On the side of the truck was a sign offering cash bonuses to employees willing to come to work for him. On the inside of the truck was a man handing out applications. One housekeeper tallied over 1,400 hours. Stories like these are not unique and you can easily imagine the impact on our industry. Morale suffers when employees and management are constantly asked to work overtime to make up for the chronic lack of workers.
Turnover is high as businesses take turns luring away each other's employees.
Hoteliers struggle to maintain a high level of guest services in these conditions. As Managing Director of the Loews Philadelphia Hotel, I see the worker shortage first hand, fueled by inadequate educational infrastructure and a burgeoning economy. We hosted a job fair 3 weeks ago that only provided 180 job offers for 550 available positions. We are seeking employees to fill positions that are not dead-end jobs. Our industry remains as one of the last that truly represents the American Dream.