Get out your knives: hotels don't have enough cooks and kitchen staff
In Russia, there is an acute shortage of chefs and kitchen staff in the tourism sector — in hotels and restaurants with them, it follows from the data of recruiting services. The need for such specialists has grown by almost 90% in a year. And the reason is not only the active development of domestic tourism and the opening of new accommodation facilities. The problem with the shortage of chefs has already become systemic, as about 40% of professionals have left the industry during the pandemic. In addition, the working conditions in the kitchen are difficult, and such employees receive less than, for example, in the same construction, where salaries are growing faster. About who else is missing in the hospitality industry and how employers attract staff, see the Izvestia article.
What kind of employees are missing in hotels
Hotels and restaurants at hotels have become almost 90% more likely than last year to look for kitchen staff, chefs and sous chefs. This follows from the data of recruiting agencies that examined the needs of employers in the third quarter. There is also a high demand for chefs-cashiers — they were searched for 52% more often, as well as for waiter assistants, analysts estimated the growth in the number of such vacancies at 23%.
"Kitchen workers were also in the first place in terms of the growth in salary offers over the past year, in the third quarter of 2025 they were offered 67% more than a year ago," Avito Jobs analysts told Izvestia.
Salary offers have also been increased for other employees employed in restaurants at hotels and hotels. So, for bakers (this specialty is among the top most in demand), the average salary increased by 63%, and for busboys — by 41%.
Similar data was provided by the recruitment service. hh.ru .
"Chefs and bakers (41% of the total number of vacancies created), waiters and bartenders (23%), cleaners and cleaners (20%), restaurant managers (6%) turned out to be in demand in the third quarter of this year," the editorial board said in response to a request.
The service noted that this year the demand for employees in the industry as a whole does not show sharp fluctuations — they relate only to certain specialties. But compared to 2023, the number of vacancies in tourism increased by 45%.
The shortage of chefs in hotels and restaurants with them has already become systemic, the HR agency confirmed to Izvestia. Kadri.pro Alexander Fetkevich.
"A cook is one of the key positions in the industry, but historically this profession has been paid lower than other working professions, for example in construction, despite the difficult working conditions: 12—hour shifts on foot, high temperatures in the kitchen and working with dangerous objects," he said.
In addition, the pandemic and related restrictions have "added fuel" — about 40% of chefs have left the profession.
— These experienced personnel did not return to the industry, which sharply aggravated the already difficult situation, — said Alexander Fetkevich.
He also stated that there is no well-established institution of the waiter profession in Russia.
— For the vast majority, this job is considered not as a career, but as a temporary part-time job. People come for the summer to earn some money, including tips, and leave. This generates extremely high staff turnover, which develops into an acute shortage during peak seasons," the expert said.
Most vacancies in the entire hospitality industry (HoReCa) are now open in Moscow, St. Petersburg, the Moscow Region, the Krasnodar Territory and the Sverdlovsk Region, the Superjob service told Izvestia. And most often, they are really looking for chefs, bakers and pastry chefs, as well as waiters, bartenders and baristas. These specialties were among the top both in the spring of this year, when hotels were looking for staff at the peak time, and now, when the New Year is near, it is also a popular holiday time for tourists. We were actively looking for restaurant managers both then and now.
Salaries are being raised in the regions
The hospitality industry is increasingly facing a shortage of qualified specialists, which is why such a rapid increase in salary offers is being recorded, said Andrey Kucherenkov, Director of the Working and Linear Professions category at Avito Jobs.
"Companies have also begun to introduce flexible schedules with a choice of shifts and on—the—job training, and in some positions they are also ready to help with relocation — to provide or compensate for rental housing and travel to the workplace," he said.
And Superjob said that hotels, trying to overcome the shortage of staff, actively hire young people without experience, provide the opportunity to choose a work schedule, including part-time, outsource staff, automate business operations related to booking and payment.
"The recruitment of staff in the hospitality industry has become continuous," the company stated.
Salary offers for specialists in this field are growing most actively in the Altai Republic (+68%), Crimea (+26%), Moscow (+18%) and St. Petersburg (+13%).
"This indicates the active development of domestic tourism and the gradual shift of employers' focus beyond the traditional resort areas," believes Andrey Kucherenkov. — New hotels, campsites and recreation facilities are actively opening in such regions, so companies are posting more vacancies in the industry and increasing salary offers for candidates.
Against the background of the active development of domestic tourism, the regions are indeed facing an acute shortage of qualified personnel, especially in line positions — cooks, waiters, bakers, sous chefs, maids, and so on, Olga Filipenkova, First Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Altai Republic, confirmed to Izvestia.
