From shortage to abundance: beach pavilions now say they have too many applicants

Trendwatcher Gijsbregt Brouwer notices that the staff shortage is slowly ebbing away in the hospitality industry. “The problem is still there, but it’s not alarming anymore,” he explains.

Since last year, he has noticed a major change in the approach to tackling staff shortages: “Working in the hospitality industry is always fun, but it doesn’t have the best reputation. Since last year, they have worked hard to take a more professional approach to personnel policy. We even see American situations where the best employee of the month is rewarded with a nice vacation at the expense of the boss. And large companies even work with an HR manager who looks for the best staff.” It has become a serious matter not to be short handed.

Train your own staff

Beach pavilion Rapa Nui from Zandvoortt trains its own staff and notices that this makes a big difference. “No, we do not recognize the problem of the staff shortage. We are one of the few who always have to say no. What else do we do? Our strength lies in educating people ourselves in a casual, relaxed way. That works well. we create a nice atmosphere that makes people come back year after year. Those people tell their friends who come to apply here in turn. We are happy that we have it done well and that we can now run at full capacity.”

Spawn with fun activities

That good staff can be appeased with nice extras beach pavilion Tent 6 from Zandvoort well understood. “In addition to a market-based salary, it is important to also offer nice extras. Think of a pleasant atmosphere, which is very important, but also staff outings that allow you to get to know each other better outside work. And not unimportantly, your staff must know that you understands what their work entails. This way they feel better understood and you can better estimate the work. This works for us, so we don’t have a shortage of staff.”

Trends require specific personnel

Beach pavilions are different from other catering establishments. Gijsbregt says: “The hospitality industry is a separate world and that’s what beach pavilions are all about. They are now even more popular because young people after being indoors for a long time due to COVID-19 or studying like to look for a job outside.”

“Two trends strike me at beach pavilions: they are increasingly becoming a restaurant, the kitchen has become enormously enriched,” says Gijsbregt. “Whereas in the past you could mainly order a croquette sandwich and a coke, you can now choose from top-quality dishes. This also requires other staff that they want to attract. The second is that they focus on a niche audience that is attracted to, for example luxury or vegan. By clearly positioning themselves in the market with this, they attract the right staff that suits them. It is good to see that the catering industry has now become more professional due to last year’s staff shortage and that they are reaping the benefits of this picking.”