18 CALIFORNIA LODGING NEWS www.calodging.com After the “great resignation,” many hotels are having difficulty finding good people to fill management jobs. Beyond trying to match wages with the tech industry, what could help attract good people? We must understand that entry-level positions will have a constant turnover rate if there isn’t any room for future development and growth in the industry. Even as individual owners, we should acknowledge that employees entering the field can be educated and nurtured in a way that promotes opportunity, which is an incentive for them to stay with the company. In this, we as owners and operators can forge a collaborative relationship with employees that not only magnifies the potential for success as a team, but also grooms future leaders who can take on more responsibilities in other business endeavors, such as new asset acquisitions. Focusing on synergy within the team, investing in the development of new team members, and opening the dialogue for employees to provide input on their tasks can assist any company with scaling as they expand their asset portfolio.” “ Sunny Patel CEO Aelius Management Group We have extremely strong managers still interested in the hotel business that have been giving every ounce of themselves the past two-plus years to keep the hotels they love enjoyable for the guest and successful for the owner. It is the hourly staff positions that are proving much harder to find and retain, in part because they may not see a hotel job as their long term career. Using more flexibility in hours, job sharing, departmental cross-training, or offering hours to work at multiple properties can help, but at the end of the day this is a 24-hour business that will never be for someone that wants a work-fromhome environment. You have to find that type of person, and right now it is a needle in a haystack.” “ Kristen Phillips Owner/Partner Waterford Hotels and Inns
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