5 Ways to Tackle the Lodging Labor Crisis

Labor may be a permanent problem for lodging operators. Fortunately, there are a host of solutions that can help professionals tackle labor challenges — and take control.

In a recent LinkedIn Live webinar, hotel guru Glenn Haussman moderated a lively discussion between Bob Habeeb, Founder & CEO Maverick Hotels and Restaurants, and Corinne McElroy, Entegra’s Senior Director of Client Services. The discussion covered everything from staff training and retention to the rise of labor-saving robots.

Watch the full webinar here.

In addition to enjoying the webinar, check out five additional labor-fighting solutions that Entegra regularly helps clients activate against.

#1 Embrace outsourcing

From laundry to security and everything in between, outsourcing is a widespread solution to the labor shortage in the lodging industry.

Entegra-contracted companies Instawork and Anserteam are just two outfits that professionals count on to streamline hiring, save money, and manage risk.

Habeeb shared that he regularly leans on "PEOs" — Professional Employment Organizations — for a range of support, including outsourcing payroll.

Adds McElroy: "Temporary labor is one of the biggest outsourced service resources since the pandemic."

#2 Commit to training and upskilling

A growth-minded approach to work spurs retention.

Maverick regularly cross-trains workers in more than one department – and often in more than one location – to meet employee interest in fostering a sense of job ownership.

“People want an experience,” Habeeb explains.

Entegra-contracted suppliers like the Pineapple Academy provide demo videos for compliance, safety, and a range of workforce skills to help keep employees engaged – and committed.

#3 Get on board with robots and automation

Robotics is a growing trend that is becoming a mainstay force.

From delivering towels to a room, to food prep, to self-service kiosks during off-hours check-in, the future is now.

Nilfisk, an Entegra-contracted supplier, is an automated cleaning robot with a suite of offerings for floorcare, vacuum cleaning and high-pressure washing.

Bear Robotics, another Entegra-contracted supplier, helps automate repetitive tasks like delivering heavy trays of food, carrying multiple tables' orders, and handling takeout deliveries.

Fueled by AI, Entegra’s Shopping Assistant helps our clients save time by using a plug-in that lets them see whether a product is Entegra-contracted — or not — when shopping on a broadline vendor's e-commerce site.

#4 Invest in smart culinary solutions

Entegra culinary experts help clients improve their business performance in many different ways. Entegra helps lodging operators to:

• Reduce labor by helping them source pre-cut French fries, par-baked breads, shelf-stable soup bases and other products that help save time in the kitchen.
• Develop crave-worthy recipes that combine “from-scratch” ingredients with prepared food for a high-quality shortcut.
• Yield ancillary profit with Grab ‘n Go programs that feature on-trend meals and snacks that take minimal effort from your culinary team.

"Entegra understands how important it is for our clients to give guests what they need, when they need it, without ever sacrificing quality," adds McElroy.  

#5 Commit to data-driven decisions

"What are your guests buying?” asks Habeeb.

"These purchasing programs not only add to labor efficiency because they’re so much less labor intensive; they actually give you a better outcome for our guests," Habeeb continues in reference to Entegra, a GPO that focuses on purchasing and improving business performance.

"Buy on science rather than emotion," Habeeb concludes.

Sound advice: With Entegra data services, insights and reports, you can easily stay on top of every part of purchasing — including labor.

Continue learning about how Entegra partners with the lodging industry

Check out the unmatched purchasing, performance-driven solutions Entegra provides in this video.

For more labor insights, download our free guide, Navigating seismic shifts in the labor market.

Ready to connect with Entegra? Call us at 833-977-1765 or contact us about putting Entegra’s purchasing power and performance improvement solutions to work for you.