Background to the industry's workforce

This chapter provides an overview of the broader context in which the hospitality industry operates and the resulting impact on its workforce. The fast-changing post Covid-19 environment of contemporary times creates critical challenges for the sector, with developments such as the ‘gig’ economy, hybrid work environments, recruitment and retention challenges, increasingly diverse workforces across ethnicity, gender and age, self-service technology, digital employment interfaces, the use of social media and in the UK, the outcomes of Brexit. There are concerns around the impact of these challenges on the success of the future of hospitality organisations structurally and internationally, in terms of brands, business formats in reaction to consumer trends and sustainability agendas. It reviews the economic contribution of the industry and the characteristics of the workforce, both key in framing human resource management (HRM) policies and practices. From an HRM perspective, the industry is faced with a range of challenges, from negativity of reputation as an employer to concerns over pay, staffing shortages and labour turnover. The quality of HRM within the sector, the ability to recruit, retain and engage talented employees will therefore be critical and this book seeks to make a contribution to improved practice across the industry.