Talent – retain it – so important

Mexico has some of the best talent for the hospitality sector –  what needs to be done to ensure there is a  no shortage of talent in destination Riviera Nayarit going forward

While not traditionally a problem in this area – with all that is in the pipeline and recent openings for both hotels & foodservice operators it is clear that we must be aware one of their biggest challenges going forward will be to attract and retain talented staff.

The hotel and restaurant industry is by far the largest employers in the destination while also a gateway for many young locals gaining their first job experience. However, many of them – coming into our industry to make ends meet then study many a time go on to careers in different fields. We need to keep that talent in our industry. It is well known that the hospitality sector offers many opportunities. However, too many people see it as a first job rather than a career. There are many great opportunities, along with career development opportunities, within the industry and we must make sure that this message is clear to schools, colleges and universities.We all agree that training, development and staff welfare are crucial to retaining staff. But you need a team to be able to deliver this. Hospitality is a lifestyle, and a lot of people spend more time at work rather than at home, so it is important the workplace is made a happy place – so have a retention program in place, focus on taking care of your team , keep them motivated , ensure numeration is competitive and most of all make it a great place to work. Naturally our local governments should listen & invest in and support our industry, and to invest more in enriching opportunities such as apprenticeship and high-level education. It can be done and should be on many radars going forward