Hoteliers must look at diversity, inclusion, sustainability, and workplace culture to address labour crisis

• Aparna Sreevalsan
• 4 January, 2022

By: Aparna Sreevalsan

DIVERSITY, sustainability, and a healthy workplace culture are increasingly becoming important as young workers think about a first job or their next move.

A recent study showed that sustainability and a healthy workplace culture are important factors for young people in choosing what jobs to take up.

Hoteliers in the UK faced with glaring shortages in staffing levels are also stressing the importance of Diversity. The study finding comes as UK hotel leaders prepare to discuss the challenges facing the industry early next year.

The Master Innholders announced it is to host a live event on January 2022 at the Park Plaza London Riverbank.

Research by US business title Fast Company showed that 40 per cent of employees chose a job because the company they joined is sustainable and had good ecological credentials.

This will be the most important time to improve these areas as the UN climate summit COP26 putting the spotlight on environmental issues and employers competing for candidates to fill vacancies within their organisations.

Another survey by Glassdoor, an American website where current and former employees anonymously review companies, which also allows employees to share views about companies anonymously, found that 56 per cent of people chose a firm on the basis of its work culture.

James B Clarke, FIH MI (Fellowship of the Institute of Hospitality. Member) general manager at Hilton London Bankside and chair of the coming Hotel Leadership Conference, said: “With recruitment continuing to be a huge challenge for the sector, it is therefore vital that hotels make improving sustainability and diversity and inclusion a priority.”

The conference will hear from a number of speakers outside the sector who have experience of recruiting from a wider pool of talent that might be traditionally available to it.

Asif Sadiq MBE, senior vice president for equity and inclusion at Warner Media 
Asif Sadiq MBE, senior vice president for equity and inclusion at Warner Media, will be just one of those speakers at the 28th Hotel Leadership Conference, which is themed, Bolder, Braver and Better. He said Diversity and Inclusion are important for employees and as the labour market tightens, companies must show an understanding and appreciation of such issues if they are to be successful. He will share with hoteliers his experience of working with one the world’s largest entertainment companies and a major Hollywood player.

Another speaker, Sue Garrard will talk about the importance of sustainability as a business concept. She has experience of working for Lloyds Bank, Heineken, and O2, among others.

Ben Wielgus, head of sustainability at Informa
Ben Wielgus, head of sustainability at Informa, (international intelligence, events, and scholarly research group) will explain the risks and opportunities from sustainability that can affect a company’s overall strategy.

Joanna Aunon, director of WiHTL (a collaboration community for increasing diversity and inclusion across hospitality, travel, and leisure) will provide further insight into D&I across the hospitality sector.

(Link to the event:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/hotel-leadership-conference-2022-bolder-braver-better-tickets-173329060887?aff=ConfEventspage
)