SPECIAL REPORT
LEAN , BUT NOT MEAN : the new wor
COVID HAS FORCED A RECKONING FOR HOTEL STAFFING , AND AS THE FALLOUT CONTINUES ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE .
Contributed by Megan Rowe
Thanks to generous unemployment benefits , immigration restrictions , a defection by many line-level workers to alternative fields and other factors , hotels are struggling to reach fully staffed status . Operators are leaning on creative solutions and establishment of a culture designed to attract team members and equip them to handle running a hotel in a volatile time .
A seller ’ s market for labor has forced hotels to rethink their recruiting philosophy , whom they consider suitable candidates and the terms they offer to sweeten the pot . “ The employee is in the driver ’ s seat now , and we ’ re asking , ‘ What will it take to hire you , and how can we accommodate your schedule ?’” says Patti Hunt , GM of the recently opened Westin Tempe in suburban Phoenix , Arizona .
Schedules , in fact , are a key talking point in many interviews . After last year ’ s hiatus , many potential associates have decided they value a better work-life balance . They won ’ t agree to a fulltime position or overtime ; they want more control over their time . “ They say things like ‘ I ’ m available on these days , but not at this time ,’” Hunt notes . Managers who meet a good candidate might agree to requests
38 hotelsmag . com November / December 2021