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Image
is Everything
Opinion
from Zeitgeist President Bill Geist, taken from the Winter 2001 edition
of the Zeitgeist Client Newsletter
It's a rare destination that doesn't struggle with the lack of workers
for its hospitality industry. It's a problem that has so many parents...but
so few champions.
At a recent meeting of a State Tourism Advisory Council, the industry
representatives grappled over the issue of Workforce Development and
Maintenance. They talked about it. But, one by one, they each shook
their head and said "not my job."
Who could blame them? Who could expect that any one of the represented
associations or the State Department of Tourism itself could put a dent
in a problem that is becoming so universal that it rivals death and
taxes as a "given" in today's economy? After all, few communities
have succeeded in solving this great labor shortage. And the ones who
have avoided the hit have done it by running an end around and hauling
in foreign workers to fill the gaps.
But maybe, just maybe, we've been unsuccessful because we've been too
short-sighted in our discussions. We're focused on the immediate crisis
at hand: Not enough workers with which to open for business each day.
However, if we raise our sights a little, we might find that the issue
isn't a lack of workers....but a lack of workers interested in working
in the service industry. And who could blame them ?
Think of your first job in the service sector. Grease traps, trash and
toilets probably come to mind. If there was a choice to do something
more glamorous, wouldn't you have jumped at it?
And that's the point. Today's young workforce is even more fixated on
glamor and fame than we were. A job in the hospitality industry sounds
pretty damn demeaning and as far from their expectation of a starring
role in a Hollywood-movie as you can get.
But the reality is just the opposite. Their biggest and best chance
to brush up against fame, notoriety, money, etc. is in the hospitality
industry. This industry is the backdrop of every cool thing that happens
that involves anybody who's famous.
We're real good at marketing our product to the customer. Why haven't
we done a better job marketing the opportunity to be in a hip setting
to our workforce?
It's all about image. And we have a lot of repair work to do. Minimum
wage? Hardly, as housekeepers in my hometown are starting at $10/hour.
A dirty, thankless job? OK, maybe it's dirty for the first month or
so until you prove yourself, but look at the upside after the dues are
paid. And thankless? Not when the owner is bending over backwards to
keep good help coming back.
Bottom line. We all need to be about changing the image of our industry.
And that's something we can all do, starting right now. And, if we all
do...we'll have lines at our doors wanting to know when the next opportunity
to hang with the rich and famous will be.
Editor's
Note: The Durham (NC) CVB has partnered with its local
School District to create a program called Careers in Hospitality. You
can learn more about this breakthrough program by picking up the CD
of the DMOU interview between Bill and Durham's Reyn Bowman HERE.
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