Hospitality Hiring is on the Rise

— John Rossheim

If the availability of jobs in the hospitality industry is any indication, Americans still have an insatiable appetite for eating out and reaping the pleasures of a hotel or resort stay. While some plum resort jobs are hard to snag, the growth of hotels and restaurants has created demand for entry-level workers and line managers with the experience and stamina to stick with these tough jobs.

Restaurants Want Floor Managers and Entry-Level Workers

With Americans pressed for time and eager to treat themselves, the restaurant business is booming. "Restaurant chains are expanding at an unbelievable pace," says Dan Smith, managing partner in the Tampa office of recruiter Princeton Search Group. "Many hotels are expanding and putting in restaurants."

Beyond the call for entry-level workers, "food-service management is where the demand really is," says Akanksha Aga, a recruitment planning specialist for Johnson & Wales University's hospitality program. "Contract food-service management companies really need good people."

More specifically, professionals who can successfully manage the diner experience are highly desired. "The greatest demand is for qualified front-of-the-house management," says Suzanne Zuniga, chief operating officer of CorVirtus, a human resources consulting firm. "Tons of assistant managers out there are job-hopping."

For entry-level jobs, demand continues to be fierce. "Generally, hourly applicants will be hired unless they have no personality or no common sense," says Zuniga.

A line cook typically earns base pay of $27,125 in Boston or $24,471 in Phoenix, according to the Monster Salary Center. An executive chef in Boston brings in $81,451 or $73,483 in Phoenix.

Restaurant Assistant Managers: Be Patient

Why do many restaurant assistant managers lead such a nomadic existence? "These folks, who tend to be younger, have high, high expectations that aren't consistent with what the industry has to offer right now," says Zuniga. An assistant manager who expects to become general manager in four months will likely be disappointed.

Some chains are working to reduce turnover within individual restaurants. "You get more of a life in that industry than you used to -- a 40- or 50-hour week rather than 70 or 100 hours," says Smith.

But some believe many employers can't make good on their promises to satisfy the appetite for work/life balance that many Generation Xers bring to the table. "Employers say, ‘We'll give you a five-day workweek,' but it doesn't work out that way," says Zuniga. Or those five workdays run 12 to 16 hours each.

Hotels and Resorts Hire Through Expansion

The hotel industry, expanding as economic recovery drives leisure and convention travel, is in hiring mode. "Hotels are hiring for entry-level sales and marketing positions and even some revenue-management jobs," says Aga.

While new resorts are hiring, established businesses are seeing less turnover, according to David Hayslette, vice president of human resources at Pinehurst Resort, the North Carolina golf mecca that hosted the 2005 US Open.

"On the management front, people at large resorts are staying put, as there's perceived insecurity in making a move," says Hayslette. That perception is good for retention but makes openings hard to fill. "We'd be hard-pressed to find a food and beverage manager," he says.

As always, entry-level workers at resorts and hotels are in high demand. Housekeepers, bussers and servers are in short supply, in part because of a shortage of visas for foreign workers, according to Hayslette. "The real challenge is that these properties are in small, rural communities, and the labor pool is limited."

A housekeeper in San Diego earns average base pay of $20,808 or $20,142 in St. Louis, according to the Monster Salary Center. A golf director earns an average of $82,030 in San Diego or $79,404 in St. Louis.

This article originally appeared on Monster.

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