Leading UK hospitality organisations have united to launch the Hospitality Rising campaign to highlight the current industry recruitment crisis.

The biggest-ever national recruitment campaign, it is backed by more than 300 businesses across the UK. It aims to change the perception of working in hospitality for a new generation of young people.

Organisers believe showcasing the opportunities of a career in hospitality will attract new recruits to work in hotels, restaurants, pubs and bars to alleviate current staff shortages.

The British Institute of Innkeeping, the British Beer and Pub Association, UK Hospitality, the Institute of Hospitality and the charity Springboard are among the organisations spearheading the campaign.

They have written a joint letter to Mel Stride, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, outlining the steps they are taking to alleviate the staffing crisis and asking for more government support.

Contract catering suffers shortfall

Hospitality businesses have faced challenges with recruitment throughout 2022. The post-Covid climate has been cited as one reason, as many staff who left hospitality jobs during the lockdowns haven't returned. Brexit has also been blamed for creating a shortage of European workers.

In particular, the contract catering sector has been struggling with chef recruitment for nearly 12 months. Now, as the busiest time of year approaches, they fear the shortfall could impact Christmas catering plans. Many firms say they are also anticipating front-of-house staff shortages too.

Research carried out as part of the Hospitality Rising campaign claims there has been a rise in the number of personnel leaving hospitality. In addition, existing vacancies aren't being filled.

Employees feeling the strain

As a result, 79% of existing employees say they are feeling the pressure of being short-staffed and fear it is affecting the customer experience. In addition, 65% of business owners say it is having a negative impact on sales and turnover.

As a result, some venues have reported they are cutting down on the number of private events over the festive period, such as Christmas parties, because they simply don't have enough staff.

The founder of Hospitality Rising, Mark McCulloch, said the UK needed 'bold and creative ways' to solve the hospitality recruitment crisis. In the first three weeks of the campaign, around 17,000 people expressed an interest in hospitality jobs via the campaign's website.

Now they are urging more businesses to get on board and need companies to pledge financial support to ensure Christmas isn't impacted by the shortages.

Specialist hospitality recruitment

Employers who are struggling to attract the right talent are urged to use the services of a specialist hospitality recruitment company.

Finding top talent is a challenge in normal times, so during a time of staff shortages, there are more companies trying to attract fewer people.

A recruiter with knowledge of the market is more likely to be able to provide the best candidates and employees. They will have recruited candidates with a knowledge of the industry, rather than people who have been simply trawling the internet looking for any job.

In order to kickstart hospitality recovery after the challenges of Brexit, the pandemic and the current threat of a recession, attracting top talent to your business is a must.