What’s next for the hospitality workforce: Experts weigh in

Hospitality stands at a crossroads. Hotels worldwide are grappling with a labor crisis, facing vacancies, high turnover rates, and fierce competition to recruit new employees. While the COVID-19 pandemic didn’t cause this conflict, it certainly accelerated it and has only exacerbated the situation in the post-pandemic era.

So, what’s next for the hospitality workforce? 

Here, we explore expert insights from guests of The Turndown podcast, examining strategies hotels, industry leaders, and educators are deploying to tackle these workforce challenges and shape a more resilient future.

The state of the hospitality workforce

In recent years, admissions to hospitality programs have plummeted. An HSMAI survey of hospitality schools revealed that nearly half of the participants experienced enrollment, recruitment, and retention challenges as a result of the pandemic.

Despite growing demand for skilled hospitality workers, many graduates are bypassing traditional hotel operations roles, for careers in asset management, real estate, or entirely different industries. 

As Lori Kiel, Senior Vice President, Revenue Management at Pyramid Global Hospitality, shared “What keeps me up at night these days is really been much the same for the last year or so. And I would say it’s talent, really just talent from all levels, from entry-level all the way up to executive level. And I think we have some real opportunities in the hospitality industry to solve. We need to solve.”

Rethinking how hotels attract and retain talent

There is no single solution to how the industry can attract and retain the next generation of talent. However, industry leaders agree that a fundamental shift in how hotels present themselves to potential employees is required.

Here are some key strategies from experts on how to build a stronger, more dynamic workforce.

1. Redefine the perception of hospitality work

Many hotels face the perception that hospitality positions are dull, low-paying, require long hours, and feature limited opportunities for career advancement. 

Addressing the perception of hospitality work will be a matter of show versus tell. As Sebastien Leitner, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at Cloudbeds (and host of the Turndown), notes, addressing existing issues like low wages and compensation will add to improving overall perceptions.

“The hospitality industry is working on improving its reputation, in order to recruit the next generation of hoteliers,” he says. “I think there are general adjustments to compensation and salaries that are coming with that change.”

Enlightening people to the possibilities of a career in hospitality is to showcase that the industry is more than meets the eye. 

“I need to sell to the person in front of me the place to work,” says Giancarlo Carniani, President and Founder of Hospitality Innovation Academy and General Manager of ToFlorence Hotels Company. “I need to show them that there are a lot of opportunities – they can work in digital, they can work for social media for the hotel, they can do sales, food and beverage – there are so many positions, but people don’t have a real vision of what’s behind the scenes working in hospitality.”

Promote work-life balance

Gone are the days when hospitality workers wore the badge of endless hours as a mark of dedication. Today, employees value work-life balance and flexibility. Lori urges hoteliers to move past the mindset of glorifying overwork:

“We really need to speak to the experiences of how rewarding this career can be,” shares Lori. “So many of us used to walk around and say, ‘I work 24 hours a day, and I’ve never had a Christmas off’. That’s not impressing anybody these days, not in a world of work-life balance.”

Take Cloudbeds’ Sanj Gidda, Director of the George Street Hotel and Bocardo Hotel, for example. He was “Literally on a beach, making decisions thanks to the real-time data on Cloudbeds.” This flexibility to work on and off property is critical for enticing the next generation of workers. 

Align passions with career opportunities

The hotel industry enables plenty of opportunities for staff to align their work with their passions. Like Bluff Dwellings Resort, which focuses on outdoorsy, experiential travel.

“It’s about creating a business where people want to be there,” says Dallin Tait, General Manager of Bluff Dwellings Resort. “That’s something we really focus on; just having that culture really makes it possible to find the right people and not have to be on the property all the time.”

Onefam is another example. It has 17 hostels throughout Europe and offers its staff the opportunity to move and work in different cities to remain motivated and energized in their roles by still being able to pursue their passion for travel. 

2. Revitalize hospitality positions

Many potential job seekers view hospitality roles as outdated. Hoteliers must find ways to expand and refresh traditional positions to be more dynamic.

“I’m thinking about this younger generation coming in, and I think it has to do with the roles being so rigid,” says Jacqueline Nunley, Global Industry Strategist for Travel, Transportation, and Hospitality at Salesforce. “I truly believe hospitality jobs have become a little bit boring because of the rigid way we go about executing what needs to be done within roles.”

Many new and emerging hospitality solutions are eliminating mundane tasks often associated with traditional hospitality roles. This frees up time to create new titles and positions for staff looking to break into the industry.

