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There’s currently a shortage of 188,000 workers in the hospitality industry.
The sector has been hit hard by the pandemic, and data from the ONS shows that nearly half of all UK jobs lost in the past year were in hospitality.
Brexit has also contributed to staff shortages, with over 50,000 EU workers returning to their home countries in the past year.
But as lockdown eases, demand in the industry is returning and hospitality businesses are seeking more team members.
In fact, online job adverts for hospitality roles are above pre-pandemic levels for the first time since the start of the crisis.
But the uncertainty surrounding the sector has increased the reluctance of people entering the sector. And while there are more roles, businesses are finding it hard to find team members.
Businesses need to attract and retain the best talent. But how?
Even before the pandemic and Brexit, the turnover rates in hospitality were 30%—the highest of all UK industries.
There’s a unique opportunity for businesses to rebuild their operations and culture to create workplaces where people want to go to work. Here’s how:
An effective onboarding process can turn new hires into valuable team members, so you need to get this crucial first step right. Here are a few things to consider:
Technology can help with streamlining your onboarding processes—especially important if you’re scaling your operations or hiring a large number of new recruits.
Training improves job satisfaction, makes employees feel appreciated, challenged and more efficient in their jobs. So it’s crucial you provide ongoing training for your teams. There’s some brilliant online training software, like Typsy, to help your employees upskill.
Even before the pandemic, 1 in 5 hospitality workers suffered from work-related mental health issues. And after the year we’ve experienced, it’s more important than ever to prioritise your team’s mental health.
At Trail, we’ve implemented a number of initiatives over the past year—we use Spill, a Slack integration where team members can speak to counsellors on demand. We’ve also trialled a 4 and a half day week, to give people more headspace. And we’ve been carrying out mental health check-ins throughout the pandemic.
Operators are fighting for good team members right now. Showing your team that there are opportunities for career development will help to keep top talent. Invest in their future, and they’ll stick around (even in a pandemic or Brexit).
Celebrate the wins, no matter how small. A culture that celebrates individual and team successes, that gives credit when credit is due, is a culture that offers a sense of accomplishment. And that’s one way to turn employees into advocates.
Be as flexible as you can with rotas and work hours—not only will this attract staff into a traditionally inflexible industry. But, when it comes to millennials in the workforce, 77% feel flexibility from management makes them more productive.Empower teams with the right tools
Train your employees well, empower them with the tools they need to succeed, and then get out of the way. This will help free up managers time to focus on supporting teams and building a positive work environment.
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