Skills shortages within the meetings and events industry are prompting employees to shop around for dollars with no loyalty to their employers, the head of Meeting and Events Australia (MEA) has said.
In an exclusive interview with The Nibbler, MEA chief executive Linda Gaunt singled out staff retention as an ongoing problem among meeting and events businesses.
Pointing to skills shortages as the source of the problem, Gaunt said experienced staff are shopping around for more money with the knowledge that they can get a better deal elsewhere.
“Current skills shortages mean staff can call the shots. They know how scarce skilled workers are at the moment and that it’s not hard for them to push for more money,” she said.
Gaunt said it was common for employees to demand “significant” pay increases or use the fact they can get another job as a lynch pin to their current employer.
But with smaller agencies often unable to meet such demands, Gaunt said some businesses are being stung by the trend.
“At the end of the day, smaller agencies are doing everything they can to hold on to staff and still losing them. They just haven’t got the budget to meet the demands,” she said.
Gaunt added that problems with staff retention also stemmed from junior staff who enter the workforce with greater expectations of what they are worth.
“It’s common for juniors to finish up a six week course and think they will start on $64,000 for a position that generally pays $40,000,” she said.
Gaunt said more education could help to ease confusion among junior employers, and more training programs that encourage career progression could help to improve staff retention.
