It’s no secret the hospitality industry in America is in dire need of skilled employees. Many hotel owners and operators continually seek ways to attract and keep talent.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics says the hospitality industry has a turnover rate of nearly 75 percent per year, compared to a healthy rate of 10 to 15 percent.
Turnover costs money, not only in lost productivity, but also in the company’s investment in each worker … and the cost to train a replacement.
The greater the job responsibility, the higher the cost of replacement – from about $3,000 for an entry-level employee to $8,000 for a manager, reports Daily Pay.
In a search for ways to train and retain hospitality leaders, companies have turned to the American Hotel and Lodging Association.
Last year, a group of hotel management businesses and the association’s educational foundation teamed up to create a lodging manager apprenticeship program.
Several hundred apprentices signed on to learn the different aspects of running a hotel through hands-on training, online courses and one-to-one mentorship.
In this episode, we hear from Rosanna Maietta, president of the American Hotel Lodging Educational Foundation, and apprentice Daniel Ovichegan, who came to the U.S. from Mumbai, India, to pursue his dream career in hospitality.
Dhruv Patel, president of Ridgemont Hospitality, in October shared a bittersweet moment with his parents, Pravin and Sima Patel, when the family business sold the first motel that Pravin had built from the ground up more than 30 years ago. But they rest assured knowing it was the right decision because the 22-room property is being converted into affordable housing for military veterans at risk of homelessness. The transaction is among hundreds taking place across the U.S. as state and local governments work with non-profit agencies to create affordable housing solutions for vulnerable populations amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In Episode 310 Long Live Lodging reports on the financial and legal aspects of what it takes to convert a hotel into long-term housing. This report is part of Long Live Lodging’s special coverage of the coronavirus crisis and its impact on the hospitality industry.
Kathleen Bertrand believes Atlanta is a city where dreams can come true. A jazz recording artist, she served at the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau for more than 30 years, finding new ways to promote to the world the best things about the city she calls a “melting pot” of races and cultures. In Episode 309 of Lodging Leaders podcast Bertrand gets vocal and tells her story of rising through the ranks as one of the few Black women in leadership in the tourism industry. This session is part of Long Live Lodging’s special report commemorating Black History Month and the hospitality industry’s impact on the Civil Rights Movement.