North Texas Hotels Limited By Staff Shortages Increase Wages, Flexibility To Attract Workers

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - North Texas hotels ready to rebound from the pandemic are working to fill thousands of open jobs.

"We need everything," said Nora Moreno, director of human resources at the Hilton Dallas Lincoln Center. "From sales managers to servers."

The hotel had 220 employees last year when travel suddenly halted and business plummeted to record lows.

"We had to lay off 90% of our staff and were left with 29 people," said Moreno.

It's slowly been rehiring, but at this point has just enough staff to operate about two thirds of its 505 rooms.

"I've never seen anything like this. Our hoteliers have not seen anything like this," said Traci Mayer, executive director for the Hotel Association of North Texas.

Mayer says there's currently an estimated 15,000 open jobs in the hospitality industry here in North Texas.

HANTX is planning a job fair this Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center to match job seekers with local positions.

"You see 'We're hiring' signs everywhere. Our industry is no different" she said.

To attract workers, hotels have raised wages and added flexibility to what used to be set schedules.

"We're having to adapt as an industry to this new labor situation that we find ourselves in," said Mayer.

Moreno says flexibility is one of the most common requests she hears from applicants.

"We understand people have kids at home, so if they need to start late, they need some specific days off, we are offering part time and flexible schedules," she said.

Hotels are also offering employees opportunities to advance.

"A lot of the hotels have great training opportunities. They have tuition reimbursement.

So if you want to further your career, get a degree, get an advanced degree, they have these opportunities within their brands," said Mayer.

For more information on the job fair, click here.