Three ways to combat staff shortages in the hospitality sector
Both the epidemic and Brexit have contributed to severe workforce shortages in the hospitality sector, particularly in those sectors requiring hospitality staffing in London. A good deal of hospitality staff left the industry and found employment in other areas, while workers from overseas returned home for better job security and to be with family.
As everyone knows, it has been an unsettling time and the hospitality industry has been one of the hardest hit. Combined with constantly changing rules, events being cancelled at very short notice and a lack of trained hospitality staff, the pressures have been enormous. However, there are several things that firms can do to address staff shortages, such as retaining good employees, reducing services, and hiring through agencies. One of the numerous advantages is that hospitality agency employees are knowledgeable, experienced, and know what is expected of them.
1-Adaptation
Businesses that require hospitality staffing in London, have had to adapt. For example, many hotels in the city have had to stop offering daily housekeeping services and many restaurants and bars have reduced their menu. By understanding what is most important to their guests, businesses can cut down on certain offerings and redirect the staff from these areas.
Another example of the approaches businesses have taken to make changes, is to reduce the number of staff dealing with customer queries and offer an automated service that can deal with the most common questions. Also extending the expected response time, and therefore lowering their guests’ expectations, will help to alleviate complaints. Being honest and explaining to guests that there are staff shortages can also be helpful.
2-Agency staff
For businesses that specialize in events and entertainment, using agency staff is a great way to ensure that guests will be well looked after and get the service they expect. This may require cutting back on other services and putting resources into front-of-house hospitality, but by adapting in this way, guests will get the experience they paid for.
3-Keep staff happy
One of the most important ways to combat staff shortages in the hospitality industry is to ensure long term staff are treated well, paid fairly and enjoy the work they do. Making sure they get regular breaks, have access to a staffing area with basic amenities, and check-in with them regularly will help to keep them from looking for work elsewhere and encourage them to be loyal and engaged.
Staff that are overworked, weary, and anxious, on the other hand, will not be able to do their jobs well, and this will eventually encourage some of them to leave or take time off. By having regular meetings and resolving any issues, employers can make their staff feel valued and redirect resources where needed. If employees are having trouble coping, firms should consider hiring some agency workers during peak times to relieve some stress.
Hospitality staffing in London
Hospitality staff are in demand and with live events returning and summer around the corner, the demand is only going to get greater. By booking staff now, businesses and organizations can help to make their event a success. If there aren’t enough employees to assure the guests’ safety and enjoyment, the business’s reputation may suffer, and commercial partners linked with the event may be hesitant to re-invest.
Ultimately, if consumer confidence is lost, guests won’t return. By ensuring professionally trained hospitality staff are available to serve drinks, answer customer queries and manage ticketing and general event queries, guests will get a positive experience and will be much more likely to return.
Wrapping Up
A firm that relies on the services of hospitality staffing in London must ensure that they have an adequate number of skilled, competent, confident, and dependable workers. Businesses are encouraged to trim out any non-essential services and check-in with their team regularly to ensure they are happy to help with the workload and to guarantee customers are getting the service they have paid for. Any business requiring agency staff for an event will be wise to book them in advance and use a reputable agency that delivers experienced staff who understand the industry and what is required of them.