— These specialists are the heart of any facility, from a small cafe to large—scale all-season resorts. And the tourism and hospitality industry is primarily about people. It's about those who create an atmosphere and welcome our guests," she said.
She noted that 770 institutions in the republic are already listed in the federal register of classified facilities. In addition, major flagship projects are operating there, such as the Manzherok all-season resort.
— Therefore, the need for staff becomes even more urgent. Accommodation facilities that provide catering services are literally fighting for specialists, which, of course, affects salaries," said Olga Filipenkova.
New competencies of industry employees
However, financial incentives alone cannot solve the problem of shortage of personnel in the industry, Olga Filipenkova believes.
— The main secret of success lies in the formation of a strong corporate culture. It is important to create an environment where people feel like they are part of something big, part of a team that moves the industry forward," she said, noting that an integrated approach to working with staff is needed. These are government support, vocational training and retraining programs, additional education, effective recruitment and retention.
The tourism industry continues to recover and transform after the global upheavals of recent years, Kirill Yakovlev, program Director of the Faculty of Hospitality and Sports Industry at the Presidential Academy (RANEPA), told Izvestia.
He also named hospitality and hotel management managers among the most in-demand personnel in the tourism industry.
— With the growing number of boutique hotels, apartment hotels and guest houses, there is an increasing demand for managers who are able to combine a high level of service with digital tools (hotel management systems, income management, online reputation), - said the expert. — The travel industry is also in great need of online booking specialists.
As noted in Avito Rabota, there is also an increase in demand for travel agents, they began to be searched for 39% more often than last year. Kirill Yakovlev confirmed that qualified travel agents remain in high demand, especially those who know how to handle individual requests, complex itineraries, corporate trips, and niche destinations. This is, for example, eco-, cultural, and gastronomic tourism.
In addition, industries and specialists with knowledge of CRM systems (customer relationship management systems), global booking systems, and digital marketing tools are needed.
Kirill Yakovlev agreed that there is an acute shortage of chefs and gastronomic service specialists, especially in regions with an active tourist flow.
"Chefs with experience in international cuisine, pastry chefs and food presentation specialists, as well as restaurant managers and chefs with skills in personnel management and procurement, are especially appreciated in the market," he said.
In addition, the demand for digital specialists in tourism has increased.
"Travel companies are actively looking for SMM managers with experience in social media promotion, data analytics and sales automation specialists, and content makers who understand the specifics of the tourism niche well," he said. — Guides and guides with a narrow specialization are in demand — experts in history, architecture, gastronomy, winemaking, active tourism, as well as specialists who speak rare languages — Chinese, Arabic, Korean.
How universities prepare the missing staff
Employers increasingly expect not only theoretical knowledge, but also practical skills from university graduates entering the industry, Kirill Yakovlev said.
— And travel companies, in turn, offer internships and employment in the areas of digital marketing, management of hotel and restaurant enterprises, event and congress tourism, sales and booking, as well as designing tourist routes and products, — he said.
Therefore, educational institutions adapt programs to meet market demands: integrate digital disciplines (including analytics, CRM and sales automation), strengthen the development of soft skills — communication, cross-cultural competence, stress tolerance. The emphasis is on practice-oriented learning: partnerships with tour operators and hotels allow students to complete internships from the first year.
— In a number of regions — Crimea, Sochi, Kazan, Kaliningrad — dual learning models are being introduced, in which students combine their studies with work in real companies. New specializations are also emerging — in sustainable tourism development, inclusive tourism for people with special needs, and smart tourism," the expert said.
Alexey Chudnovsky, Director of the Institute of Personnel Management, Social and Business Communications at the State University of Management, Head of the Department of Management in International Business and the Tourism Industry, said that the main vacancies in the hospitality industry offered to graduates are employees of reception and accommodation services, catering, sales and booking services.
— We pay considerable attention to improving the practical skills of graduates. To this end, internship programs are being organized that provide for alternate work in different services of a hotel company, allowing interns to gain full knowledge of the company's work, and the company's managers to take a closer look at the intern and make him an appropriate offer," he said.
The expert agreed that the tourism industry in Russia is undergoing a profound transformation — the list of necessary knowledge and skills is being rethought under the influence of digitalization trends and changes in consumer habits.
— For example, the growing demand for personalized travel programs forces travel companies to look for specialists with the skills of travel designers who create unique trips that take into account the individual preferences of customers, - said Alexey Chudnovsky. — We, in turn, teach students not just to book tickets and hotels, but to fill the product with vivid, complex impressions that cannot be found in standard travel packages.
In addition, there is an increasing demand for visual and textual materials to promote individual destinations and attract travelers. This is done by the creators of travel content, who are trained in journalism, photography and marketing skills.
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