Tech Trends 2022: Tech's Hidden Value in Recruiting and Retaining Talent - By Laura Calin

At a recent industry conference, Marriott International CEO Tony Capuano spoke bluntly about one of the biggest crises facing hospitality: 20 percent of employees in travel and tourism globally have left the segment permanently. 

“That will be among the most significant challenges we have to navigate: How do we restore confidence that this is not only an exciting and interesting industry but an industry where people can build lifelong careers?” said Capuano during the International Hospitality Investment Forum held in Berlin in October. “How do we wrestle with some of the employees we will be required to hire who don’t have deep experience in hospitality, and, as a result, we end up with a much steeper training curve?”

The answers to such questions lie in technology’s hidden value, which is the critical role it can play in recruiting and retaining talent.

Hoteliers already have hailed how technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and automation can boost productivity and increase profitability. But what will be trending in 2022 is their recognition of technology’s impact on improving employees’ work life and the resulting boost in morale. Indeed, technology’s ability to create better user experiences, simplify work, eliminate mundane tasks – and even boost compensation – will play a deciding factor in attracting employees and keeping them.

Job satisfaction and happiness are taking center stage in unrivaled fashion, because the global pandemic has turned work upside down across industries and reprioritized what employees value. To better understand this profound shift, Oracle partnered with Workplace Intelligence to survey more than 14,000 employees, managers, HR leaders, and C-suite executives across 13 countries. Among the key findings of the study that focused on AI at work:

• 85 percent of employees are not satisfied with their employer’s support of their careers.
• 88 percent say the meaning of success has changed for them. Work-life balance, mental health, and flexibility are now top priorities.
• 85 percent want technology to help define their future.

These insights underscore the benefits of cloud-based, mobile-enabled hotel property management systems, such as OPERA Cloud, which allow staff to use their laptops and phones to access operational data in real time and work from anywhere. It’s one of the main reasons why hoteliers, such as Predator Ridge Resort in British Columbia, selected OPERA Cloud for their PMS. They said it would widen their recruiting net, making it possible to hire reservations staff throughout Canada, essentially creating “our own call center anywhere.”

Automation’s growing value explains why hoteliers, such as Fairmont Tremblant, are gravitating toward Oracle Nor1 upsell solutions. Integrated into the PMS, Nor1 places all available inventory at staff’s fingertips, and using AI and machine learning, recommends the best offer to present to guests. Nor1’s ability to generate incremental revenue may be its primary appeal, but hoteliers will increasingly recognize its importance as an employee retention tool as it dramatically shortens training time and maximizes earning potential through commissions.

Just as importantly, employers are well-advised to turn to AI solutions in the back office to help support employees and nurture their career growth. According to the Oracle/Workforce Intelligence study, 85 percent of survey participants said they want technology to help define their future by identifying the skills they need to develop, recommending ways to learn new skills, and providing next steps to progress toward career goals.

At a time when there’s so much uncertainty, technology promises to let hospitality workers regain control of their lives. In 2022, that’s what they really want.

Laura Calin is the Vice President, Strategy and Solutions Management for Oracle Hospitality. Connect with Laura on LinkedIn.

Oracle Hospitality brings over 40 years of experience in providing technology solutions to independent hoteliers, global and regional chains, gaming, and cruise lines. Our cloud-based, mobile-enabled solutions for property management, point-of-sale, distribution, and reporting and analytics lower IT costs and maximize business agility. Oracle Hospitality’s OPERA is recognized globally as the leading property management platform and offers open APIs to serve as a platform for industry innovation. Learn more at www.oracle.com/Hospitality. Get specific product information as quick as clicking right here.