The diversity of hospitality workforces is rising and HR policies to support equity and inclusion must keep pace, say experts in the matter.
“It’s about thinking long term. The world is evolving in a way where diversity is only going to increase. We can’t fight migration, more movement, more travelling, so let’s embrace it and do something positive with it,” said Johanna Wagner, lecturer in hospitality management, ESSEC Business School, said.
Apprenticeships can make hospitality higher education accessible for students from poorer social backgrounds, she said, but added: “What I’m seeing in most hotel schools is that we have more people coming from Asia, for instance, who are getting very good degrees and they’re still having trouble to use that degree when they apply for a job. So that’s where we need to change things.”
Non EU-citizens who have unsuccessfully applied for junior jobs and graduate training programmes with large hotel companies in France have understood that companies are deterred by the higher levels of admin required to employ them.
However, Eric Omgba, founding partner, Alboran Hotels & Hospitality, said that every business should do what they can within their means: “We have one person on a visa from China this year working in our property in Bordeaux. We try to mix the opportunity with people from the community and from outside the community. We do the same with disabled people as well.”
He added: “I come from a tough neighborhood and today I'm the proud owner of 20 hotels. I'm probably one of the few black investors around today.”
In addition to the deterrent of bureaucracy, there is discrimination pure and simple. When looking for a hospitality job in France, men with a foreign name that sounds Arabic are the least likely to get picked for an interview, according to a 2021 research paper.
Anonymised CVs might help, suggested Wagner, and another step would be for recruitment companies to have an enforceable code of ethics.
She added that social media is a powerful tool for individuals to expose bad practices by companies: “Of course it’s bold and there is a risk and reward decision to make, but you can also have your next employer say: ’Hey I like the way you were bold and I’m glad that you’re supporting our good practices by denouncing the bad practices.’”
Omgba was vehemently opposed to anonymised CVs: “Don’t change your name. Be proud of it. I mean, I love mine. We are what we are. We cannot change that, but you can affect the attitude of others.”
When staying in hotels, Omgba said he is still sometimes mistaken for a waiter: “You cannot fight against the stereotypes, so you have to change your attitude.”
Job seekers should focus on networking and finding mentors as more effective ways to get work than just sending out CVs, he advised.
On the general topic of emotional intelligence in the workplace, Wagner said: “One of the skills that students and all of us need to develop is called the normative skill and it’s to understand that some things that are normal for you might not be for anyone else in the classroom or in the workplace. And when you develop that skill, you’re not afraid of difference.”
When it comes to communicating DEI policies and achievements, companies should avoid sounding forced or ‘showy.’ The best approach is to allow employees and former employees to speak for themselves and become natural advocates, said Wagner.
At Alboran Hotels & Hospitality, 77 per cent of GMs are female, said Omgba: “They're not female because we choose female. They're just female because they have the right attitude, the right skills, and they're doing the right job.”
Andrea Belfanti, CEO, International Society of Hospitality Consultants, said: “If I want to see if a company is diverse, I look at the board of directors’ page. I look at the leadership page and if a company has a statement: ‘We believe in diversity and we include all people, blah, blah, blah,’ but their leadership page is all white men, I don't believe that. I don't think you're a company that believes in my values.”
All the above quotes were taken from the IHIF EMEA 2024 panel: Diversity & Inclusion – Making DEI Enhance Your Performance In Hospitality