Hospitality faces some of the toughest workforce challenges, with one of the highest turnover rates of any industry, says Dr. Inès Blal from EHL Hospitality Business School (EHL.)
Dr Inès Blal from EHL argues that patch-work solutions are not enough, instead hospitality needs a systematic rethink of jobs, inclusivity, and upskilling, guided by social innovation.
The future lies in human-centered, scalable solutions. Not traditional philanthropic or transactional efforts.
Using the social innovation model developed by the Innovation Foundation and discussed with its Managing Director, Cynthia Hansen, six recommendations for industry leaders ready to embrace change emerge:
- Rethink shift and scheduling models to make roles accessible for women, parents, and mature workers.
- Broaden recruitment beyond traditional candidates, don’t limit searches to people with prior hotel experience.
- Design jobs as pathways, allowing mobility across roles and long-term career development.
- Forge partnerships with foundations and social entrepreneurs to pilot and de-risk innovations.
- Re-examine recruitment processes: defer CV screening until after assessing attitude, soft skills, and mindset.
- Treat flexibility as a competitive advantage. Flexible shifts and career mobility lead to longer staff retention and lower recruitment costs.
Dr Inès Blal and Cynthia Hansen warn that long hours, limited prestige, high turnover, and narrow recruitment pools is no longer sustainable. Instead, by embracing social innovation, hospitality can become more inclusive, attractive and resilient.
“In doing so, the sector can not only address its workforce shortages, it can lead other industries in creating a future of work that values human-centered growth. With the right partnerships, hospitality can do more than catch up, it can lead the way,” says Dr Inès Blal.
