Hospitality Hiring Crunch: Part 2 - Hotels

Last week’s TableTalk was about doing more with less in the restaurant industry.  This week we are focused

on the needs of current hotel employees because keeping them in place saves money versus recruiting and

training new staff.  With the right training and tools, you can do more with less staff.

Staff Training

With all of the changes that COVID-19 has brought to the hotel industry, the need for frequent staff training

remains high.  In addition to providing new standards of service to their guests, hotel workers need to be

regularly reassured that their safety is a management priority.  They need a clear sense of what to do

if they are exposed to a guest who’s sick, when to quarantine and for how long, and what the hotel’s return-to-work policy is.

Improve Technology

Earlier this week, Hotel Management published “How Hotels Can Leverage OperationalTechnology for Recovery” that will help you with:

• Integrating Flexible Scheduling

• Optimizing Your Labor Management

• Cost Effective Budgeting

Increase Staff Motivation

And, again, recognizing that it’s way more cost effective to motivate current staff, than to findtrain new employees, consider implementing one or more of these ideas:

• Give Clear Growth Parameters

• Use Guest Survey Cards

• Offer Capacity Bonuses

• Reward with Rooms

• Involve Staff

If you still need to bring on additional staff after adopting some of the above recommendations, be sure to

pay generous referral bonuses to staff members who help recruit new personnel.  They can be a tremendous

asset to a hotel’s Human Resources department.

 

 

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Hospitality Hiring Crunch: Part 1 - Restaurants

Right now the hospitality industry is gearing up for the summer tourism season with a distinct lack of

employees to handle the anticipated increase in demand, regardless of where your business is located.

We’ve all heard about doing more with less, but that’s taking on new meaning when the “less” is your

number of staff.  Here are a few things you can do to work more with less in your restaurant.

Don’t Give Up On Takeout and Delivery

While watching your guests dine-in is emotionally rewarding, it’s well known that it takes fewer staff to

package/prep takeout and delivery orders than it does to provide wait service.  It’s expected that the

delivery business is here to stay so to help increase profit margins, make sure your “to go” business

is well conceived and not disruptive to your in-restaurant guests.

Ask for Help

Yesterday at noon, the Restaurant Revitalization Fund began accepting grant applications by hard-hit

restaurants and bars based on lost revenue from the pandemic.  They will continue to accept applications

until the $28.6 billion fund is exhausted.  That sounds like a lot of money, but the restaurant industry

has lost more than $250 billion, so don’t be slow in applying.  

Streamline the Kitchen

Grants can be approved for maintenance, supplier costs and operational expenses so include requests

for kitchen equipment and technology that will help you manage your facility, maintain your equipment,

expedite serving customers and processing takeout/delivery orders more quickly and efficiently using fewer people.

Compensate Loyal Employees

The Restaurant Revitalization Fund also provides grants for payroll costs, so consider rewarding

your most loyal employees with “end of season” bonuses and generous referral fees.  Now is not a

good time to lose valued employees.

Next week, TableTalk will look at doing “more with less” in the hotel industry.

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