When push comes to shove
When a major crisis (recession, terrorism, natural disaster, etc.) occurs, the first reaction by companies is to fire employees, and after the dust has settled, the last measure taken is to hire anyone. Even during normal times, where the hotel industry goes through peaks and valleys every 7 or 8 years, this cycle of ‘firing and not hiring’, is repeated over and over like a gramophone record’s “love and hate” relationship with scratches. Consequently, over time, we have seen generations of potential future hoteliers leave or avoid joining the hospitality industry. Not only are we hoteliers a fickle lot…but we continue to ask ourselves “Why?”
Millions of workers worldwide lost and / or switched jobs during COVID-19. With the worst of the pandemic behind us, the recovery sees several million other jobs globally available in today’s marketplace. Employees and job seekers have more alternatives than ever before. Huge life changing events often make us rethink our career choices. Now’s the perfect time for employees, to try something new – with regular days / hours of work, and perhaps even better pay.
This scenario would significantly appeal to employees in hospitality who have to put up with rotating shift work that includes working evenings, on weekends, holidays. Then there those other upsetting factors – experiences with uncaring managers, unsustainable expectations of work performance, especially from those who remained being forced to shoulder greater burdens and put in more time without any reward.
Apart from these resentments, witnessing how companies keep laying-off their colleagues during every crisis has an omni-present fear-factor. Consequently, many may not return to their jobs in hotels and restaurants. Those who do, will, mostly be the ones who couldn’t join another industry and return to hospitality, as a ‘least preferred’ option, and because they desperately need a job.
In Sri Lanka it is no different. But unlike in other countries, it gets even worse as the island battles the bane of ‘bankruptcy’ and the resultant negative publicity that is hindering it’s tourism recovery. Basically, we have fallen into a deep hole from which getting out (hopefully), will take a gigantic effort. Even hotels that successfully navigated previous downturns will find that the same strategies and tactics won’t be effective when riding out the ‘perfect storm’ that has hit Sri Lanka.
Universally, many hotel employees have learned that if they want to advance in their careers rapidly, a sure way is to change companies. HR personnel are acutely aware that when there is a spike in voluntary attrition, it is a signal of competition for talent, where in-demand workers left the job for a similar, if not better one at another hotel. This has been a headache to employers for years. That headache is about to become a painful migraine as Sri Lankan hoteliers will see an exodus of staff leaving for jobs in the Middle East and other countries that are frantically in need of skilled hotel workers.
The time to act is now. Everyone needs to come together to halt the hemorrhaging labour shortage. They need to stem the flow, to create a safe environment and encourage people to join the hospitality industry… and that all begins with how we treat employees.
As other industries rewrite the standards for salaries and wages, it’s time to reassess and revisit what the hospitality industry can now offer all levels of staff. Providing greater stability to hotel employees can make the industry feel far more supportive and realistic as a lifelong career option.
When push comes to shove, it’s time to get the house in order.
Shafeek Wahab – Editor, Hospitality Sri Lanka, Consultant, Trainer, Ex-Hotelier
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