As we move towards the end of 2022, there has never been a more tumultuous time for the hospitality industry.
From the lasting effects of the pandemic to the ongoing impact of Brexit, there are a multitude of factors driving an even greater need for hospitality businesses to adapt and change.
Even hospitality businesses looking to take advantage of the opportunities that arise from economic uncertainty are finding themselves faced with a need to change their approach due to the mass skills shortages in the industry.
Given that a shortage of skilled candidates will inevitably act as a barrier to the success of your hospitality recruitment efforts, how can your business adapt to face skills shortages?
Let’s take a look at the factors impacting the uncertainty in hospitality and how you can overcome them.
Which factors are influencing skills shortages in hospitality?
Rather than a single event impacting the industry, there are a variety of factors that each have their own trajectory.
A factor that will naturally be at the forefront of many minds is the pandemic, which is understandable – two years of Covid-19 is estimated to have caused a £115bn loss for the hospitality industry.
Many businesses closed, and vacancies climbed higher than pre-pandemic levels, resulting in a rush for talent and an ever-changing approach to hospitality recruitment to bridge this gap.
In a similar vein, Brexit has been a continued cause of uncertainty for hospitality businesses.
The initial short-term impact of Brexit was a loss of a considerable number of hospitality employees due to changes in the law – EU employees now account for 28% of the hospitality workforce, down from 42% before the pandemic, according to the Financial Times.
The Office for National Statistics reported that almost 100,000 EU nationals had left accommodation and food services in the two years to June 2021 – the highest of any industry.
Add in factors such as the war in Ukraine and the cost of living crisis, for which we don’t know the full extent or impact on the industry yet, and it becomes quickly apparent that hospitality needs to adapt quickly if it wants to survive (and thrive) during such trying times.
Upskilling
The above factors are contributing heavily to skills shortages, meaning that to adapt, hospitality businesses need to find new ways to overcome recruitment challenges.
Upskilling current employees through in-house training is essential to these efforts, because it is often more cost and time-effective to upskill staff than to go through the lengthy and competitive process of recruiting new employees.
In-house training is important because it can:
- Show your commitment to current employees (which helps with retention)
- Attract new employees who want to have additional training
- Give employees the skills they need to support your business at a critical time
Hospitality businesses can, in essence, train employees to gain the skills that are in short supply in the industry to cover any skills gaps.
Investing in this area is critical for businesses that are struggling to find and retain talent, making it important to consider which areas of training will be most beneficial before upskilling employees.
Flexibility
A trend we’ve been noticing with many candidates and clients we speak to is the lack of flexibility in many hospitality roles.
Though it might sound harsh, many candidates would rather temp and receive £32 per hour rather than £12 on a perm contract in kitchens.
Alongside other benefits rising in popularity, flexibility is high on the agenda for hospitality employees.
This could include offering:
- Part-time hours
- Banked hours
- Flexitime
- Annualised hours
- Time off in lieu
- Sabbaticals
Whilst shift patterns may have previously been viewed as an integral part of hospitality as an industry, if the industry wants to keep up with the changes and challenges that need to be faced, then flexibility needs to be a priority.
Restructuring and adapting
With so many combined factors making hospitality recruitment even more difficult, restructuring and adapting is the best measure for businesses to take whilst they reconsider their approach to filling vacancies.
Whether this means reducing the number of opening days, upskilling people to fill the mid-level of workers (the area that we think is most restricted at the moment) or implementing technology to support staff in making processes more efficient, there should be changes made to suit the current hiring market.
The main focus should be retaining current employees, given that talent is in such short supply, meaning that changes made shouldn’t be to the detriment of employees (e.g. longer working hours or unreasonable demands for their role).
In a war for talent, the most important asset you have is your current employees, as highly satisfied and engaged workers can help your business to overcome the current challenges, whilst also acting as a key benchmark for potential candidates to make the decision to join your company.
Hospitality is changing
The hospitality hiring market has never been a quiet or entirely predictable one, particularly if the last few years are anything to go by.
However, with the right approach to your recruitment, this could be a period of opportunity rather than one of stress and uncertainty.
Finding the right hospitality recruitment partner for your needs could truly make a difference and give you the time and space to focus on what you do best.
Get in touch
If you’re looking for an expert hospitality recruitment partner, Talent Hive can help.
Our team has in-depth knowledge of the ins and outs of hospitality, and we’re extremely passionate about helping hospitality businesses secure the best talent.
Get in touch today to find out more.