McKeever Hotels tackles staffing challenges with pioneering workforce plan

L-R: Bronwen Hall, Snr Consultant, The Workforce Development Trust, Kristine Graham, Group HR Manager, McKeever Hotels, Martin Toner, Director of People & Culture, McKeever Hotels

A leading Northern Ireland hotel group is taking an unusually proactive step to tackle one of hospitality’s biggest headaches — staffing — just weeks before the busy summer season begins.

Multi award-winning McKeever Hotels has become the first tourism and hospitality business in Northern Ireland to adopt the Six Steps Methodology to Integrated Workforce Planning, an approach originally developed by the NHS, in a bid to strengthen recruitment, retention and long-term resilience.

With seven hotels across the island of Ireland, the group says the move comes as it prepares for a “bumper summer season” — and at a time when staffing shortages continue to dominate industry concerns.

A sector under pressure

Hospitality businesses across Northern Ireland have been grappling with persistent workforce challenges, from high staff turnover to skills shortages.

According to the Northern Ireland Hotel Federation, turnover in hospitality sits at 52% — significantly above the UK average of 34%, underlining the scale of the issue.

Janice Gault, Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Hotel Federation, said the pressures facing the sector are not temporary:

“The pressures facing hospitality are not short-term fluctuations, they are structural.

“In a sector where turnover significantly exceeds national averages… organisations investing in workforce planning capability are much better position grow.”

She added that labour shortages remain the number one concern for industry leaders, making proactive initiatives like this increasingly important.

From data to decisions

For McKeever Hotels, the shift is about making better use of information it already had.

Group HR Manager Kristine Graham explained:

“Like many hospitality businesses, we have an abundance of workforce data at our fingertips, but we weren’t always making best use of it.

“What the programme has enabled us to do is to make informed decisions faster and create more opportunities for staff to develop and progress.”

The four-week implementation programme introduced practical tools to help the business:

• Align staffing levels with demand

• Redesign roles around changing service models

• Strengthen internal progression opportunities

• Anticipate skills gaps before they become critical

As the summer peak approaches in May, Graham said having the right people in place is essential:

“Ensuring that we have the right skills in place to deliver excellent guest experiences is vital as we gear up for our busiest period of the year.”

Building a more resilient workforce

The initiative was delivered in partnership with workforce development specialists People 1st International, with Northern Ireland Director Roisin McKee leading the programme.

She believes the approach could be transformative not just for McKeever, but for the wider industry:

“In a sector facing persistent recruitment challenges, changing workforce expectations and rising cost pressures, aligning workforce decisions with business performance is crucial.

“People are at the centre of delivering first class guest experiences and so workforce decisions in hospitality tend to affect service delivery and financial performance more acutely.”

McKee added that adopting a more strategic approach helps businesses avoid last-minute recruitment drives — often a costly and reactive solution ahead of peak seasons.

“The approach benefits employees too – enhancing retention, professional development and staff rotas. McKeever has won multiple awards recognising its commitment to the employee experience and adoption of Six Steps will only evolve this further.”

A potential model for others

As the hospitality sector continues to navigate long-term staffing challenges, McKeever Hotels’ early adoption of a structured workforce planning model could signal a shift in how businesses prepare for demand.

Rather than reacting to shortages, the focus is now on anticipating them — a move that could prove crucial not just for business performance, but for maintaining service standards during the busiest months of the year.

At a glance

• McKeever Hotels has adopted a new workforce planning model ahead of summer

• First NI tourism and hospitality business to use the Six Steps Methodology

• Programme developed from NHS workforce planning approach

• Aims to improve recruitment, retention and staff development

• Hospitality sector facing high turnover (52% vs 34% UK average)

• Initiative delivered with People 1st International

• Focus on aligning staffing with demand and predicting skills gaps

• Industry leaders say staffing shortages remain top concern

• Could reduce need for last-minute recruitment drives

• Seen as a potential model for wider hospitality sector