It's annoying, having to repeat your entire order in English to the Spanish waiter on an Amsterdam terrace. But for now, we should be grateful that there's still someone to take our drink orders at all.
The onset of spring comes with a few certainties: cows head out to pasture, tulips bloom, and terraces are packed. In Amsterdam, there's now another certainty to add: you'll place your order in English on that terrace. Amsterdammers who already view the city's extensive internationalisation with dismay might think: even for the Dutch-speaking waiter, there's no place anymore. Many are annoyed by service staff who only speak English. Especially in the city centre, you can often - after a 'Excuse me?' from the waiter - repeat the order for the entire football team in English.
Different background
But all that English-speaking staff isn't entirely strange. "There are so many different nationalities and tourists in Amsterdam, so it's logical that you hire someone with a different background more quickly," says Bernadet Naber of Koninklijke hospitality Nederland. Yet nowadays, even far outside the centre, we have to switch to English to make ourselves understood. This isn't due to internationalisation, but the growth of the hospitality industry - where at the same time, fewer and fewer staff are willing to work. Many proprietors have to abandon the requirement that an employee speaks Dutch. "The tight labour market is a big problem," says Naber.
"Finding good hospitality staff is difficult." Michiel van der Eerde, owner of restaurants Baut, C, and Zuid, agrees. "It's a daily challenge to find and retain good staff. So many restaurants have opened. We are now really considering whether to hire English-speaking people." "There are permanent vacancies, so we're basically saying: let them come. It's not a matter of wanting, but a matter of necessity," says Van der Eerde.
Flexible contract
The flourishing economy is causing a tight labour market across the board. There is a high demand for (practically trained) staff in many sectors. Young people, in particular, are being pulled from all sides: from ICT to retail and healthcare. "Due to the poor working conditions, it's very unattractive to work in hospitality," says Edwin Vlek of FNV hospitality. "For young people, stocking shelves yields just as much, while in hospitality, they often work long days and at odd hours. And more experienced hospitality workers often quit when they reach the age to buy a house and have children. Then they realise that a flexible contract doesn't provide enough for a normal life. And I'm not even talking about the lack of a social life due to those working hours."
In Amsterdam alone, there were 2,798 hospitality job vacancies in March. Nearly half of those were for serving staff. The fact that the need is so high that speaking Dutch becomes less important is also noticed by recruitment and staffing agencies. "Our clients are increasingly willing to accept that a staff member doesn't speak Dutch," says Jeroen Spierings, operational manager at Randstad. "The most important thing is whether someone is suitable for the position. However, it also creates other problems, for instance, if a proprietor doesn't speak English. How can you address your employee then?"
A virus
Communication between employee and employer is one thing, communication between guest and host or hostess is even more important. The average terrace visitor couldn't care less about arguments like a tight labour market. They just want to order bitterballen instead of 'bitterballs'. And how do you explain in English that you have a gluten allergy? Or that you'd like a smooth, fruity red wine? Especially if you're not proficient in English, it can create an uncomfortable feeling.
Annette de Groot, emeritus professor of experimental language psychology at the University of Amsterdam, calls the Anglicisation of Dutch society 'a virus'. "Everyone is adopting it. We have a rich language and language tradition. It's an important part of our identity. It's gradually weakening, and I think that's a very bad thing." According to De Groot, instead of becoming more diverse, the city is becoming more homogeneous because more and more English is being spoken. "By allowing people from different backgrounds to work in hospitality, it becomes more diverse, but if everyone speaks English, you introduce homogeneity. Just let staff learn Dutch. That shouldn't be a terrible effort in hospitality, should it? The vocabulary is limited. Mistakes in grammar aren't a big deal."
Sexy sector
"At Leidseplein, Rembrandtplein, and in the Red Light District, I expect English to be spoken," says Pim Evers of the Amsterdam branch of Koninklijke hospitality Nederland and proprietor of eleven hospitality businesses in Amsterdam. "But if I'm addressed in English in a restaurant in Oost or West, I no longer think: this is still that nice Amsterdam neighbourhood." In his own businesses, he prefers to work with Dutch-speaking staff. "We focus on Amsterdammers. And foreign staff are often temporary. We look at which people can grow in our organisation."
According to Edwin Vlek of the FNV, proprietors need to make the sector attractive again. "Do something about the working conditions and training and ensure you offer just a bit more than other sectors. There are still unemployed people in the Netherlands. Make hospitality more attractive for them. Increasingly hiring staff from abroad is a regrettable alternative. It doesn't benefit the quality of hospitality."
Source: Het Parool