February the 15th, 2023 - Croatian hotels have been present at the very first virtual job fair in this region, which promises to ''make things easier'' for those in this particular sector in Croatia and also across the immediate region.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes, four larger hotel chains and three luxury resorts from the Republic of Croatia, along with several leading companies from neighbouring Montenegro and Serbia, have been participating in the first regional virtual job fair, the Virtual Hotel Job Fair, which opened on Tuesday and will last two full weeks, 24 hours per day.

This is otherwise the very first virtual edition of the job fair that the employment agency Friendly HR from the Serbian capital city of Belgrade previously organised in a live edition, but the advantage of this concept is that the fair is accessible at any time and to anyone. It also significantly simplifies the process of getting information and ensuring the application of potential workers to jobs that interest them.

"The situation on the labour market is equally difficult for everyone across the region, quality accommodation facilities that want to provide top-notch service don't have enough professional staff as they have gone to Western countries in search of better salaries, or it's simply that increases in capacity haven't been accompanied by an increase in the number of educated staff.

We're here to make it easier for everyone in the region, and at the fair we have companies from Serbia, Montenegro and Croatia, which we help to make contacts with potential workers or employers. Thanks to technology, we have the ability to provide them with information on the platform and enable direct contact via chat, as well as direct applications for specific jobs", explained Tamara Danojlic, project manager of the Friendly HR agency, which also organises fair for future students in Serbia.

The Friendly HR agency provides a wide range of services in the field of human resources, from finding talent, evaluating and educating employees, employer brand to the organisation of team activities and corporate events. The idea is that the Virtual Hotel Job Fair will take place twice a year, and this first one is important because it is taking place before the summer season, when the search for workers for Croatian hotels is in full swing.

There numerous Croatian hotels present - The chains Falkensteiner, Liburnia Riviera Hotel, Losinj Hotels&Villas and Aminess and the resorts Maslina from Hvar, Marina Novi from Novi Vinodolski and the Obonjan Resort are all participating in the fair.

The platform has a rich animation that gives visitors the impression of a virtual walk through the fair, and in addition to visiting company stands and talking to representatives of hotel companies, visitors can attend a series of lectures in the fair's conference hall.

"We wanted to add this educational component as well, by offering content that candidates would otherwise have to pay for, and here all the content is free. There will be training sessions and lectures in the field of catering, where participants will be able to learn new things, expand their knowledge and gain additional experience in this exciting and dynamic business. These activities will allow visitors to learn more about the hotel industry and to better prepare for their future jobs," stated Tamara Danojlic.

That the demand for workers across Croatia is stronger than last year was shown by the recently held online seasonal job fair Sezonac.hr, which recorded more than 200,000 visits and more than 1,200,000 page views, as well as more than 7,200 applications for their advertised jobs. Those interested could apply for a record number of more than 200 job advertisements, and according to tourism sector estimates, 10 to 15 percent more tourism workers will be required in Croatia this year than last year.

The search will be more difficult than it has been over the past few years, given that tourism is returning to all countries in an environment without public health restrictions. Looking for workers from third countries will be a little easier for employers than it was in previous years, given the new rules regarding the employment of seasonal returnees and faster procedures have been announced.

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