Hotels In Europe To Hire Inexperienced Workers To Reduce Staff Shortage
As Travel Noire has recently reported, airports worldwide face problems mainly caused by staff shortages. But, this current issue is not affecting just airline companies. Some major hotels in Europe are currently hiring workers within 24 hours without job experience to solve their staff shortage this summer and meet guests’ demands.
Thousands of workers lost their jobs in the hospitality industry as international travel halted because of the pandemic. However, even with the ease of travel restrictions and the reopening of hotels across the continent, many chose not to return, finding better-paid employment in other areas and causing a shortage. This issue is being observed in countries like France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain – where the tourism sector plays an essential role in their economies. Smaller hotels also face the same problem.
Europe’s largest hotel chain, Accor, is implementing trial measures to recruit people who haven’t previously worked in the industry, Chief Executive Sebastien Bazin said in an interview with Reuters at the Qatar Economic Forum last month.
According to Bazin, Accor needs 35,000 workers globally. The big hotel group operates brands like Mercure, Ibis, Raffles, Sofitel and Fairmont in over 110 countries.
“We tried in Lyon and Bordeaux 10 days ago and this weekend we’re having people interviewed with no resume, no prior job experience,” Bazin told Reuters.
He added that the company is filling roles in France with young people and migrants from North Africa while also limiting services. The new employees are given six hours of training and learn on the job.
Major hotels in Europe are offering higher pay, free accommodation and other benefits like bonuses and health insurance.
“Many employees have decided to move to other sectors, so we are starting an industry from scratch and we have to fight for talent,” Gabriel Escarrer, CEO of Melia, told reporters at a press conference in Madrid.
