One of the biggest challenges the hospitality sector faces is the shortage of skilled workforce. We see a rise in demand as the talent pools continue to shrink, which highlights why the industry continues to rapidly turn to technology. There are multiple challenges regarding the workforce taunting the industry. However, there are also numerous ways in which the integration of hotel technology has helped alleviate the shortage and improve guest experience.
Workforce Challenges in Hospitality Include:
Labor Shortages
The industry has frequently struggled with a shortage of skilled personnel across various job roles that involve chefs, room service agents, housekeeping, and other hotel staff. A few significant contributors to the shortage include a perception of long working hours, low wages, and seasonal fluctuations, majorly affecting the overall guest experience.
Recruitment & Retention
The process of attracting and retaining skilled employees can come with significant complications. Traditional recruitment methods often have mediocre results that result in high turnover rates. In recent years the industry has also begun facing higher pressure to diversify its workforce and address issues related to inclusion and equality, making it more challenging. Highlighting the struggle of the hospitality workforce even further is the cost of mentioned employee turnover.
Skills Gap
The technological advancements we are experiencing are resulting in evolving guest expectations requiring a workforce equipped with modern skills. The current reality exposes that many existing employees lack the necessary training to adapt to emerging technologies and changing industry trends.
Integrating Technology to Address Workforce Challenges:
Streamlining Recruitment: Automating job postings, applicant tracking, and resume screening can save time and effort for Human Resource departments
Training and Development: Leveraging hotel technology to optimize online learning platforms, virtual reality simulations, and mobile applications, which can provide accessible and interactive training experiences that allow employees to acquire new skills and enhance their performance.
Workflow Optimization: Technology integration can optimize workflow processes and reduce the burden on staff. Property Management systems can automate administrative tasks. Software such as TrayAway notifies staff when a room service tray is ready to be retrieved, allows personnel to focus on other tasks, and optimizes efficiency.
Enhanced Guest Experience: technology can augment guest experiences, increasing guest satisfaction and positive reviews. Some great examples are in-room tablets that provide room service menus and facilitate communication between guests and staff, further elevating the guest experience.
It is evident that the workforce challenges in the hospitality industry require innovative solutions, and the integration of hotel technology does offer a promising path forward. Leveraging AI, automation, training platforms, and room service software like TrayAway can enhance workforce efficiency, provide exceptional guest experiences and tackle labor shortages.
