From the CEO

Building Back Your Team

The chorus of voices is palpable. We don’t have the teammates we need to give ourselves a fighting chance to meet and exceed the expectations of our customers. Pent up demand will continue to unleash itself on our restaurant and lodging establishments across Oregon while we face this dilemma. And forecasts for continued demand look promising for years to come showcasing how important it will be for employers to identify strategies they need to build back their teams and keep them happy.

This summer issue of ORLA’s magazine includes content rich strategies as you wrestle with what is best to make progress in matching workforce supply with ongoing customer demand. And partners like Oregon State University, ORLA’s Hospitality Foundation, and workforce development boards around Oregon are becoming increasingly aware of the extent of the problem.

Approximately 400 ORLA members responded to a recent survey about workforce incentives as we all work to encourage a return to work mentality within our local economies. Participation in this survey was double what we typically see which speaks to the seriousness of the challenge.

Roughly 62 percent of respondents are providing incentives to prospective employees to accept job offers. Incentives range from meal and health insurance benefits not previously offered to cash bonuses both at the time of hire and/or after a certain duration of employment has been met. Many respondents referenced cash incentives ranging from $100 - $1,000 with many triggering bigger bonuses if employees stick around through the end of summer.

How bad are the shortages in the industry? According to the survey, approximately 80 percent of respondents have a workforce shortage greater than 20 percent. In other words, only 1 in 5 operators said their workforce shortage is either non-existent (four percent) or less than 20 percent of what they need (16 percent). 37 percent of respondents said they have 20-30 percent fewer employees than what they need, 30 percent of respondents have 30-40 percent fewer employees than they need, and 12 percent of respondents have 50 percent or more fewer workers than they need to meet demand.

In the coming years, ORLA through its Hospitality Foundation will need operators across our state to take action and become more engaged around community tables. Workforce solutions have always been elusive but there are tangible things you can do to improve the climate for workforce options.

Here are a few action steps you can consider right now:

1Oregon has nine “Local Workforce Areas” to support locally driven decisions and programs. Northwest Oregon Works is the first to identify the hospitality industry as a major sector of their economy. Past ORLA Chair Zach Poole is leading by example by serving on his regional workforce board. You can look into doing the same: State of Oregon Local Workforce Development Boards (http://bit.ly/sorLWDB).

2Engage the Oregon Hospitality Foundation and our Executive Director Wendy Popkin. Wendy brings a wealth of experience in helping you connect with local schools, community colleges, and accredited training curriculum for both restaurant and lodging careers. These programs exist to keep brand new employees engaged while also advancing those who are already on your team. Email Wendy at WPopkin@oregonrla.org and visit OregonHospitalityFoundation.org.

3Introduce yourself to Todd Montgomery with Oregon State University’s Hospitality Management Program based at the Cascades Campus. Todd is constantly working on new tools including automation that can assist us all in shaping the future of our teams. Todd can be reached via email at Todd.Montgomery@osucascades.edu.

We will need to up our game to face the seriousness of this challenge. Solutions exist in both short-term and longer-term strategies. And they all depend on people just like you raising your hand and plugging in. We hope to see you out on the field.  JASON

BRANDT, PRESIDENT & CEO, ORLA

Jason Brandt serves as the President & CEO of the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association. He can be reached via email at JBrandt@oregonrla.org.