The Local Hiring Challenge
Despite best efforts, attracting locals to frontline hospitality roles remains a significant struggle. Minimum wage expectations and the call for work-life balance add further pressure on hotel operations. These costs directly hit the bottom line — especially in a sector where margins are tight and service quality is paramount.
Ironically, while average room rates in Singapore have soared to their highest in comparison to other Asian cities, the manpower crisis persists.
Can Technology Truly Replace People?
There’s no doubt that technology enhances operational efficiency — from contactless checkins to AI-driven housekeeping scheduling.
But can it truly replace the human touch that defines hospitality?
You can’t digitize a warm welcome, or automate the heart of a server who remembers your coffee order.
We still need the soldiers on the ground — the ones who clean, cook, serve, and support. And when they’re overworked or understaffed, it’s not just productivity that suffers — service quality, hygiene, and guest satisfaction decline. Mistakes are made, corners are cut, and unfortunately, blame often falls on the very staff left without support.
Outsourcing:
A Band-Aid Solution?
Hotels, out of necessity, turn to outsourcing companies. But here lies the irony — these outsourced teams are often composed of the very same foreign workers we struggle to hire directly due to quotas.
Why are outsourced agencies allowed to bypass quotas while hotels are not? Is it not the same pair of hands making the bed or washing the dishes?
Let’s be candid — outsourcing costs more, and these workers often lack the training, loyalty, or sense of belonging that full-time staff possess. Many work 12-hour shifts, some without rest days. Who is regulating this? Or do we turn a blind eye because they’re not our sons or daughters?
A Call for Pragmatic Reform
Let me be clear: this is not a call for unchecked hiring of foreign workers. Rather, it’s a plea for pragmatic flexibility in roles where local hiring has become nearly impossible. Without this, the service experience will erode, and Singapore’s hard-earned reputation as a world-class hospitality destination is at risk. Our service standards has fallen short! We enter into a building with staff who are more task oriented than guests oriented. We need to bring back the “magic” of hospitality.
If the construction sector — with hundreds of thousands of foreign workers — can function with a more practical approach, why can’t the hospitality industry be granted the same consideration for the roles that are challenging to fill?
We must rethink the way we view frontline hospitality work
We must balance efficiency with empathy, and policy with practicality. Because at the end of the day, guests don’t remember the app that checked them in!
When I Travel for Business or Leisure, the One thing That Distinguishes One Hotel from the Next is the Approach of a Staff and Management.