Over 75% of hospitality workers ‘unconcerned’ about job automation

A recent report undertaken by YouGov has found that three quarters of hospitality workers in the UK (76%) are unconcerned about their jobs being automated in the future.

The Feedback from the Field report of frontline employees and managers, which is commissioned by global technology company SafetyCulture, paints a picture of a hospitality workforce which sees the “positive” impact of integrating technology into the frontline – especially compared with other frontline industries.

Fewer than a third of hospitality workers (28%) are concerned about the impact of new technologies like AI in the future, as according to the report, increased automation may be perceived as a way to “resolve frustrations” with current technology used in the sector.

However, more than half of hospitality workers (53%) aren’t fully satisfied with their tools and IT at work. Of these, almost half (46%) find them too dated and two-fifths (40%) say they’re unfit for purpose.

The report also highlights how automation could also be seen in the frontline as a solution to skills and labour shortages, with almost two-thirds (63%) of hospitality workers believing skills and labour shortages will present critical issues in the industry.

Of these, 42% believe these issues are already causing critical issues in the sector – the highest of all UK frontline industries.

Additionally, there is a generational divide, with younger hospitality workers more worried than older workers about the impact of automation on their role. A quarter of these Gen Z (25%) and Millennial (24%) workers express concern about automation, compared with only 10% of Baby Boomers.

Alex Brooks-Sykes, SafetyCulture’s lead for UK and Ireland, said: “It’s a positive surprise to see such optimism from frontline employees on automation, which can often be perceived as a bane for workers. The reality is frontline employees are dissatisfied with their current workplace tools and IT – with our research estimating that outdated and unfit tools cost the hospitality industry more than £1.11bn every year.

“The frontline reaps the benefit of better technology, and businesses can benefit from improved efficiency, better risk management, and enhanced training. Of course, hospitality relies on the human touch. But investing in people and technology makes for a powerful combination.”