Hotel Workforce Growth Strategy

Hotel Workforce Growth Strategy 

Growing our sector’s workforce is our number one priority. As part of our new Hotel Workforce Growth Strategy, we’ll be sharing key research and useful resources, hosting fruitful discussions and working to inspire a collective approach to this challenge to help industry maximize programs for workforce growth. 

Learn more about the initiatives involved. 

 

Understanding the problem: 

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitality has been one of the hardest hit industries and remains one of the last to recover. During the first two months of the pandemic, we lost 1 million tourism workers. While demand for travel is growing, the industry’s workforce hasn’t yet fully returned. We are still over 360,000 workers short of meeting that continued demand. 

This massive hit to our workforce amplified demographic and reputational challenges already being faced by the industry. Workers have evolved and so too has the industry. Hoteliers have made significant efforts to attract and retain workers, including increased pay, enhanced benefits, and adoption of new, flexible ways of working.  

But with record low unemployment, decreased interest in service jobs, a rise in remote work and a decline in birth rates in Canada, we need to be strategic and aligned to solve this problem. 

 

Taking action:

 

Through the launch of a new HAC Workforce Growth Strategy, we will address labour challenges with a focus on: 

• Attracting domestic workers 
• Increasing access to international workers 
• Working with partners like Tourism HR Canada to deliver employer support
• Mobilizing the hotel industry to create meaningful change 
• Over the course of 2023, we will be sharing key research & useful resources, hosting fruitful discussions and working to inspire a collective approach to change this challenge. 

 

HAC Hotel Workforce Action Plan

Through the Government of Canada’s Tourism Relief Fund and a partnership with Deloitte Canada, the Hotel Association of Canada and its members led the development of Canada’s first Hotel Workforce Action Plan. The report identifies major shifts in Canada’s workforce since COVID; why the hotel sector was disproportionately impacted and what challenges lie ahead. The Action Plan outlines immediate and longer-term actions the hotel industry can take to resolve the critical labour shortage issue domestically. 

Input from industry

 

This report was created with input from: 

• National focus groups in 5 Canadian provinces 
• Survey responses from 1,200 participants 
• International insights and market research from the Deloitte team to benchmark the Canadian hotel sector’s place in the global competition for labour 
• Hotel Labour Summit strategic working session with 51 industry leaders 

 

Through the lens of the Talent Lifecycle, you will be able to leverage ideas on how your organization can Attract, Recruit, Develop, Retain and Separate, to meet the needs of today’s employees, while growing your culture and your bottom line. 

Download the report to learn how you can leverage key findings to contribute to a cultural shift for the hotel sector. 

 

 

Ready to take action to resolve the labour shortage?
Download the Hotel Workforce Action Plan. 

 

What’s next 

Get inspired to take the next step. Pick the options that work best for you and your time:

• GUIDES:
  • Get up to speed on How the labour market has changed
  • Learn what you can do this quarter to Attract & Retain Workforce
  • Investing in employee development
• Share this report with others in your network
• Learn about the wealth of resources available related to the suggestions in this report by visiting Tourism HR Canada’s resource page

 

 

National Hotel Recruitment Campaign 

 

We heard from members across the country that our sector needed a united message to better tell our story as a great place to work.  

That is why in 2023 we launched our first-ever, national recruitment campaign. Targeted to youth between 18 and 24, it was supported by a six-week ad buy across key social media channels and featured young workers who share why they love the hotel industry.

In support of hotel summer recruitment efforts and to raise awareness of this meaningful career path, the campaign drove traffic to a HAC landing page and hotel job postings.  This paid campaign was made possible through one-time funding from the Government of Canada. We are extremely grateful for this investment and so pleased to have led this major marketing effort at this critical time. 

 

Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook for the latest in hotel career content. 

For more on the campaign, visit www.hotelcareerpath.com.

 

 

 

Advocacy

 

Immigration policy wins

For more information on how recent wins can help your business, click here.

 

2023 Hill Day 

The Hotel Association of Canada’s (HAC) Hill Day is an exclusive two-day event that takes place on Parliament Hill in Canada’s capital. 

 

The 2023 event, which will take place on November 6th and 7th will highlight the key advocacy issues impacting the hotel sector to key decision makers, such as the labour crisis, industry growth and investment and an open travel environment. We will bring together a select group of hotel leaders from across Canada, including GMs to owners to brand executives, to meet with key political decision makers, to further advocacy goals through a series of high-profile events. 

Stay tuned for more information. 

 

For sponsor inquiries, contact Vicki Welstead – vwelstead@hotelassociation.ca 

 

 

Stay tuned for more updates to this page.