How The Hospitality Industry Can Get Ready for a Post-COVID World

For the hospitality industry, the decline in travel, dining, and events has been difficult. Almost every state has a shelter in place order in effect as of early April, and experts say that individuals will need to socially distance for three months or longer in order to stem the tide of Coronavirus cases.  Yet at some point, we will have effectively “flattened the curve” and will be able to return to a more normal version of our lives. 

When that happens - when restaurants are able to reopen dining areas, hotels once again host guests, and scheduled events resume - the hospitality industry will need to be prepared. Here are a few things to keep in mind now as we look forward to a post-lockdown world. 

Prepare to ramp up quickly

With any unknown situation, preparation is key. You need to have a strategy in place to be able to act quickly while adapting to any new regulations that come with a post-COVID environment. 

We can safely assume that even once we are free to go about our lives and businesses normally, the threat of COVID-19 won’t have fully disappeared. So while we can’t say exactly what’s to come, there are a number of changes that we should be able to prepare for, such as:

• An increased focus on sanitation and cleanliness
• The need to ensure that staff are healthy
• Hesitance from consumers towards crowds or close contact
  

Keep these things in mind as you plan for the coming months - including what staff you’ll need, what new policies will need to be created, and how you will communicate with employees. It’s important to incorporate these types of changes into onboarding and training materials for new and old employees alike.

Reach out

Do you have a marketing plan for when you reopen your doors? When the time comes, you’ll want to be ready to draw customers to your business.

Start by reaching out to past loyal customers and those who had to cancel reservations or appointments during COVID-19. If you held a fundraiser or similar program to benefit your workers, thank and check in with those who participated. Those people are already thinking about your business during the pandemic and will be the most enthusiastic to support you when you reopen.

In addition, consider other partnerships within the community. Working with other businesses in similar situations broadens your reach with potential new customers. Running campaigns together and cross-promoting your companies can help boost awareness when the time comes.

Solidify your hiring strategy

If your team has been laid off or furloughed during the pandemic, it’s imperative that you determine your hiring and staffing strategy ahead of time. In order to ramp up quickly, you’ll need to be ready to ensure your business is fully operational and has the workers necessary to run smoothly. 

Revisit the personnel you have and which positions you’ll need to hire for in order to reopen. Be sure to consider additional staff you may need to augment your cleaning crew or other teams in order to ensure your establishment is regularly sanitized. Then, evaluate your hiring options. 

Reach out first to any furloughed or laid off team members who were assets to your team before the pandemic. Then move on to additional hires. While some managers tap into cost savings and quick time-to-hire with a W-2 staffing solution like Bluecrew, some others prefer to hire directly. If you do elect to hire on your own, be sure to allow enough time to fill the roles you need - it takes more than 20 days on average to fill a hospitality position.

If you need help hiring in the coming months, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Bluecrew. While we have been happy to assist hospitality employees using their skills in other industries during the pandemic, we are excited to help them return to their passions as cooks, event staff, servers, hotel personnel, and more.