To attract better, you have to become better...

Every story circulating on all forms of media at the moment advise of extreme staff shortages in the hospitality industry. The Daily Telegraph said hospitality worker shortages are expected to exceed 100,000 over the coming weeks. The article advises job openings increased from 84,000 to 93,000 in the past week alone as the industry prepares for the summer trade. Another article reports one Sydney restaurant is forced to pay $90 per hour on Friday and Saturday nights to attract a kitchen hand. Then there's every other article renewing calls for the government to open the borders to international workers constantly blaming the industry shortage on lack of foreign workers.

Everyone is asking the same question. How do we find staff? The question that really needs to be asked is how do we fix the hospitality industry? A quote that comes to mind is, "To attract better, you have to become better. You can't do the same things and expect change." So how do we change?

We all need to start taking responsibility for where this industry is at today and we can't just blame Covid or the lack of foreign workers... For years we've all been comfortable in the fact there is staff available, jobs easily filled and ignored the pleas of those in the industry that have been asking for better. Better working conditions, better company support, better wages, better training, better safety procedures and change...Our industry has needed change for quite some time and sure some changes are being made, but many are still not listening....

Whilst reading all these articles, I'm wondering how many hospitality managers, employers or owners have sat down with their teams this year and asked them, What can we do to improve? Are you happy? Are there any suggestions you have for us moving forward? What can we change? Have you been asked by your employer? Or as an employer have you asked your staff? And if you have, have you acted on making those changes?

I love this industry, it's all I've ever known. I don't want to see venues struggling to find staff, owners having to close part of their business because they can't fill a roster, customers complaining because service has reduced but most of all I don't want to continue to see hospitality staff leaving our industry in droves because their pleas for change weren't listened to...Or the right questions were just not being asked...

So come on...let's all do better so we can become better.....Communication is the key. Start asking the questions and start making those changes....

#letsmakehospitalitygreatagain