The pandemic. No, this is not yet another article about it. This, in fact, is about the way forward – more specifically, for the hospitality industry.
After a crippling two years, the world limped towards some sort of normalcy from early 2022. Even as hotels were getting back on their feet, came the travel surge. Globally, travellers took to the road or air with renewed vigour. This release of pent-up frustrations demonstrated through travel even gave birth to a new term – revenge tourism. Of course, the rise in travel was good news for hotels but with it came a new and different crisis. There simply weren’t enough staff.
Hospitality was among the worst impacted segments through the pandemic. Inevitably, thousands of employees lost their jobs or faced severe pay cuts for prolonged periods. This caused many, especially the youth, to veer away from the sector towards more ‘stable’ jobs. In fact, reports of a significant drop in admission numbers to hotel management colleges in India reveal that future entrants into the industry will also be on the decline. So, the manpower crisis in hospitality is not only current, but also likely to persist for the near future. If you are a young person on the cusp of your own career, should you take this as a sign not to join the industry? On the contrary, this situation presents a world of attractive opportunities.
The crippling manpower shortage has forced hotels to review hiring policies and working conditions. From a position of “this is a tough and low-paying industry, join only if you are willing to face the grind”, hoteliers are now acknowledging that fair rewards (monetary or otherwise) and engaging work environments must be a basic offering. Workplaces are becoming more democratic, diverse, and accommodating of the unique needs of team members. And nowhere is this more apparent than in hotel kitchens, once considered the bastion of ‘alpha males’. This used to discourage women and other personality types from opting for a culinary career. It does not have to be so anymore. We have come to accept that diversity in the work environment can stimulate creativity. A chef is also no longer restricted to working in a hotel kitchen. Luxury cruise liners, restaurants, flight kitchens, industrial canteens, and food-tech companies, to name a few, are all actively seeking skilled chefs.
Traditionally, we in India have prioritised a graduate degree as the yardstick of education. Students blindly pursued degree courses with an often outdated curriculum, only to realise afterwards that it did not help them secure a job. Awareness is now growing that a good education is one that makes you employable. Short-term skill-based courses with industry training (internships) have proven to be better suited in preparing students for the demands of the job. Nowhere is this more crucial than in the culinary field. For instance, we at the Kamaxi College of Culinary Arts, Goa offer programmes ranging from three months to three years, depending on the priorities and ambitions of the student. All courses are practicals-driven, formulated by chefs from industry and include internship in the kitchens of prominent hotels across the country. This ensures that not only does the student develop a strong foundation to their culinary career but is also well-versed with the needs of the industry. We have also taken steps to ensure that students gain perspective on business management and entrepreneurship. Our curriculum includes food photography, social media marketing, finance, computers, and talks by industry stalwarts.
To reiterate, the hospitality industry is facing one of its most severe crises in recent times due to the shortage of skilled manpower. A major paradigm shift is inevitable in the way that employees are hired, developed, treated and retained. There is consensus that hospitality needs to be made attractive as a career option for the youth. Work-life balance, cross exposure, opportunities to upskill, transparent policies and processes, and better remuneration will be seen implemented across companies.
Some hospitality jobs are dependent more on the personality of the candidate than on professional qualifications, and the recruitment pool may be bigger. However, for culinary positions the challenge is even more serious due to the skill levels involved. Employers are willing to go the extra mile for the right team member – looking overseas, customizing pay packages, offering benefits and committing to a career plan. In fact, in an acknowledgment of the severity of the crisis, many countries have even relaxed their work visa rules to facilitate overseas hiring. In this scenario, talented, ambitious and passionate chefs can expect to build a lucrative and fulfilling global career for themselves.
