Unlocking the Potential of a ‘Liquid Workforce’: Hoteliers On Why Hospitality Businesses Should Embrace Flexibility and Agility in Their Workforce Strategy

The hospitality industr y is undergoing a significant transformation in the way its workforce operates Instead of traditional organisational structures, forward-thinking businesses are focusing on flexibility in order to right-size their staffing levels to demand and occupancy

Recently, we organised an industr y event where we brought together a number of hotel operators to discuss workforce challenges and how to improve operational efficiency During the event, we discussed applying a ‘Liquid Workforce’ approach to the shift worker experience and how it can enable employers to provide enhanced flexibility, operational responsiveness and employee self-ser vice whilst unifying demand against available labour

One of the most significant benefits of this approach is flexibility for both the employer and the employee Hotel operators often find themselves hedging their staffing costs, for example basing them on 80% occupancy The beauty of the ‘liquid workforce’ approach is that they can scale their workforce up or down to meet demand This avoids overstaffing during slow periods and understaffing during busy times, right-sizing labour cost percentage and maximising revenue

Being able to control your staffing cost as a total percentage of hotel occupancy provides complete control Moreover, it provides employees with the flexibility to work when and – for multi-site operators – where they want, which can lead to increased job satisfaction and employee engagement

Another advantage of this is the ability to tap into a wider pool of talent by offering variable shift patterns and flexible hours Not only does it ensure that hotels have access to the best talent available it also promotes diversity and inclusion With a diverse range of employees hotels can leverage the exper tise of their workforce to improve their operational efficiency and enhance customer satisfaction

The concept of a liquid workforce has been embraced by the team from CitizenM the growing boutique

By David Kelly, General Manager, EMEA at Deputy | www.deputy.com

hotel chain At our event, they shared how they experiment with fun ways of recruiting, such as casting days, which allow prospective staff to demonstrate their skills across a range of roles, in turn creating a more flexible workforce

It was noted that one of the biggest challenges of this strateg y is managing a diverse range of employee types It is essential for hotels to implement policies and procedures that cater to the unique needs of different employees

Effective communication can be another significant challenge With a variety of employee profiles and availability a necessity in the current climate , it can be difficult to ensure that ever yone is on the same page To address this challenge , hospitality businesses must invest in technolog y and tools that enable effective communication and collaboration between employees

Additionally, this approach can improve employee morale by providing workers with greater control over their work schedules This can lead to increased job satisfaction, which in turn can lead to better performance , customer satisfaction and employee retention For instance hotels can use staff scheduling software to allow employees to select their preferred shifts swap shifts with their colleagues and request time off with the ease of an app And these systems integrate directly with payroll providers so the complexity of managing a range of shift patterns, variable hours and pay rates is automated and error rates all but eliminated

Attendees at our event from Atlas Hotels, the biggest IHG Hotels & Resor ts franchisee of Holiday Inn Express Hotels in Europe , have embraced this approach They believe that although we can t control the external labour market conditions we ’ re all facing, we can control doing ever ything we can to make our existing employees happy’

Overall, the liquid workforce approach has the potential to revolutionise the way hospitality works By leveraging the exper tise and agile nature of a diverse range of employees, businesses can improve their operational efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance customer satisfaction However, employers must implement policies and procedures that cater to the unique needs of each type of employee and invest in technolog y and tools that enable effective communication and collaboration With the right approach, operators large and small can stay competitive in an ever-changing industr y and provide their employees with the flexibility autonomy and job satisfaction that they crave leading to improved employee engagement and retention