Labour shortages are a challenge across industries and countries. Whether temporary or ongoing, they make maintaining business continuity difficult. Yet, where there are challenges, there are also opportunities for innovation. In this blog post, we’ll explore how technology is helping businesses tackle staffing shortages creatively and effectively.

Why Are There Labour Shortages?

The reasons behind labour shortages vary across sectors and regions. External factors like political changes or regulatory issues can have a significant impact. For instance, in the UK, Brexit led many workers to leave the country's workforce. In fact, there’s a shortfall of 330,000 workers in the UK due to Brexit.

On the other hand, internal factors such as low wages, physically demanding roles, or a lack of skilled candidates can also contribute to staffing gaps.

Regardless of the cause, businesses must find ways to adapt and thrive. This has led to creative solutions that leverage technology to address day-to-day staffing challenges.

Hospitality and Restaurants

The hospitality industry relies heavily on human-driven services, from preparing food to cleaning rooms. This sector often hires unskilled or temporary workers, making it one of the hardest hit during labour shortages. To adapt, many businesses in hospitality have embraced technology to maintain service quality with fewer staff.

Self Check-In and Check-Out

Many hotels now offer self-service kiosks for check-in and check-out. Guests no longer need to wait for a receptionist—they can handle the process themselves quickly and easily. This reduces the need for front-desk staff while also improving guest satisfaction.

Automated Cleaning Schedules

More hotels have moved away from daily housekeeping, offering services every three to four days or only upon guest departure. Guests can request room cleaning or collect fresh towels and toiletries from a self-service area. This approach not only saves on labour costs but also promotes sustainability by reducing unnecessary cleaning.

Remote-Controlled Robots

Restaurants, too, are innovating. In Japan, there’s a restaurant that uses remote-controlled robots as waitstaff. These robots are operated by disabled workers from home, providing them with employment opportunities while delivering personalised service to customers. This is a prime example of how technology can bridge gaps in labour while fostering inclusivity.

Retail

The retail industry is fiercely competitive, with ever-growing customer expectations. Labour shortages can pose significant challenges, but technology is enabling retailers to meet customer demands with fewer staff.

Fast Checkouts

Long checkout queues frustrate customers. To avoid this, retailers have introduced self-checkout kiosks and RFID-enabled solutions. For example, UNIQLO's RFID basket scans all items in seconds, drastically reducing the need for cashiers while speeding up the checkout process.

Pickup Lockers

Retailers are streamlining order collection by implementing pickup lockers. Customers can collect orders or return items without needing assistance from store staff. This improves convenience while reducing the workload on employees.

Item Locators

Finding items in a store without assistance is now easier thanks to mobile apps or in-store kiosks. These tools help customers locate products independently, reducing the demand for floor staff and ensuring a smoother shopping experience.

Logistics

Warehouses and logistics operations often face chronic labour shortages due to high demand. However, automation can handle many of the repetitive and time-consuming tasks in this sector.

Shipment Validation

Inbound and outbound shipments are rarely fully validated due to time constraints. RFID technology solves this by tagging stock and using RFID gates at warehouse entrances. These gates automatically scan items as they enter or leave, ensuring accuracy while saving time and labour.

Delivery Optimisation

Smart delivery planning systems optimise routes and schedules, allowing drivers to make faster deliveries with fewer back-and-forth trips. This reduces inefficiencies and labour demands while improving customer satisfaction.

Pick and Pack

The pick-and-pack process is labour-intensive and time-consuming. With RFID handheld readers, employees can quickly locate items in large warehouses. This significantly reduces the time required, allowing fewer workers to handle the same workload more efficiently.

To sum up, labour shortages are undeniably challenging, but they also spark creative technological solutions. From hospitality robots to self-service retail and RFID-enabled logistics, technology is proving its ability to not only reduce the reliance on labour but also enhance efficiency and customer experiences.