COVID has been a huge disruptor as workers crossed industries and realized that they could increase their pay significantly in new jobs.

Additionally, as companies begin to compete for a scarce pool of labor, wages are rising quickly and many hourly workers are aware of this and are no longer wary of changing jobs for a better-paid position.

With more transparency on the current market rates, offering competitive wages and accurate data is one of the best ways to make sure your hotel can attract enough job candidates.

We created the report to help you prepare for upcoming market conditions – we believe that offering accurate and attractive wages helps fill the applicant pool.

In the following report you will find answers to questions such as:

• What are pay rates for most popular hotel staffing positions?
• What employee benefits are most often offered and how often?
• What can your potential candidates expect in competing industries?

In cooperation with the Ohio Hotel & Lodging Association (OHLA), we have surveyed hotels in Columbus, Cincinnati, and Cleveland and presented the reported wages (starting and average) from July 2021 for the most common hospitality roles.

Through our partnership with Upshift, we are able to collect real-time, supporting data for workers in these positions. These are verified rates being paid today to Upshift workers in hotels.

• On average the hourly wage earned by Upshifters hired in hospitality positions was 61% higher than the reported average wage by hotel members.
• The highest difference was for Bussers/Food runners (almost 100%) and Event Set Up/Houseman (91% difference).
• The difference for other positions: Bartender, Dishwasher/Kitchen Steward, Line Cook/Prep Cook, Server/Banquet server were also significant ranging from 45% to 54%.
• The average wages reported by the hotels were only 4.8% higher than the starting wages.

• On average the hourly wage earned by Upshifters hired in hospitality positions was 26% higher than the reported average wage by hotel members.
• The highest difference was for Bussers/Food runners (32% difference) and Event Set Up/Houseman (43.5% difference).
• There was also a significant gap for Line Cooks/Prep Cooks (16%difference) and Dishwasher/Kitchen Stewards (24% difference).
• The average wages reported by the hotels were only 3.4% higher than the starting wages.

• On average the hourly wage earned by Upshifters hired in hospitality positions was 61% higher than the reported average wage by hotel members.
• The highest difference was for Bussers/Food runners (almost 100%)and Event Set Up/Houseman (91% difference).
• The difference for other positions: Bartender, Dishwasher/Kitchen Steward, Line Cook/Prep Cook, Server/Banquet server were also significant ranging from 45% to 54%.
• The average wages reported by the hotels were only 4.8% higher than the starting wages.

What kind of benefits are offered and how often?

As many furloughed hospitality workers crossed industries, it’s useful to know what your candidates can expect from other employers (e.g.warehouses or event venues).

Below are the average Upshifter wages for roles that require no experience in competing industries that hotel employees have transitioned to:

In conclusion, the labor market has changed dramatically in the last year as the effects of COVID-19 continue to shape our lives.

With talent pool shortages, applicants getting more picky and potential record wage inflation, the ball is now in employers’ court to offer competitive wages that will help retain the workforce they need.

Different rates between hotel reported numbers and verified numbers demonstrate there could bean issue regarding the accuracy of the hotel data. The alternative is hotel rates for those positions are far below market and uncompetitive.