To compete for talent, companies must emphasise purpose, address concerns about future paths, and invest in mentoring programmes
To stand out in the war on talent, tourism and business events companies must make an all-out effort to change the perception of the industry, and to acknowledge and address the importance of purpose.
It is also necessary to take steps to counsel graduates in tourism courses, but are not interested in pursuing a career due to long hours, low pay, and limited opportunities for advancement. These observations were based on feedback from a recent youth symposium organised by PATA.
Neeta Lachmandas, founder of ConsciousService, said it is important to “expose students to the industry to ignite and deepen their understanding and passion”, to have a fighting chance against other service sectors that pay more.
Lachmandas, formerly with the Singapore Tourism Board, and the Singapore Management University’s Institute of Service Excellence, suggested employers reach out by conducting “focus groups among undergraduates”, apart from being present at job fairs.
She continued: “Employers need to rethink their internship programmes, get to know the interns better and develop a relationship with them. Mentors can share their exciting experiences, career pathways, and how they are now earning more money.”
The opportunity to leave home and intern overseas with regional and international industry players, she pointed out, is an opportunity the diverse industry ecosystem can offer that others cannot.
Innovative Internship Coaching provides solutions for industry, academics and students, and founder David Jones said gaining parental support for students to take on opportunities abroad is the first step, and it is crucial to alleviate their concerns and fears about working overseas.
Jones, a former hotelier and academic in the US and Asia, opined: “Except for senior management positions, many hospitality companies are hesitant to hire young talent from overseas. They often do not see the value in investing in training if the trainee or employee might eventually return to their home country.”
Another obstacle to cross-border talent mobility is the lengthy and complex process of obtaining work visas., where streamlining this process would greatly facilitate movement across borders.
Additionally, the availability of affordable housing, particularly in high-cost cities like Hong Kong, Singapore, and Tokyo, is another critical factor in attracting and retaining interns and entry-level employees, noted Jones.
Lachmandas opined the industry can also do a better job in “vision building” and engaging millennials and Gen Z by sharing the many opportunities that offer “purpose”.
“If more people talk about the huge impact the industry makes (in addressing issues such acting to develop sustainably, culture and heritage preservation, embracing diversity, equity and inclusion, knowledge exchange, GDP contribution, use of technology and AI, wealth distribution to communities, etc.) It could gain the same level of allure as the finance and biotechnology industries,” she said.
Retired tourism professor and former research and strategic information head at PATA, John Koldowski, quipped: “I wonder if sometimes we get it wrong when attracting talent who are data analysts, strategists, etc., but who happen to work in the tourism sector.”
Whatever the specialisation, he said that tourism is just one application for the skills, and entrants who possess transferable skills can jump from accommodation to aviation to destination management.
Employers can also help employees avoid being stuck in a “vertical tunnel”, and offer opportunities to move laterally to broaden their horizons, Koldowski added.
A senior executive with a regional hospitality owner and operator, commented: “Perhaps we can start with the question of how do we find more qualified and willing mentors.
“Mentoring infers a uniquely close relationship between the mentor and mentee. To pair this relationship is no easy task. In fact, it is so difficult that it has to be the main task in the mentoring process.”
Challenges arise when attempting to scale mentoring programmes to a corporate level, involving multiple institutions and complex agendas, he added.
