage. Many people believe that the culture is a combination of long working hours and low wages.
Multiple hospitality workers with a salary have found that they sign to work 40 hours, test sometimes asked to work overtime. People also want a balance between their home life and work life, which can be hard to achieve when working in hospitality.
How Can We Solve The Shortage Of Staff?
BigHospitality interviewed those in the hospitality industry, and one named Thom Elliot is quoted as saying, “It’s a hard job, and if you want great people, you have to pay for them.”
According to the BBC, The New West End Company and the Knightsbridge Partnership – which represent about 900 businesses in London – aim to recruit 2,200 employees over the next two years, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).
According to BigHospitality, figures from Indeed show that hospitality wages have grown by 4.6% this year, making the sector one of the fastest growing in terms of pay. Many employers have tried to boost the salaries paid to solve the shortage.
Some businesses are offering sign-on bonuses to attract future employees to counteract the hospitality staffing crisis. However, many of those in the industry interviewed by the BBC say that it isn’t always about pay, as they have offered good pay before only to be left with as many vacancies as they started with.
Businesses are learning to become much more flexible with accommodating their workers. Instead of requiring them to work every single weekend, they are trying to work with scheduling to give their workers the hours that they desire. This can help workers feel valued and less stressed. Some companies are exploring models where people are paid more for working busy Friday and Saturday nights.
The biggest takeaway is to remember that the pre-pandemic world is not the same world we live in now. Covid has changed how employees feel about the workforce, and their needs have changed over time. Employers should listen and create a stable work environment that treats the employees fairly.
Understandably, the current situation is challenging, but it shouldn’t stop you from succeeding. With your staff, you can make their life easier and more efficient. At Winpos, we have the perfect POS finder to help you find the ideal POS system for your restaurant. Create a healthy working environment for your employees and watch your sales increase.