Notable examples include Guest Experience Curators, who focus on crafting personalized and memorable experiences for guests via unique and engaging interactions. Or, Sustainability Coordinators, who oversee the adoption of eco-friendly practices, ensuring hotel operations align with environmental standards while promoting sustainable initiatives.

“I’ve seen some brands take steps of expanding traditional roles and aligning themselves with how these young people want to work,” shares Jacqueline. “I think it’s worthwhile to expand on that or at least explore what that might look like for a hotel that is gearing up to start employing a younger generation with a different mindset and a different attention span.”

Highlight career growth and mobility

Hospitality offers diverse opportunities, letting you shape a career that fits your life. In fact, employees often begin in one role and transition into another without starting over, through mentorship and internal mobility. 

“I love how flexible it is to transition,” shares Lori. “In what other industry can you pick a completely different path and not have to go all the way back to the start?”

For Diogo Vaz Ferreira, Head of Commercial at Clink Hostels, he initially found himself working in luxury hotels, shortly thereafter making the switch to hostels. 

“That kind of corporate feeling, suit and tie, always very serious, I always felt a bit too much or too fake for me,” he shares. “I wanted something new, but still connected with the hospitality travel industry.” 

It’s also an industry where opportunities for growth are endless. With enough ambition, there’s no limit to climbing the corporate ladder.

“The transversal value of the industry is you can learn so many things about yourself as well as about others,” shares Julia Krebs, Co-Founder and Director of R.E.A.L. Consulting and Senior Lecturer at Les Roches. “You can apply that to almost anywhere in your life. If you should decide to switch into a different area of hospitality, it’s just a matter of which path you would like to follow.”

It’s so important to amplify stories and give young people a glimpse into the different opportunities available to them, whether it’s Claudia Infante, who started as a banquet server and is now the Chief Data Officer at Margaritaville, or Kendall LaRue, who spent years in consulting before becoming the COO of LOGE. 

3. Embrace technology to support employees

Technology isn’t just about the guest experience – it can be used to boost employee confidence and support career advancement within the industry, too.

“Most hoteliers get into the business because they want to provide a great service and engage with a customer, not because they want to sit behind a computer with an Excel spreadsheet,” says Jason Pinto, Co-Founder and COO of FLYR for Hospitality.

As uncovered in the PMS User Experience Report, poor user interface and navigational issues can greatly affect employee’s confidence in utilizing a PMS. In fact, 38.1% of employees stated their experience with the PMS played a role in their departure from a hospitality position. 

Conversely, a user-friendly PMS was positively correlated with how prepared employees feel for advancement in the hotel industry. A positive PMS experience helps employees gain confidence more quickly, allowing them to feel ready for promotions sooner. 

Take Doolin Inn, for example. They chose Cloudbeds due to its intuitive and clean interface. Chris Coote, Operations Manager, shared that “We had a receptionist in her fifties who used to get very nervous when it came to navigating new technologies. But with Cloudbeds, it was so easy to show her, and in a few days, she felt confident. She eventually became our Head Supervisor, which I don’t think would have been possible with some of the legacy systems out there.”

Don’t forget the human touch 

When considering workforce trends and new hospitality tech, don’t forget the value of human connection. Hospitality blends service and business, but many hoteliers focus too much on operations. A successful hospitality career balances both — that’s what makes it unique.

“At the end of the day, the hospitality industry is all about creating incredible guest experiences,” says Dr. Stowe Shoemaker of UNLV’s William F. Harrah College of Hospitality. 

4. Invest in education and training

The hospitality industry thrives on growth. Investing in education and training highlights career opportunities and inspires hoteliers to think about positioning and promoting creative career paths — from skill development to job shadowing across roles.

“At UNLV, we’ve built a new hospitality building that doubles as a classroom,” says Dr. Shoemaker. “We have incredible internships and mentorship to expose students to this exciting industry.”

While encouraging hospitality in classrooms is crucial, hoteliers should consider the ways they can provide mentorship opportunities within their own properties and communities. Claudia says, “We have to get involved in the universities and programs and transmit that joy and passion for service to the younger generations.”

Diego de Ponga, CEO of Port Hotels, invests in his team by giving all general managers the opportunity to receive an MBA. Regarding this strategy, he says, “We’re investing in training because that’s the best way your company can tell you that you’re important to us.”

The future of hospitality: Building a stronger, more dynamic workforce

The hospitality industry’s future depends on embracing innovation while upholding human connection. By reimagining roles, promoting work-life balance, investing in education, and leveraging technology, hotels can attract and retain top talent. 

Creating dynamic career opportunities that empower and engage the next generation of hospitality professionals promotes long-term growth and operational excellence for years to come.