HATS Network - State of the Workforce 2023
State of the Workforce 2023 examines the changing skills and labour market across the tourism and hospitality sector in Northern Ireland.
Supported by Tourism NI, Northern Ireland Hotels Federation, Northern Ireland Tourism Alliance, Hospitality Ulster and People 1st International, the findings incorporate the views of over 75 employers.
The research highlights the need to prioritise leadership and management skills to help businesses recruit, retain and develop employees more effectively and to take action to close the skills gap to help grow an internationally competitive industry. Importantly, it also showcases a number of the successful approaches being adopted by employers to tackle the recruitment and retention challenges faced.
Conducted through an in-depth survey, the insights have been used to formulate findings across three key themes:
- Recruitment & retention: The first report in the series looks at the effect that the market conditions have had upon recruitment and retention. It highlights how employers continue to face a persistent challenge when it comes to recruitment and retention. Skills shortages are by far the greatest concern, with employers finding it difficult to recruit people with the required skills and retain valued employees.
- Skills gaps & shortages: The second report in the series explores the effect that skills gaps and shortages are having upon the sector. Employers report that core/soft skills and behaviours are where they anticipate challenges both now and in the future. They also highlight that skills gaps are occupying one spot in a wider context of overlapping issues: high vacancies; churn; pay rises and inflation and staff shortages.
- Training and development: The final report in the series examines the approaches being implemented by employers to enhance the skills of their teams. The findings show that whilst training and development is imperative to upskill the workforce in response to the constantly evolving demands of the industry and to enhance productivity and performance, only 30% of employers feel the training they offer fully meets the skills needs of employees.