How do you retain talent for hospitality?

New generations, new approaches

On Wednesday afternoon, 4 June, various stakeholders from the hospitality sector gathered at the Heineken Experience in Amsterdam for the annual Hospitality Pact Event. The afternoon was dedicated to cooperation, knowledge sharing and action-oriented plans to address labour market shortages and image challenges in the hospitality sector. Attendees included representatives from industry associations, educational institutions, governments and the business community. The meeting was co-sponsored by Heineken Netherlands and the Hotel School NHL Stenden Leeuwarden.

Welcome by Pieter Vissers (Heineken Netherlands)

Pieter Vissers, director of hospitality at Heineken Netherlands, opened the event with a plea for joint efforts and a strong image for the sector. "Working in hospitality is much more than a side job: it is one of the most beautiful fields there is," Vissers said. He stressed the importance of cooperation between education, government and business and urged attendees to continue investing in the sector. "Donating is not a taboo. Support the Discover Hospitality platform so that we can continue to build future talent."

The Hospitality Pact explained by Erwin van der Graaf

Erwin van der Graaf, chairman of the Hospitality Pact and also managing director of AccorHotels Netherlands, gave an overview of the origins and construction of the pact. The pact was launched in 2023 as an alliance of ten parties, including KHN, HISWA-RECRON, ANVR, MBO Raad and the Ministry of EZK. The focus is on improving the sector's labour market position through four working groups: Education, Labour Market Branding, Social Policy and Research & Innovation.

Van der Graaf afterwards underlined the difference between the Hospitality Pact as an action platform and the "Discover Hospitality" campaign, which is mainly aimed at promotion. Both initiatives work closely together. "We are in a phase of maturing as a sector. 2024 was a start-up year, 2025 is all about implementation," Van der Graaf said.

Keynote: Annemieke Roobeek on innovation and ecosystem thinking

Professor of strategy and transformation management Annemieke Roobeek (Nyenrode Business University) gave an inspiring talk on the need for innovation in the hospitality sector. "The sector is busy, but not enough fundamental things are happening. We need to get out of silos, build bridges to technology, culture, sustainability and social impact." Roobeek called for collaboration in ecosystems that focus on knowledge sharing, AI applications and new guest experiences. "Green is the new gold. Guests want meaningful experiences, not glitz and glamour."

Labour market in figures: presentation Stef Driessen (ABN AMRO)

Sector economist Stef Driessen presented the latest figures from the Labour Market Monitor Hospitality Economy. There will be 1.5 million vacancies annually in the coming years, partly due to an ageing population. Driessen pointed to opportunities in flexible working hours, higher employee satisfaction, deployment of vital over-65s and exploiting seasonal differences. He called for data-driven personnel policy and inter-sectoral cooperation: "Use opposite seasons, share knowledge, and create meaningful jobs."

Future of MBO: Jan Lokker (Zadkine)

Jan Lokker, member of Zadkine's Executive Board, addressed the challenges of mbo education. He called for more recognition of the MBO as the foundation of society. "Without mbo graduates, everything stands still: the baker, the conductor, the steward, the cook," he said. Lokker expressed concerns about funding, demographic shrinkage and the decline in ESL subsidies. At the same time, he stressed opportunities in modular education, lifelong development and hybrid learning environments.

Discover Hospitality 2025 campaign: explanation by Teun Verheij

Teun Verheij presented the progress of the Discover Hospitality campaign. In 2024, the campaign reached over 3.4 million people with a media budget of €425,000. In 2025, the focus will be on in-depth content with real stories from people in the industry. Verheij stressed that all contributions are welcome: "You don't have to go in big. Every euro helps to make a difference."

'The will is there, now we have to start doing it'

Led by Erwin van der Graaf, managing director of AccorHotels Netherlands and chairman of the Collective Hospitality Pact, a lively panel discussion on the future of working in the hospitality sector took place at the end of the meeting. Joining them on stage were three experienced HR professionals: Barbara Rooth (Chief People Officer at McDonald's Netherlands), Cindy Kasanmoeseni (Head of HR Hotels NL at Corendon) and Frank Veldhof (Managing Director of defence caterer Paresto).

The central question of the conversation: how to make the sector attractive to new generations and how to retain talent in a tight labour market? According to Barbara Rooth, this starts with taking young people seriously. "Young people want to be seen and contribute to a higher goal. They don't just come for the salary. You have to offer them perspective," Rooth said. She stressed the importance of advancement opportunities within companies, something McDonald's has been working on for years. "Many of our restaurant managers once started in the kitchen," she said.

Cindy Kasanmoeseni pointed out the crucial role of a safe and inclusive work culture: "You have to make people feel that they matter. That's a prerequisite to keep people engaged. Especially for generations who value meaning and balance more." She also pointed out the importance of on-the-job training and supervision: "An MBO trainee is not a cheap force, but someone you train. That requires commitment from managers."

Frank Veldhof, responsible for catering at Defence, stressed the need to look outside the box. "As Paresto, we started actively recruiting among people who are distanced from the labour market. That is precisely where there is often enormous potential. But then you have to adjust your processes and mindset accordingly."

Erwin van der Graaf asked critical questions about cooperation within the sector: "Are we doing enough to join forces?" To that, the consensus was clear: cooperation pays off, but takes time, trust and leadership. "You can only take steps if you are willing to share and give something to each other," Kasanmoeseni said.

The panel discussion made it clear that there are no simple solutions, but a lot of shared ambition. Or as Veldhof put it, "The will is there. Now we just have to start doing it."