Analysis: the experience of those who have left hospitality and tourism provides much food for thought and potential solutions for the sector
With the recent lifting of Covid-19 restrictions in Ireland, the hospitality industry undoubtedly had breathed a sigh of relief. They have re-opened their doors and are ready to welcome us back, but there is one problem; they are understaffed and struggling to recruit to fill the gap. There are fears that the industry will struggle to return to normal due to this skill shortage as many employees have not returned to their pre-pandemic employer.
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From RTÉ Radio 1's This Week, Carole Coleman reports on hospitality businesses struggling to fill vacancies and talks to Mairtin Mac Con Iomaire, senior lecturer in Culinary Arts at TU Dublin
So, what is the solution? A study investigating the turnover rates amongst hospitality employees found a variety of different issues employees had experienced which caused them to leave the industry. One cause f of dissatisfaction was the working hours: "I originally didn't mind the unsociable hours but now as I'm getting older, I would prefer a nine to five job." (Person B). Person O found the back-to-back shifts challenging: "You'd probably do 10 to 12 hours, and you get half hour break on the shift. Then you'd be back in the next day, so you finish at 1am then you’re back in the next day at 10 or 11am".
Another reasons cited was job security which saw many in the hospitality sector go elsewhere for work during the pandemic."I decided to leave the industry because I found more stability in another industry which allows me to work from home." (Person E).
Of course, the issue of financial compensation was frequently mentioned by respondents who stated they did not feel they were rewarded properly. "People are running around for eight hours a day lifting heavy silver trays. It was nonstop…you get very few breaks and you're coming out at the end of the day with the most basic wage like 10 or 10.50 an hour" (Person G). "When I stopped working, I realised, the more I worked the more I was just paying the taxes and wages and really not benefiting from it financially myself." (Person Q).
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From RTÉ One News, RTÉ Business Editor Will Goodbody reports on the estimated 40,000 vacancies in tourism sector
Quite often, people experienced issues with understaffing. "We were understaffed a lot and it just puts a lot of pressure on you. Young people just randomly call in sick and you know well they're not sick" (Person B). Some said they did not receive enough training to complete their job properly: "the lack of training would turn me off thinking about it as a permanent career one hundred percent" (Person M).
But it's not all doom and gloom for the hospitality industry despite these negative findings. Many respondents seemed sad to be leaving an industry they so dearly loved. They explained the different aspects of their job that they enjoyed, many stated that they "really enjoyed meeting new people and building a relationship with the regular customers…" Others described their relationship with their team as being like their family: "there's 30 of you that are things and 80-90-hours a week together it's like having a family".
People enjoyed the variety of work because every day in this industry is so fast paced, it keeps their job extremely interesting. Person A explained they "enjoy working with people and it not being monotonous, each day was different." People also enjoyed the reward of making their customers extremely happy. Person I recalled "we could do the smallest thing and have such a big impact on someone's day next week, that makes me so happy." Person D summarised this sentiment by saying that "we're not saving lives, but we're making memories that people may remember for the rest of their lives."
Fixing the recruitment crisis is going to involve managers finding what ignites a passion in people to work in this industry
There are lots of learning opportunities in this industry to be experienced. Person H said "…there was always something to learn behind the bar in relation to cocktails or new drinks…" Person P gained "soft skills that I use in the new job, I wouldn’t have if I hadn’t worked in this industry".
Fixing the recruitment crisis is not going to be as simple as providing more frequent performance appraisals, training, or wellbeing initiatives. It is going to involve managers digging deeper and finding what ignites a passion in people to work in this industry. An increase in pay would of course temporarily entice people to come back, but employees currently have a very negative perception of the industry.
Managers must try to change the way the hospitality industry operates to create a more sustainable change. It should position itself in people’s minds as an industry for those with a passion for new challenges everyday as well as a place where teamwork and learning and development are highly supported and encouraged.
It's worth noting that the idea of hospitality being a short-term job is not the reality for all employees. People management practices in the sector need to reflect this reality if they wish to keep recruit and retain high quality and skilled employees.
The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
