While the demand for hospitality services is on the rise again, establishments are struggling to attract and retain quality employees to serve their clientele. However, at the same time, there is a high visibility of low-income workers in the labor market. Employees with experience in the hospitality industry are leaving in droves. Why? Majority of them don’t feel valued for their work. At the same time, a large percentage of these workers simply don’t have enough incentive to stay.
As a result, many restaurants, cafés, and hotels are understaffed at a time when demand for their services is rising again. This leaves clients waiting longer than usual. It also robs them of the warmth and personalized attention that they’re accustomed to. After all, the few employees at each establishment have to devote more time to the functional aspects of their job. These aspects include finding out what the clients need and doing it. This leaves them with less time to chat with clients and help them feel welcome.
How Tendo is solving the labor problem in the hospitality industry
Tendo is fixing hiring and retention problems in the hospitality industry by equipping staff with skills wallets that demonstrate skills development and reliability. In this way, Tendo is helping employees looking for jobs to showcase their skills using a format that the industry recognizes. On the other hand, Tendo is making it easier for employers to see how they can incentivize incoming as well as existing employees.
The value of the skills wallet
By demonstrating the skills that they’ve acquired within the industry, employees can clearly highlight the value they have to offer. Companies that are doing the hiring can also use the skills wallet to highlight why their organization is worth joining – with prospects made clear. With a comprehensive skills wallet, employees can take charge of their professional growth. This helps them offer even more value to the establishment that they work for.
“We built this skills wallet because the hospitality industry has a supply of over 3 billion people who are currently marginalised,” says Tendo founder and former coffee shop manager Will Ross. “Our goal was to provide tangible pathways to employment opportunities for these frontline workers.”
Tendo’s platform has a specific focus on helping frontline workers at transitional stages in their lives. This includes youth who are entering the workforce for the first time. It also includes refugees as well as individuals who have been previously incarcerated and unemployed for a long time.
How Tendo’s coffee skills glossary is improving industry prospects
As part of the skills wallet for employees in specialty coffee, Tendo has developed a coffee skills glossary. This glossary is designed to boost professional development. This glossary offers employees in this sector access to free resources that can help them grow and get better prospects. The glossary comes equipped with 75+ coffee skills and 20 transferrable skills that any employee can access on their phone. Each skill comes with a comprehensive definition developed through collaboration between Tendo specialists and industry experts. Anyone can add, define, edit or validate a skill. This creates a space where both employees and employers can contribute to improving the accuracy and value of terms.
With this coffee skills glossary, Tendo is refining both the identification and recognition of valuable skills in the industry. By doing so, they are also improving the quality of specialty coffee services.
What employees have to say about the coffee skills glossary:
“I’ve been working in the coffee sector for more than 15 years but when I was starting out it was almost impossible to find information about my work as a barista,” says Melanie Weldert, Barista and Quality Controller at roaster Rösttrommel Kaffeeröstrerei in Nuremberg, Germany. “The information I needed was on different internet pages or in books that were out of date. Tendo’s work on the Skills Glossary fascinates me for the simple fact that it’s a simple and easy-to-use tool. What’s more, it’s relevant not only to baristas, but also to skilled employees in Gastronomy.”
The skills each employee has attained are stored in their skills wallet, where they can be shared with both current and prospective employers. With this coffee skills glossary, employees can motivate themselves to improve. More importantly, they can offer tangible proof of the value they’re bringing to coffee producers, roasters and coffee shops when they’re looking for a job.
Are you an employee looking to refine your skills and get access to better prospects in the hospitality industry? Or an employer looking for ways to attract quality workers with the right growth opportunities? You can get join the Tendo network and start building your skills wallet today. Once you’ve done that, follow Tendo on Twitter for industry updates.