When hotel operator Nath Inc. reopened its eight hotels in the summer of 2020, it struggled to fill openings for housekeepers and front-desk employees. The company boosted wages for some positions by more than 30% but was still short-staffed. Then Nath tried a different tack. The company created a career-development program with cross-department training and leadership workshops. Prospective housekeepers liked the idea that the company offered a path from cleaning rooms to running housekeeping or even managing a hotel, said Chief Operating Officer Bhavik Patel.

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