2022 has been a relief for Singapore’s meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) industry, with the reopening of international borders since the Covid-19 pandemic boosting tourism flows and supporting a recovery.
The lifting of Covid-19 restrictions have also boosted the food services industry, with restaurants and cafes getting a strong rebound in activity levels as well.
Number-wise, the Singapore Tourism Board recently announced that international visitor arrivals from January to June 2022 is nearly 12 times more compared to the same period last year.
For the hotel industry, this has meant ramping up manpower to ensure there are enough employees to cater to this uptick in demand, according to Margaret Heng, the executive director of the Singapore Hotel Association (SHA).
She added: “Although the issue of manpower shortage is not new to the industry, the current crunch is acute with hotels putting a cap on room occupancy and limiting seating capacity at food and beverage (F&B) outlets to uphold service standards.
“Contributing factors to this shortage include local workers who have left the industry in the past two years to join other hiring sectors, and foreign workers who have decided to return to their homeland due to the pandemic.”
Stephan Karl, the general manager for Andaz Singapore agreed, adding: “It has been a challenge to hire the right candidates to fill the vacancies we have – some non-local associates left the country, and it is a challenge with headcount quotas.
“With a reduced pool of talent for hire, we do face hiring competition from recruitment agencies too. The pandemic has also affected the industry as a whole as some may deem that hospitality is susceptible to unemployment in challenging times like this.”
What service jobs are hiring in Singapore now?
According to Margaret, critical vacancies that require urgent filling include room attendants, cooks, waiters and waitresses, F&B supervisors, front office receptionists, laundry attendants and stewards.
In addition, she adds that as sustainability becomes increasingly important for Singapore hotel operations, eco-conscious or “green” initiatives are being rolled out to capture the growing segment of mindful travellers.
In this respect, more sustainability-related roles for the industry, either as new jobs or added components to existing job functions, can be expected in the near future.
For Andaz, their most critical positions are of entry to supervisory levels in hotel operations teams in the same roles mentioned by Margaret. Stephan also added: “Generally, we value candidates with an aptitude to provide great customer service and deliver memorable experiences.
“We also expect candidates with at least two to three years of relevant experience for supervisory positions.”
What’s a good way to get a good service job in Singapore now?
That’s where Workforce Singapore’s (WSG) online Career Matching Programmes can help.
In partnership with employment services company Ingeus, career coaches and advice can lead to roles in the hospitality industry, whether you are starting your first job, looking for a career change, or rejoining the workforce.
In addition, the programmes and resources by WSG available to support your career development include:
- Access to quick and relevant career tips and resources at your convenience
- A professional and dedicated career advisory team who you can speak with for career guidance
- MyCareersFuture, the national jobs portal that can support your job search and open up career prospects based on your skills
- Career preparatory workshops, networking sessions and walk-in interviews to improve your job search chances. View WSG’s calendar of events and register here!
Stephan said: “Working with Ingeus is very streamlined and straightforward.
“This is an open, flexible partnership which I know will be a fruitful one. We believe that everyone has the potential to excel. It’s all about being clear about expectations.”
“Our partnership with Ingeus is a wonderful way to build stronger relationships with the Singapore community and give opportunities to locals,” he added.
Wondering if the hospitality and tourism sector is your calling? Take this quiz to find out!
“I am determined to support all new employees to be the best in every single way, not just at work.“
Andaz uses different routes when hiring, which includes long-term unemployed candidates by Ingeus, as well as those looking to make mid-career switches.
Stephan shared: “Associates who have done a mid-career switch bring different perspectives to their new teams.
“As most of them are more senior in terms of age and experience, they also generally bring more stability and maturity to their new teams.
Of course, some of them do have higher wage expectations which are based on their previously drawn salary, he admitted.
What are the reskilling and upskilling opportunities working in Singapore’s hospitality and F&B industries?
At Andaz, training and development is a big part of their culture.
“We assess each individual’s career needs to ensure that the provided training best fits business goals and individual career progression,” Stephan said.
He revealed there is now a greater emphasis on employees’ breadth of skills, with an increased necessity for hotel associates to take on multiple responsibilities within their departments.
