- Jun 10, 2026
- Posted by:
- Category: Abstract of 7th-ictmh
Abstract Book of the 7th International Conference on Tourism Management and Hospitality
Year: 2026
[PDF]
From Tray to Career: The Stigma and Barriers of Waiting as a Profession in Israel
Prof Dr Amir Shani, Sharon Perez
ABSTRACT:
Why do most Israeli waiters view their profession as a temporary stop rather than a legitimate career? This qualitative study explores the perceptions of Millennial and Generation Z waiters regarding their professional identity and the feasibility of long-term career development in the restaurant industry. Through 19 in-depth interviews with current and former waiters from diverse backgrounds, we uncovered a striking duality: while participants valued the flexibility, financial rewards, social interactions, and sense of community that waiting offers, they identified five significant barriers preventing them from viewing it as a viable career. These include pervasive social stigma; a symbolic “age ceiling” at 30-35; economic instability due to tip dependency; workplace pressure and burnout; and emotionally draining encounters with demanding customers. International comparisons revealed that in other countries waiting is a respected profession – suggesting that Israeli attitudes represent a sociocultural construction rather than an inherent occupational limitation. Our findings contribute to hospitality employment scholarship by illuminating the gap between waiters’ actual work experiences and societal perceptions. We propose that elevating waiting to a respected career requires multi-systemic intervention: economic restructuring, professional training, public discourse change, organizational culture reform, and updated employment regulations. These insights offer practical implications for restaurateurs and policymakers seeking sustainable solutions to Israel’s hospitality workforce crisis.
Keywords: Waiting Profession; Occupational Prestige; Career Development; Millennials; Generation Z; Hospitality Employment