Hotels facing potential recruitment crisis

Hotels in the GCC could be on the verge of a recruitment crisis as continued expansion in the sector is bringing the need for thousands more hospitality staff to the region.

The Philippines, India and Sri Lanka have traditionally been core markets for recruitment of hospitality staff to the GCC.

But GMs taking part in yesterday’s recruitment seminar at the Hotelier Middle East GM Debate all agreed that these markets had now reached ‘saturation point’.

Ron Hilvert, managing director, The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management said: “If you go to India today the attraction to come and work here is not the same as it used to be.

“Now the problem is we have to find new markets, where people are coming out of the towns and villages.”

Cora De Conceicao-Stuart, GM of Media One Hotel pointed out that there were other issues involved with bringing people to the region from new areas.

“When I was at the Address Hotel we tried to recruit from Brazil. They are tremendous people but they have no staying power here because they don’t have the infrastructure here.”

Hilvert agreed: “If you start looking at other markets it means you really have to look after the people to make them stay here.”

He said training was key to ensuring that staff in hotels remained at the required standard.

Hilvert said Emirates Academy is considering a plan to launch ‘satellite’ hospitality training schools in new markets where staff would be fully trained up before being brought over to work in Dubai hotels.

One country that was suggested as an option was Myanmar.