Cooperation project of DEHOGA Saxony and SRH Campus Dresden on the attractiveness of the "hospitality industry" as an employer

The DEHOGA Saxony Regional Association Sächsische Schweiz e.V. is starting a cooperation project in autumn 2019 in collaboration with the Institute for Service Management of the SRH University of Applied Sciences Berlin Campus Dresden. The aim of the project is to increase the employer attractiveness of hospitality companies in the region. They will be financially supported by the Saxon Switzerland/Eastern Ore Mountains (Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge) Skilled Workers Alliance.

The hospitality industry continues to be on the upswing, as recently shown by the recently published publication "Wirtschaftskraft und Jobmotor Gastronomie und Hotellerie" by DEHOGA Bundesverband. Despite the increasing demand, however, more and more restaurateurs and hoteliers are restricting their opening hours. The reason for this - there is simply a lack of staff. Yet there are already many innovative approaches to inspire young people in particular to join the industry. But how can a family-run guesthouse in the idyllic Ore Mountains, for example, participate in this?

The DEHOGA Sachsen Regionalverband Sächsische Schweiz e.V. (Saxon Switzerland Regional Association) and the Institute for Service Management at the SRH Campus Dresden have dedicated themselves to precisely this topic in a cooperation project. The aim is to increase the attractiveness and image of hospitality businesses in the region within 15 months. The special thing about this is that the companies develop their concepts together. In a series of workshops, they will receive professional guidance from the team of professors at the university institute. But the students of the SRH Campus Dresden are also actively involved. As part of the much sought-after target group of "junior staff", they provide, for example, the best information on their selection criteria with regard to an employer. In addition, the close cooperation between students and companies increases the chance of graduates remaining in the region.

The project also aims to establish a regional business network that will serve as a central platform for the exchange of experience and knowledge in the future. Finally, the results of the project and the success factors will be summarised in a guideline for "Employer Branding". This will serve all regional companies in the hospitality industry to continuously increase their attractiveness as employers.

"In order to be able to continue to offer the high quality in the regional hospitality industry, it is important to start with the topic of employer attractiveness. After all, it is the employees of today and tomorrow who contribute significantly to guest satisfaction and the overall image of the industry," explains Prof. Dr. Matthias Straub, Managing Director of the Institute for Service Management at the SRH Campus Dresden. "Every gastronomic business, no matter how small, has its own charm and special appeal in our region. What factors make these businesses particularly attractive to today's employees and why does the location of the business and the pay only play a subordinate role? This is exactly where our series of workshops with the know-how of the SRH Dresden professor team comes in. And the best part! Participation is free of charge for all hotel/pension and gastronomy businesses in Saxon Switzerland/Eastern Ore Mountains, as the project is funded by the Saxony Skilled Workers Alliance," adds Thomas Pfenniger, Managing Director of DEHOGA Saxony - Regional Association Saxon Switzerland e.V.

The joint project will start in autumn 2019. Businesses interested in participating can obtain more detailed information and register via the DEHOGA Sachsen Regionalverband Sächsische Schweiz e.V. website.