As an EHL assistant professor in HR management and organizational behavior, Bertrand Audrin outlines the challenges faced by hospitality workers, focusing on new working methods and AI’s role in employee selection.
What is your assessment of the current hospitality labor market?
The labor market in the hospitality industry remains disturbed due to the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, affecting tourism. Consequently, career shifts and layoffs have resulted in a situation where many positions remain vacant and unfilled. This, in turn, creates tremendous pressure on the current workforce as understaffing inevitably increases their workload. Therefore, addressing this shortage is crucial to prevent further negative impacts, such as additional departures from the industry.
What are the most important skills hospitality students need to succeed in a rapidly changing industry?
There is considerable debate about future skills, particularly in an era marked by rapid technological advancements and innovation. Research generally emphasizes two complementary strategies for success: developing skills to prevent automation and acquiring skills to collaborate with technology. In hospitality, the first set of skills emphasizes human interaction specificities, focusing on crafting unique, human-centric experiences. On the other hand, the second set of skills focuses on interacting with technology, including digital and AI skills. Moreover, these skills extend beyond technical knowledge to encompass critical thinking, decision-making and collaboration with both humans and AI agents.
How is the industry addressing the labor shortage?
The consequences of the shortage are not always apparent to guests because hospitality professionals do an amazing job finding solutions. However, these solutions are often temporary or last-minute, indicating more efforts could be directed toward long-term people management strategies. Therefore, these strategies could focus on upskilling and reskilling the workforce, building talent pools with transversal skills and expertise. Additionally, offering varied forms of employment and career paths would further enhance these strategies, improving the employer branding of hospitality actors. Consequently, this would attract potential workers, even from other industries, by strengthening the industry’s overall appeal.
Rita Ghantous is a hospitality aficionado and a passionate writer with over 9 years’ experience in journalism and 5 years experience in the hospitality sector.
Her passion for the performance arts and writing, started early. At 10 years old she was praised for her solo performance of the Beatles song “All My Love” accompanied by a guitarist, and was approached by a French talent scout during her school play. However, her love for writing was stronger. Fresh out of school, she became a freelance journalist for Noun Magazine and was awarded the Silver Award Cup for Outstanding Poetry, by The International Library of Poetry (Washington DC).
She studied Business Management and earned a Masters degree from Saint Joseph University (USJ), her thesis was published in the Proche-Orient, Études en Management book.
She then pursued a career in the hospitality industry but didn’t give up writing, that is why she launched the Four Points by Sheraton Le Verdun Newsletter.
Her love for the industry and journalism led her to Hospitality Services - the organizers of the HORECA trade show in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Jordan, as well as Salon Du Chocolat, Beirut Cooking Festival, Whisky Live and other regional shows. She is currently the Publications Executive of Hospitality News Middle East, Taste & Flavors and Lebanon Traveler.
It is with ultimate devotion for her magazines that she demonstrates her hospitality savoir-faire.
Hospitality labor in the limelight with Bertrand Audrin of EHL
As an EHL assistant professor in HR management and organizational behavior, Bertrand Audrin outlines the challenges faced by hospitality workers, focusing on new working methods and AI’s role in employee selection.
What is your assessment of the current hospitality labor market?
The labor market in the hospitality industry remains disturbed due to the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, affecting tourism. Consequently, career shifts and layoffs have resulted in a situation where many positions remain vacant and unfilled. This, in turn, creates tremendous pressure on the current workforce as understaffing inevitably increases their workload. Therefore, addressing this shortage is crucial to prevent further negative impacts, such as additional departures from the industry.
What are the most important skills hospitality students need to succeed in a rapidly changing industry?
There is considerable debate about future skills, particularly in an era marked by rapid technological advancements and innovation. Research generally emphasizes two complementary strategies for success: developing skills to prevent automation and acquiring skills to collaborate with technology. In hospitality, the first set of skills emphasizes human interaction specificities, focusing on crafting unique, human-centric experiences. On the other hand, the second set of skills focuses on interacting with technology, including digital and AI skills. Moreover, these skills extend beyond technical knowledge to encompass critical thinking, decision-making and collaboration with both humans and AI agents.
How is the industry addressing the labor shortage?
The consequences of the shortage are not always apparent to guests because hospitality professionals do an amazing job finding solutions. However, these solutions are often temporary or last-minute, indicating more efforts could be directed toward long-term people management strategies. Therefore, these strategies could focus on upskilling and reskilling the workforce, building talent pools with transversal skills and expertise. Additionally, offering varied forms of employment and career paths would further enhance these strategies, improving the employer branding of hospitality actors. Consequently, this would attract potential workers, even from other industries, by strengthening the industry’s overall appeal.
https://www.ehl.edu/en/faculty-research/our-faculty/audrin-bertrand
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Rita Ghantous
Rita Ghantous is a hospitality aficionado and a passionate writer with over 9 years’ experience in journalism and 5 years experience in the hospitality sector. Her passion for the performance arts and writing, started early. At 10 years old she was praised for her solo performance of the Beatles song “All My Love” accompanied by a guitarist, and was approached by a French talent scout during her school play. However, her love for writing was stronger. Fresh out of school, she became a freelance journalist for Noun Magazine and was awarded the Silver Award Cup for Outstanding Poetry, by The International Library of Poetry (Washington DC). She studied Business Management and earned a Masters degree from Saint Joseph University (USJ), her thesis was published in the Proche-Orient, Études en Management book. She then pursued a career in the hospitality industry but didn’t give up writing, that is why she launched the Four Points by Sheraton Le Verdun Newsletter. Her love for the industry and journalism led her to Hospitality Services - the organizers of the HORECA trade show in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Jordan, as well as Salon Du Chocolat, Beirut Cooking Festival, Whisky Live and other regional shows. She is currently the Publications Executive of Hospitality News Middle East, Taste & Flavors and Lebanon Traveler. It is with ultimate devotion for her magazines that she demonstrates her hospitality savoir-faire.