Overcoming the Hospitality Staffing Crisis

We all know the story. The pandemic shut the world down—and mass furloughs and layoffs followed. With so many people social distancing and isolating at home, the hospitality industry was hit particularly hard. In the heart of the lockdowns, approximately 40% of hospitality jobs were lost in the U.S., according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. And the job losses were not just limited to operations or hourly workers—the staffing reductions extended up to management roles as well.

Now, as travel begins to slowly pick back up, hotels are finding themselves problematically understaffed. However, with the turbulence of the last year and half, it’s no surprise that they’re cautious about making big hiring decisions. Even if they can afford to bring on additional support, the people that were laid off a year and half ago have likely moved on. In fact, a recent survey by Joblist revealed that 38% of former hospitality employees do not intend to return to a job in the industry.

Meanwhile, the staff that remains is stretched incredibly thin. In many cases, the minimal staff is forced to make the choice between serving immediate guest needs, like manning the front desk or cleaning rooms, and focusing on business-critical sales and marketing activities. When faced with that choice, serving the guests will always win—often at the expense of hotel revenue... and sometimes even survival.

But it doesn’t have to be an either-or situation. As an outsourced partner, Shift Digital can supplement your in-house team with deep expertise in digital marketing program optimization.

Why Partner with Shift Digital?

• Deliver better service – Shift Digital focuses on your digital marketing strategy which alleviates the strain on your in-house staff, enabling them to focus their attention on delivering the absolute best experience to your hotel guests.
• Access a team of specialized experts – When you partner with Shift Digital, you don’t just add one person to your staff, you get an entire team, with everyone bringing unique and specialized expertise to the table. We have people with decades of hospitality experience, others who are masters at data collection and analysis, even more who know digital marketing inside and out. We’re all here working together to help guide your digital marketing efforts in the most efficient and effective way possible.
• Tap into a massive network of industry data – We’ve been in the business for so long, we already have industry connections and access to data that would typically take an individual hotel years to build.
• Maintain continuity – Turnover in the hospitality industry can be a challenge, but with Shift Digital, you don’t have to worry about constant knowledge transfer – you have an entire team dedicated to knowing all the nooks and crannies of your digital marketing program.
• Save money – From management to marketing, Shift Digital takes on the work of some of the roles hit hardest by layoffs. We become your “in-house” resource, at a fraction of the cost of rehiring full-time employees. In fact, our comprehensive hospitality package costs approximately 20% of what hotels might pay an in-house full-time digital marketing manager. The numbers speak for themselves.

Despite the staffing challenges facing the hospitality industry, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel—and Shift Digital can help you reach it. As your partner, we become an invaluable extension to your team, helping to drive strategic digital marketing recommendations that will positively impact your hotel’s bottom line.

To learn more about how Shift Digital can help your hotel maximize your digital marketing efforts with reduced in-house staff, contact us today.