Jeannine Sok: Hazing in the hospitality industry

Column: Jeannine Sok is owner of Gastologie.nl and a leading expert in the field of hospitality. From Gastology, she trains and coaches organisations in professional hospitality. She also hosts the podcast De Stamtafel on guest behaviour and what real attention means in hospitality.

My eye lingered on a word from a recent UWV survey: hazing in the hospitality industry. I had to smile. For a moment, I thought of yellow pepper powder, a skirting board or some other classic kitchen term. But UWV obviously meant something else: the number of young people in the population is decreasing, and so is the number of young people in the labour market.

For the hospitality industry, this is no small detail. The sector has relied heavily on schoolchildren and students for years. Almost 60 per cent of hospitality workers are between 15 and 25 years old. If that group shrinks, there will be consequences. Fewer young people means less intake. Less influx means more pressure on rosters, teams and entrepreneurs. But the question is: are we looking wide enough?

I recently spoke to a hotel manager who was in the middle of a job application process. His HR officer, young and newly graduated, held aside the letter of a 53-year-old candidate. “No, that one is way too old you know...”

A pity. Because perhaps an excellent professional was right there on the table. An experienced host. Someone who can not only stand behind the reception desk, but also guide new colleagues, tell stories, read guests and bring peace to a team. Maybe not a classic candidate for one position, but someone who adds value in multiple places.

That, I believe, is where an important key lies. At a time when green leaves are becoming scarcer, we must learn to value craftsmanship again. Not just looking at age, speed or availability, but at experience, attitude and sense of hospitality. A good team consists not only of young energy, but also of people who know how the trade works.

That solid core is indispensable. They take new employees through the hospitality process. They show how to welcome a guest, how to recognise tension, how to switch between haste, attention and humour. I also heard it recently from an owner who had just opened a new hotel. “We have the team in place, but I am still looking for more real professionals.”

After all, hospitality is a serious business. You can learn it, but not just from a textbook. You learn it mainly by watching, doing and being corrected by someone who has mastered it themselves. I like to call that the empathy scan. An experienced force can often see what a guest needs as soon as they enter. Is someone in a hurry, searching, uncertain, angry or just in a party mood? You don't respond to that with a standard sentence, but with feeling.

You can teach that to a younger employee. Provided you make time for that. Provided there is a good tutor. And provided the familiarisation programme is more than a folder, a login code and “just walk with me”.

A warm welcome starts not with the guest, but with the employee. If necessary, send a box of chocolates before the first day of work. Not because that solves the staff shortage, but because it says something. We're glad you're here. We pay attention to you. And we will soon expect exactly the same attention from you towards our guests.

Fortunately, in many hotels this is well regulated. But there are still plenty of opportunities too. Teach people the trade. Give them perspective. Reward them decently. Make them feel they are part of something beautiful.

Because when fewer young people are available, it becomes even more important to captivate and retain the people you have. This requires talent development, good coaching and a focus on employability. Having your own academy can help, as can training courses from suppliers or professional trainers. But the basics remain the same: make sure employees are proud of their work.

That pride works through. To guests, to colleagues, to friends and family. That is why it is high time for the positive story. Working in the hospitality industry is not an intermediate or secondary job without meaning. It is a profession. A wonderful profession even.

And those who understand that craft well are never too old.