We spoke in our last blog post about how the skills gap and talent shortages have been impacting the hospitality industry - but how is it impacting candidates during their job search?
Hospitality is, in many ways, defined by its employees – the service that employees offer, the way that they embody company values, and the things that they want from a job or career – and the things that employees want are changing.
The hiring market in hospitality has been under a lot of scrutiny, with job vacancies in the hospitality sector rising 700% from November 2021 to January 2022 versus the same period a year ago.
These figures also show vacancies per 100 employee jobs have risen to 7.9, which is the highest of any industry category in the ONS data.
There are varying factors contributing to these shortages and skills gaps, but how might they be impacting your hospitality job search?
What is the current outlook in hospitality?
From the pandemic to Brexit, the hospitality industry has had to contend with significant changes that have resulted in far-reaching challenges across each area of hospitality.
Record numbers of vacancies are impacting the skills gaps that have already been present in the industry for some time, in part due to generational factors.
As many older hospitality employees with decades’ worth of experience leave the industry and technology becomes a greater factor, the gap is widening and the necessity for skilled talent increases.
Technology is playing a polarising role in the industry’s attempts to tide itself over until vacancies are filled and talent gaps are resolved.
For example, in the hotel industry, big data can identify trends that can be used for revenue management purposes as part of larger data-driven processes for pricing and current business performance.
To do this and remain competitive, however, talent with the relevant skills is necessary.
The rise of technology in hospitality
Just like many other industries, hospitality is going through a digital transformation, with varying degrees of success and uptake across the industry.
This is extremely significant to the job market in hospitality because it’s an indication of the skills that will be in higher demand in the future.
Cybersecurity is high on the agenda in the industry, due to the industry’s reliance on data and IT systems, across hotels and restaurants in particular.
This would put those with cybersecurity skills in an advantageous position, given that hospitality has invested so heavily into its technology and data – keeping customer data secure and backed up is reliant on those with cybersecurity skills.
The rise of technology in hospitality is creating a demand for ‘hybrid skills’ – traditional job knowledge combined with an awareness and knowledge of the technology that evolves around your job – which can require an in-depth understanding of areas of technology.
Artificial intelligence in hospitality, for example, can come in the form of predictive data analysis, natural language processing, and machine learning, all of which require a different skill set.
As hospitality looks to personalise the service that they offer to customers even more, these skills will be in ever greater demand.
Soft skills vs hard skills
Though discussions around skills shortages in hospitality can often be split between soft or hard skills, the reality is that many roles will require a strong mix of both to some degree.
Whilst it is true that there is a potential 13-14m talent gap, partially due to the low numbers of those with higher education degrees entering the industry (and a low total of graduates to fulfil this demand), for leadership roles there is also a greater need for certain soft skills.
As mentioned earlier, hybrid skills are receiving greater attention, and soft skills can fall under this umbrella due to their usefulness across sectors and in managerial roles.
Team leadership, problem-solving, cultural competency and adaptability are all frequently cited soft skills for managerial roles, and in theory and practice, soft skills can often make up the bulk of the desired skill sets in senior roles.
Whilst it might be easy to discount soft skills in favour of hard skills (whether a specific academic background or previous experience), the demand for soft skills isn’t going anywhere.
Candidates are front and centre
Never before has the hospitality industry been so candidate-driven.
Due to the high vacancies and skills gaps, there has been mounting pressure on employers to focus on employee benefits and job satisfaction.
From greater work-life balance to personal and professional development opportunities, employers are taking note of what candidates are looking for in their careers and beginning to provide it.
Paying above the living wage, offering flexible working hours and flexible shift patterns are the most commonly offered benefits in the sector.
It is likely that training and development opportunities will soon be one of the commonly offered benefits in the sector as hospitality looks to further upskill and retain staff.
After all, if candidates don’t feel as though there is an opportunity to learn and progress in their role, they will likely just look elsewhere.
The bottom line
Candidates in the hospitality industry might be concerned about high vacancies and continuing media coverage related to the issues that the industry is facing.
However, hospitality candidates have never been better placed to enter the industry with a mix of skills and benefit from an increased focus on employee benefits.
Emerging areas of technology will continue to shape the job market in hospitality, alongside the necessity for leaders with the soft skills to keep hospitality businesses growing during such an uncertain time.
In other words, skilled hospitality candidates are the key to resolving the high vacancies and skills gaps that hospitality is struggling with.
The best place for candidates to start is to consider the in-demand areas we’ve mentioned above and how their skill sets align, and then find a hospitality business that they can also culturally align and grow with.
Take a look at our hospitality jobs and vacancies to find your perfect role in hospitality, or get in touch to find out more.