The hospitality sector is known for its fast-paced, high-pressure environment, and staffing and labour shortages are one of the biggest issues that companies in this sector deal with. Hospitality businesses frequently struggle to find and keep qualified staff, especially during busy seasons or in regions with low unemployment rates, which causes increased stress, burnout, and even revenue loss.
What then can the hotel industry do to address the labour and staffing shortages? Here are some tactics to take into account:
1. Offer competitive wages and benefits: Hospitality companies must provide competitive wages and benefit packages in order to draw and keep top talent. This can apply to items like paid time off, retirement plans, and health insurance.
2. Offer chances for development and growth: Many workers in the hospitality sector are looking for chances to progress their careers and pick up new skills. Businesses can both retain current staff and draw in new talent by offering training programmes and opportunities for growth and development.
3. Encourage a positive workplace culture: A positive workplace culture can go a long way in luring and keeping talented employees. This can involve things like consistent team-building exercises, reward and recognition programmes, and a dedication to work-life harmony.
4. Collaborate with neighbourhood schools and community organisations: By cooperating with neighbourhood schools and community organisations, hospitality companies can develop a pool of prospective employees and forge bonds with the neighbourhood.
5. Adopt technology: Technology can be a strong instrument for lightening the load on staff and boosting productivity. There are many ways that technology can assist hospitality businesses in streamlining their operations and lowering the need for extra staff, from automated check-in systems to mobile ordering apps.
Although a major challenge, staffing and labour shortages can be overcome by companies in the hospitality industry using a variety of tactics. Even during peak seasons or in regions with low unemployment rates, hospitality businesses can recruit and retain qualified staff by providing competitive wages and benefits, offering chances for growth and development, fostering a positive company culture, collaborating with nearby schools and community organisations, and utilising technology.
Do you believe the hospitality industry can use the outsourcing market to deal with the labour shortage?
Certainly, I believe that freelance marketplaces can help hospitality companies deal with a labour shortage. Marketplaces for freelancers can be a great resource for helping businesses quickly and easily find qualified individuals to meet their temporary staffing requirements. For instance, a hotel might use a freelancing website to locate temporary workers with the required qualifications if they are needed during the busiest time of the year.
Utilizing a freelancing marketplace has the benefit of enabling companies to rapidly scale up or down their staffing requirements as required. Businesses that operate during certain seasons or in regions with variable demand may find this to be especially helpful. In addition, freelancers can bring new ideas and perspectives to a company, which is advantageous in a cutthroat sector like hotels.
However, it's critical for businesses to thoroughly screen freelancers and make sure they have the qualifications and experience needed to do the work well. This can be accomplished by looking over their freelancing platform profiles, portfolios, and ratings, as well as by interviewing them and verifying their references.
In general, online marketplaces for freelance work can help hospitality businesses get around labour shortages and rapidly locate qualified personnel when they are required. Businesses should continue to focus on developing a solid core team of full-time workers, and use freelancers as an addition to rather than a replacement for, their current staff.
Here are 5 online marketplaces for freelance work that Australian hospitality businesses can utilise to hire employees.
1. Upwork: Upwork is a worldwide platform for freelancing that links companies with independent contractors all over the world. It enables businesses to post job listings, review freelancer profiles, and hire them directly through the platform. It provides a broad range of categories, including hospitality.
2. Freelancer: Another international platform for freelance work, Freelancer enables companies to publish job openings and solicit bids from freelancers. Businesses can use the platform to directly employ freelancers after reviewing their profiles and ratings.
3. Airtasker: Based in Australia, Airtasker is a network that links companies with nearby independent contractors for a variety of jobs, including hospitality. Businesses can use the platform to submit jobs, review the profiles and ratings of freelancers, and hire them immediately.
4. Fiverr: Fiverr is an international marketplace for freelancers that specialises in creative and digital services, including hospitality-related tasks like menu creation and social media administration. Businesses can look through the profiles and portfolios of freelancers and employ them directly through the platform.
5. Venture Uplift: Based in Australia, Venture Uplift is a network that links companies with remote freelancers working in a variety of sectors, including the hospitality industry. Businesses can publish job listings, examine the profiles and ratings of freelancers, and employ them directly through the platform.
These websites provide a variety of ways for companies to find and employ freelancers, making them a useful resource for Australian hospitality companies looking to increase their staffing levels. It's crucial to investigate and contrast various platforms to find the one that best suits the requirements and financial constraints of your company.
