Carmen Hall: Hospitality’s struggle to find workers an uphill battle

You can’t help but sympathise with employers who are struggling to fill vacancies.

Some may argue it’s because of low wages, unattractive working conditions, or limited career pathways.

However, the problem is not just limited to New Zealand - it’s a global issue, with skilled and unskilled workers in hot demand.

Competition is fierce and, unfortunately, those jobs which may seem less glamorous than others are being left on the scrap heap, despite business owners dangling carrots like bonuses and being fed on the job.

Hospitality in particular has always had a hard time of it.

Peter Ward, the owner of Tauranga’s Harbourside Restaurant, has been advertising for months for chefs and front-of-house staff, to no avail.

He is not alone, as Rotorua’s Chef on the Mish owner Wayne Wright is also looking for kitchen assistants.

Restaurant Association chief executive Marisa Bidois said in the Bay of Plenty, employee numbers remained static from 2021 to 2022, despite the number of outlets growing by 5.4 per cent.

However, according to the latest data from Trade Me, hospitality and tourism average salaries jumped by 9 per cent to $58,994 from October to November.

Despite rising salaries, some owners continue to work long hours and have had to reduce opening times because of staff shortages.

Ward has dropped his trading days from seven to six, while Wright turned down $30,000 in work.

These scenarios are not good for any business, and I can only imagine the stress that comes with that.

A survey by the association revealed 80 per cent of its members were not fully staffed.

To combat the situation, it teamed up with the Ministry of Social Development in Tauranga, the Waikato, Canterbury, Hawke’s Bay and Wellington to run a HospoStart programme with employers. It was encouraging people off benefits and into work.

Hopefully, it will be rolled out in Rotorua.

Employers I spoke to said they were up against it, as many young people didn’t want to put in the hard graft because it could involve unsociable hours and long days.

Hospitality has also been seen as a stopgap for school kids wanting to earn a few bucks, backpackers and university students.

I think that mindset needs to change, as there are plenty of opportunities in the industry to climb up the ladder or become your own boss.

Some of those who learned their trade in the heat and pressure of a restaurant kitchen have gone on to build culinary empires.

In my view, there is no silver bullet for the hospitality sector and its staffing woes. However, the Restaurant Association is taking a step in the right direction by trying to find solutions.

If that means taking more people off the dole, so be it.