October 2021 CEO Message
There is no easy fix for the current labour crisis that dominates our discussions and thwarts our recovery. Case in point: when the news media recently ran the story of a Vancouver restaurant advertising a $50,000 a year salary for a dishwasher, while certainly attention-grabbing, it seems to overly simplify a very complex and complicated issue. The news story got quite a bit of attention and it does point to the challenging paradox of employers needing to pay staff more, which we know many are already doing, despite how difficult it is, given the current state of the tourism and hospitality industry.
That is why it is critical to share your voice in our BC Tourism & Hospitality Labour Market Information (LMI) Project. If you haven’t yet participated in our survey, please do as we get ready to close out this stage of the project. Your experiences during the pandemic are very important for us to understand in as much detail as possible as we work to create pragmatic pathways forward.
On the same note, our companion employee survey is just as important, and we would encourage you to reach out to current and former staff directly or on your social media networks to promote the opportunity to contribute this important perspective.
We’re doing our part here at go2HR, step by step, to help businesses across the province endure the ongoing pandemic and its impact on our industry. We’ve updated BSAFE™ our foundational health and safety training plan to include a new module on the BC Proof of Vaccination public health order available now. The course remains free to those in the tourism and hospitality industry and is an ideal onboarding tool for new workers joining your team, particularly timely as we move into winter operations.
We are excited to announce our new HR Consultant for the Vancouver, Coast & Mountains Region (VCM), Cindy Conti. Cindy brings a wealth of HR knowledge and skills to the table and is familiar with the region, having lived and worked in Whistler for many years. Cindy’s role will be to execute the tactical plan created in partnership with VCM and Destination BC to help tourism and hospitality businesses in the region have the HR support and workforce they need to continue to offer exceptional experiences.
And, in our ongoing collaboration with the Canadian Mental Health Association BC Chapter (CMHA BC), informed and endorsed by industry, we are expanding our capacity with two new 18- month contract positions to better equip employers to support the mental health of their team and themselves. These new Learning Coaches, one based in Vancouver, the other in Kelowna, are another important element to help create the capacity and infrastructure to tackle one of society’s most concerning issues- mental wellness.
Stay Safe,
Krista