GREAT RESHUFFLE IN HOSPITALITY – HOW TO ADAPT?

An ongoing economic trend of mass exit from the workforce and job shifting, known as the “Great Resignation” or “Great Reshuffle”, is widely spread across the United States and Europe. Although at a fewer rate, it is also present in other labor markets and its impact is forcing many industries to reshape their work cultures. The trend was triggered by the pandemic as people had time to rethink their priorities or were forced to leave their current jobs due to various reasons. The trend did hit the record in 2021, however, the numbers show that this is just a continuation of a long-term change that started more than a decade ago.

The hospitality industry has been hit extremely hard, and it is facing severe staff shortages with the shortage of front-of-house staff being the worst. Employees are looking for more flexible working hours or the possibility to work remotely which is unusual in a hotel environment. Apart from unpredictable working hours, increasing expectations of the guests and lack of stability in the hospitality sector are also making this career a less attractive goal.

As switching careers is far from over, and job loyalty is becoming a ˝thing of the past˝, it is inevitable to learn why people are leaving and how to retain them. Quick fixes like higher salaries are just a short-term solution and they are not as effective as many hotel owners think they are.

Instead, managers should focus their efforts on creating a positive and efficient work environment. One of the ways to accomplish that is to free up the time of your staff by reducing repetitive work and enabling them to do what they do the best: providing an exceptional experience for your guests.

One of the most efficient and simple ways to implement those changes that are sorely needed is to apply specialized hospitality IT solutions in the workforce management area that can help reduce both unnecessary repetitive work and prioritize the hotel’s entire workforce on more important matters.

Špica and partners enable you to plan, optimize your workforce management, as well as automatize certain specific work processes in your hotels.

A proper time management system ensures smarter planning of work hours, that is, the planning of the number of employees needed at each individual position according to your hotel’s real needs. This ensures better profitability on the management level in the long term, better work-life balance for employees, and in the end better customer experience.

Specific workplaces like receptions can also be partially or completely automatized to reduce the workload on employees during rush hour or can automate the check-in process during night shifts.

Virdee technology offers exactly this. Virtual Reception Web, Mobile, and Kiosk solutions fully automate the check-in and check-out processes by covering key management, ID check, payment, and remote assistance. Increase efficiency and save money by removing the burden of manual tasks that can easily be automated while providing guests with easy access to the property and amenities.

The future is now! Digitalization, optimization, automatization, and energy savings are priorities for the hospitality industry right now.