3 years following the pandemic, there is still a shortage of labor in the Horeca. The coronavirus had completely turned the sector upside down. So to help restaurateurs deal with these persistent problems, a Belgian start-up has launched an application that connects employers and workers, instantly.
Philippe is the manager of a Brussels café. And like the vast majority of players in the Horeca sector, he is struggling to find staff. “Recruitment in Brussels in any case is very complicated. Here we are close to the canal, there are a lot of Dutch-speaking offices… I need bilingual people. Today we are in a mess“, explains Philippe Dezangre, manager of a catering establishment.
The trigger for this shortage is the coronavirus crisis. The extended hours and the consequent workload got the better of the motivation of the workers. To attract them once more, the sector has decided to adapt. “There is no longer any question of the staff working systematically, for example every weekend when the restaurant is open. There is a rotation which is done and which is offered to the workers. The wages have also been indexed by 10.96% in January. These are incentives”develops Luc Marchal, president of the Horeca Wallonia federation.
While waiting for the end of this shortage, solutions are emerging. Like this application, “Rekrut extras”, developed by a Belgian start-up. The platform puts restaurant owners in urgent need of staff in contact with workers in the sector located less than 30 km away. “In 2 minutes, registration is very easy. I looked for an extra and 5 minutes later, I had 6 candidates. I took the 1st one that suited me and it is there as an extra. Last week it was there 2 days, and this week once more I took it back. It works well, it’s easy“, explains Philippe.
The application is free for workers and paid for restaurateurs. Count 299 euros the year. Today, 1,700 workers are registered there.
