Staffing Concerns for Hotels

Since the reopening of the sector, many hotels are facing a staffing crisis. Positions are unfulfilled due to the skills shortage and lack of labor supply in the market.

1. Staff Shortages

One of the reasons why the industry is facing a staff shortage is due to a high number of workers returning back to their native countries following the pandemic. Many of these people have not returned, some due to difficulties in obtaining work permits and visas, others due to the social welfare supports available to them in their native country. The Restaurant Association of Ireland (RAI) has even called on the government to include hospitality staff in the State’s work permits and visa system in order to address this particular issue.

‍2. Rising Costs

Rising business costs have played a significant part in preventing growth in the sector. 

The Irish government is now considering increasing the minimum wage by 30c in the next budget, bringing the minimum wage up to €10.50 an hour. This extra cost pressure on businesses could deter management from hiring new staff.   

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3. High turnover

Staff retention is a significant challenge in the hospitality industry. Employee turnover is especially high in this sector due to the high number of employees working on a seasonal or part-time basis. Few people want to work long and sometimes irregular hours on minimum salary. The pandemic has further exacerbated this issue, many workers who were placed on furlough went on to quit their jobs to pursue new careers in other industries.

The Solution

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In order to address this crisis, hotels will need to adopt innovative solutions, one of which is Hotel Technology. With this type of tech, Hotel Managers are better equipped to handle:

• Staff shortages
• Rising costs 
• High staff turnover

‍Hotel Technology improves working conditions, productivity, minimizes unnecessary work and streamlines operations.

There are many different types of Hotel Tech available, some of which can be used across all areas of a hotel’s day-to-day operations.  

Hotel Maintenance Platforms, for example, can help hotels automate their maintenance and facilities management processes, saving managers and employees hours a day. 

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It’s important that all employees are properly trained in handling technology so that guest experience is fully optimized. Training and development should never be seen as a once-off activity, but as an ongoing exercise so employees can keep their knowledge and skills up-to-date and can adapt to continuous change.

To learn more about how Snapfix can be used in your hotel, check out our latest case study on The Plaza Hotel here.

If you are interested in booking a demo, contact our sales team here.