CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — It's no secret the hospitality industry has been struggling over the years and employers are finding it challenging in staying staffed.
Visit Corpus Christi hosted an event to address the concerns and provide solutions.
Jobs that fall under this category include housing, feeding, transporting or entertaining customers.
Across the nation, several of these businesses have struggled to keep staff and recruit new workers.
Krystof Kucewicz is the general manager at Omni Corpus Christi Hotel and he has been in the hospitality industry for many years.
Kucewicz said he has seen many employees leave their jobs at hotels for many reasons.
“I think people are looking for better pay jobs, they kind of want to avoid staying from working holidays, and weekends and unfortunately this is our peak season,” Kucewicz said.
Here at home, Visit Corpus Christi tells us many workers in the Coastal Bend feel underpaid or feel that they have unstable work hours.
"What people do not understand is that it can be a very rewarding job, it is an industry where you can start with little to know education and work your way up to be a leader and have a very well paying career." Brett Oetting, president of Visit Corpus Christi said.
To address some of these concerns, and for the first time ever, Visit Corpus Christi held a hospitality workforce development summit to help local businesses find ways to recruit and keep their employees.
The event brought the hospitality industry into a room along with educators and individuals that work in the workforce development world.
“To figure out ways to collaborate, to make sure that we all understand all the great things each of us are doing, and then figure out ways to work together,” Oetting said.
People in the room had a chance to connect and exchange ideas on what they can do to up their recruitment for their businesses.
Being flexible with employee hours, offering a chance to grow in the industry, and employee referral bonuses were some examples offered.
“I had friends who worked as a bell man for their first job, and they are now running big hotel corporations, so endless opportunities,” Kucewicz said.
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