Help wanted: Arizona resorts have hundreds of open positions available

Fairmont Scottsdale Princess now hiring for nearly 200 jobs

Resorts in the Valley need hundreds of workers to fill open positions to prepare for the busy summer and fall seasons. FOX 10's Brian Webb reports.

PHOENIX - The hiring crunch is underway across the Valley, and many industries, including the hospitality industry, can't find enough workers to fill open positions.

Arizona resorts are managing progress picking up new employees by offering better bonuses and benefits, but most are still short from where they want to be.

Concierge Ryan Chandler at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess is wearing more hats than usual.

"We’re picking up the slack," Chandler said. "I’ve worked in about three or four different departments over the last month, helping out periodically here and there [doing] different tasks and everything they ask for."

The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess needs to fill a whopping 192 positions - about 20% of their total staff. This includes valets, reservations, and everything in between to replace workers who left the industry and the state.

"Many of them went back to where they came from - states in the cities where mom and dad [are] at work," explained Pam Gilbert with the Scottsdale Princess. "And they haven’t come back yet."

To lure back workers, new hires get a $500 bonus, and so do the employees that referred them.

This comes after a summer full of fundraisers and free meals to keep current employees afloat and feeling like family.

"They are family," Gilbert said. "This is hospitality, we're in it because we love serving guests and making memories for people, and that includes their our colleagues and employees. They're such a huge part of it."

Many Valley resorts like this one expect a busy summer and an even busier fall.

Ryan Chandler will be ready, but he could use a little help.

"It’s just taking a while for everybody to get back out in the workforce, but I think people will start looking for jobs here pretty soon," Chandler said.

Scottsdale Princess Careers: https://www.scottsdaleprincess.com/careers