CHANGES IN THE STAFFING SYSTEM AT THE ENTERPRISES OF THE HOTEL INDUSTRY OF UKRAINE

Abstract

The article reveals the main problems of staffing at the enterprises of the hotel complex of Ukraine. It is noted that the hotel business at the present stage is actively developing, expanding its borders, attracting new customers to its orbit, not only domestic but also foreign. This requires a constant increase in requirements for all categories of staff in hotel enterprises. Measures that determine and affect the quality of hotel services are licensing, certification and categorization procedures, which ultimately put forward their own requirements for staff training. In the context of the study of modern changes in the staffing system of the hotel complex of Ukraine, the main four periods of its development over the past 10 years are identified: 1) pre-war (2010-2013), which was characterized by a high share of employees in the hospitality industry; 2) the beginning of the Russian military aggression (2014-2017), which was characterized by a slight decrease in the number of staff in the hotel industry; 3) rapid recovery of the hotel business (2018-2019), which has the highest employment rate in this industry since 2010; 4) the period of the COVID-19 pandemic (from 2020 to the present), which is characterized by the lowest employment rates in the hotel industry. It is determined that the age structure of staffing, where the highest share of staff is aged 40-49 years (42%) and 50-59 years (32%), does not meet the growing demands of the market and the situation related to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is proved that the level of education, professional training and education of personnel for this branch plays an important role in increasing the competitiveness of the hotel industry. In particular, it was noted that changes in the staffing system at enterprises in this industry, first of all, should relate to: 1) Establishing cooperation with higher education institutions that are going to use specialists for this business, in order to ensure close interaction of theory and practice of education, as well as to determine the necessary clarity and professional orientation in accordance with the needs of the industry market; 2) regular professional development of hotel staff, at least once every five years, and for certain categories of employees - at least once a year (e.g., chef, restaurant administrator, etc.); application of the concept of lifelong learning, which provides continuous professional development and self-development of the employee. It is proved that the proposed changes will allow hotel companies not only to survive in difficult pandemic conditions, but also to increase their potential, including through the formation of qualified and highly productive staff who can quickly navigate and make the right decisions in a dynamic environment.