Embracing the ‘Basic‘
Bring on the sweater weather, apple cinnamon and pumpkin spice. I love the perks of the season and have little concern if that makes me “basic”. Why do we deride women who enjoy comfort and flavour with this label? I have yet to hear of a man who likes something popular be deemed basic, but I digress. Who doesn’t love the leaves changing colour and the return to routine? If you also get excited for a shift in flavours, check out our interview with Sous Chef Barbara Gregoire in this issue and enjoy one of her favourite Fall recipes.
I once dreaded the shift in season. As a tourism HR professional, the last days of summer were met with an onslaught of resignation letters. As an industry that employs 15–24-year old’s as a majority, we never felt prepared when students returned to school. The demand was still there for restaurants and hotels, but we didn’t have the ability to staff them. This crisis is amplified in an autumn unlike any other for the recreation, tourism and hospitality industries. With our borders open to visitors, we are facing the worst labour shortage the industry has ever seen. It isn’t just the students leaving. We have watched the Great Resignation for some time, as women exit the industry with no plans to return. The fall may result in more employment decline as business levels change, women take on childcare responsibilities and fourth wave COVID-19 concerns continue. Are you considering a shift? Make sure to check out this edition’s article outlining the questions you should ask yourself first.
September signifies my own transition back to campus. As an instructor at Capilano University’s School of Tourism Management, I help prepare students for a career in the industry. If you are an undergraduate student, be sure to check out and apply for our Marion Harper Treskin Leadership Scholarship. My assignment for this term includes a study of the labour shortage, partnering with tourism employers to boost their recruitment practices. Employers are recognizing more attention must be paid to identifying strategies to retain and develop the women who remain employed in the industry.
The fall is a perfect time to look at development plans, retention strategies, succession planning and performance reviews. It’s a season to examine employee engagement, rewards and recognition, as well as compensation. Strategies to keep women of recreation, tourism and hospitality happy in their roles shouldn’t be complicated. If anything, it’s pretty basic.