European hotels are desperate for more staff

What do you need to apply? No resume, just vibes.

Hotel, motel, Holiday Inn

Few industries were hit harder by the Covid-19 pandemic than hospitality. And for areas that were economically reliant on tourism to stay afloat, things got pretty bad. Staff jumped ship in search of other work, leaving hotels in a serious pickle when restrictions were lifted, and the world opened up again.

So two years after the pandemic first hit, what’s the state of play? Hotels across Europe are still in desperate need of more workers. So much so, that some are willing to offer roles to those with no hospitality experience.

Post-pandemic panic

Europe’s largest hotelier Accor, for one, is running trial initiatives to recruit workers that have no experience in the industry. According to its Chief Executive, Sebastien Bazin, Accor – which operates brands like Mercure, ibis and Fairmont in over 110 countries – needs around 35,000 workers globally. So, it makes sense that some workers with no experience – and sometimes not even a resume – were getting hired within 24 hours of their interview in places like Lyon and Bordeaux.

Across other prime vacation destinations like Spain and Portugal, it’s exactly the same. Tens of thousands of workers are needed to restore normality to the hospitality industry. But when you’re looking to employ in the sector that pays the least (in Spain, anyway), there’s no quick fix – even when hospitality workers’ wages are being increased by as much as 60%.

Let’s just hope that hotel staff training programs are on point in Europe. Otherwise, there could be more trouble on the horizon for the hospitality sector.