To restore consumer confidence and help get staff ‘up and running’ as the catering and hospitality industry prepares to re-open, employers are urged to take a skills-led approach to both managing the transition back to work as well as being ready for customers.
Sandra Kelly, UK director of People 1st International, said: “The pandemic is changing the status-quo and will act a catalyst for sweeping changes when it comes to resilience, agility, preparedness, culture change and being competitive.
“This means that new skills are essential and that chief executives and finance directors will need to prioritise the recommendations of their personnel, training and development professionals.
“Regardless of business size, people are the greatest asset and are the key to economic recovery.
“Employers who have treated their people well in this period and are now training them for the return, will not only recover more quickly but will also be stronger and more agile moving forward.”
Over three-quarters of respondents (82.8%) say that the ability of business leaders and managers to boost motivation, morale and productivity will be key.
Kelly added: “This means ensuring that managers are equipped with critical thinking, decision-making and problem-solving skills, so that they can manage uncertainty as well as ensuring that their teams are engaged.”
The skills and behaviours identified by employers as important in the post-lockdown environment are:
A more proactive approach to customer service
Developing new techniques such as active listening
Persuading people to change their attitudes or behaviours
Bringing people together to reconcile differences
Asked about staff training in hygiene controls and social distancing measures, almost two thirds of employers support the creation of a recognised symbol, which can be publicly displayed to reassure customers.
A recent People 1st International poll found more than half of consumers want assurances that staff have been trained in these new measures.
The report, titled ‘Covid-19: The impact on skills in hospitality, retail, travel and aviation’ is based on feedback from more than 500 employers across these sectors. To view the full findings visit https://www.people1st.co.uk/covid-19-skills/