Who holds the black Peter?

Navigating the Labor Shortage in the Hospitality Industry

The hospitality industry's labor shortage has become the unwanted guest at every hotel and restaurant's dinner party, a scenario that's as widespread as it is comically tragic. Let's take a journey through the south of Germany and across to France, where the “Help Wanted” signs are more common than the menus.

Imagine planning a family excursion in the south of Germany, your taste buds dancing in anticipation. You find a restaurant on TripAdvisor with rave reviews, only to discover on their website a plea more desperate than a chef's cry when the soufflé collapses: "Sorry, but we could not find kitchen staff." Moving on to the second option, with somewhat lesser celestial praise, you're greeted with, "Sorry, we are closed because we do not have enough staff."

And then there’s the hotel that swaps the traditional welcome mat for a billboard-sized plea for staff. “Welcome! Also, do you happen to know how to run a reception, or perhaps serve food? No experience required!”

Across the border in France, a 4-star hotel plays culinary roulette, tailoring its restaurant concept not around the available ingredients or culinary trends, but around whatever chef might wander through the door. It's an approach that says, "We're not picky, we're just desperate."

The crisis has its roots in a cocktail of issues: vocational training is as popular as a flat champagne, the industry has seen more exits, and the list of culprits for the shortage reads like a dinner menu of economic woes. Yet, amidst the finger-pointing at inflation, high wages, and the state, the industry seems to have forgotten to look in the mirror—unless it's to ensure the “Help Wanted” sign is hanging straight.

Owners and managers are now being nudged, rather forcefully, to realize that perhaps the solution lies not in blaming the world but in sprucing up their own houses. Modern online marketing? That’s like trying to get a Michelin star with a microwave meal if you’re not on it. Revenue Management? It's more like managing to make revenue barely. Daily cost control? Only if controlling costs means watching them soar uncontrollably.

In an era where the customer is always right, it turns out the staff might be too. To flip the script, the hospitality industry needs a dash of innovation, a sprinkle of staff development, and a generous helping of adapting to modern business practices. Maybe then, the “Help Wanted” signs can be swapped for “Now Serving” ones.

So, as we gaze upon the current state of the hospitality industry, let’s not forget to laugh a little amidst the crisis. After all, they say laughter is the best medicine, and maybe, just maybe, it’s what’s needed to cure the labor shortage blues. Remember, the next time you're greeted with a “Sorry, we're short-staffed,” it might just be your cue to step behind the bar and mix your own cocktail. Cheers to solving the labor shortage, one laugh at a time!