Combating the shortage of skilled workers with the cooking robot
The new chef at the Lieblingsplatz hotel in Grömitz near Lübeck has already mastered pasta and rice dishes. "But he could just as easily make a currywurst or a sushi bowl," says hotelier Niels Battenfeld. But it's not a human who cooks here, but a robot. Battenfeld spent 250,000 euros on the four-by-two-metre machine, with which he is defying the shortage of skilled workers in the industry.
On first contact, the guests are still skeptical, admits Battenfeld. "But by the second day, it's a matter of course." Orders are placed via app or on the display on the machine, which then throws the pre-cooked ingredients into the pot and prepares the food fresh. "Just like a real chef," says Battenfeld. Of course, the robot is not a star chef, but it can prepare up to 100 portions per hour. The limited menu of just six dishes is also set to grow quickly to 15 to 20. Up to 120 would be possible.
With the cooking robot, Battenfeld is still exotic. But he is not alone in the problem that hotels and restaurants are struggling to find staff. The German Hotel and Restaurant Association Dehoga estimates that there is a shortage of 65,000 employees in the hospitality industry nationwide. This is currently the biggest problem for the industry, says Enno Schmoll, who teaches tourism management at the Jade University of Applied Sciences in Wilhelmshaven. "And it is not yet foreseeable that this will fundamentally change." According to a Dehoga survey from December 2022, almost three quarters of respondents have already had to restrict their opening hours, and almost half had reduced the offer on the menu.
Up to 11,000 euros in bonuses
Some hoteliers are resorting to drastic measures to find staff. The Landhotel Gut Thansen in Soderstorf in the Lüneburg Heath offers up to 11,000 euros in bonuses for new chefs and late-night service staff, which are paid out over three years. So far, he has been able to recruit two chefs and one service employee in this way, reports Managing Director Philipp von Stumm.
The Munich hotel chain Ruby has been recruiting new employees with free tattoos since mid-2022. "In the first few months of the campaign, we immediately had 25 percent more applications," reports spokeswoman Kristin Lingner. Among them were many career changers, which the campaign aimed to attract. "The catering industry is still considered a bit dusty, many people don't want to see tattoos." Ruby is different. "That's what we wanted to show with the campaign."
However, tourism expert Schmoll doesn't think much of pure welcome bonuses. "If someone comes for money, they will leave for money." Soft factors such as working conditions and team spirit are more important. And how new employees are received at their place of work. "You have to give them the opportunity not only to work where others go on vacation, but also to live there," says Schmoll.
Four-day week introduced
The four-day week with the same weekly working hours has also proved its worth here recently. Schmoll reports that companies that have introduced it no longer have a shortage of workers. "It still works, but not everyone can implement it." However, he finds it hard to imagine that service robots will one day fill the gaps. "When I'm on vacation, I need the human touch. You can't replace that with robots."
Hotelier Battenfeld, on the other hand, is convinced of his concept, which he now wants to roll out to all twelve locations of his small hotel chain Lieblingsplatz. "Robots are not intended to replace people, but to relieve them." Despite the robot chef and automated check-in, the hotel in Grömitz is anything but deserted. Up to a third fewer staff are needed. "But that wasn't the main goal. We always need people so that the soul of the hotel doesn't fall by the wayside."
There are still twelve employees at the new hotel in Grömitz, which opened in July, including a chef and two other kitchen staff. The only difference is that they now take care of logistics and quality control and no longer spend the whole day at the stove themselves. "This will change the job profile," hopes Battenfeld. "And that makes the job interesting again."
However, one dream will remain unfulfilled for him for the time being: "My dream would be a housekeeping robot," says Battenfeld, who trained as a hotel manager himself. "It really is a tough job." However, no manufacturer has yet succeeded in developing a robot that not only vacuums and mops, but also makes the beds, cleans the bathroom and takes out the garbage. "That would be the jack of all trades."
The cooking robot at the Lieblingsplatz hotel is a innovative solution to address the shortage of skilled workers in the hospitality industry. Despite the initial skepticism of guests, the robot has proven to be a reliable and efficient solution, capable of preparing up to 100 portions per hour.
The shortage of staff in the hospitality industry is a widespread problem, with the German Hotel and Restaurant Association Dehoga estimating a nationwide shortage of 65,000 employees. Hotels and restaurants are struggling to find enough staff and are resorting to measures such as offering bonuses or introducing a four-day work week to attract and retain employees.
Source: www.dpa.com
