My last blog addressed the hiring spree that appeared on the horizon once future bookings finally started trending upwards. Several senior hoteliers told me that it was right on the mark, that some hotels now have more than 100 open positions – and very few applicants. Former staff have either moved on to other, more stable industries, and they as well as potential new hires may be disincentivized to return to work by continuing government subsidies and/or child-care needs. If the rapid change from furloughs to hiring spree describes your situation, then you will want to explore some of the tech options I raised in the earlier blog, which continues here.

I have worked with so many fantastic people over the years. Team members. Clients. Partners. Alliances. What I do know is that human beings are complex and, at the same time, simple. We all need connection. We all need people who believe in us. We all need a sense of belonging and the certainty that our contributions are valued.

The deployment of cashless payment solutions, a necessary commercial change, has been spurred by the pandemic. Indeed, many businesses have taken the additional step of banning the use of cash altogether. But there’s a problem here as this approach disrupts our service tipping mode. This may result in demoralized staff or lead to costly wage increases.

The hotel industry is planning for its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Industry leaders are flooded with forecasts and opinions about when and how the recovery will happen. Nearly every one of these predictions is wrong.

The travel industry is finally starting to see signs of real recovery. Air traffic and hotel occupancy are starting to pick up, and future travel plans are now being made at a robust pace for the summer and fall of 2021. Many hotels that have been operating at reduced or skeleton staffs, or closed entirely, are now starting to make hiring plans. Even with returns to reduced staffing levels, this will likely lead to the largest hiring spree in the industry’s history in coming months.