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.

The hospitality industry in the UK has gradually improved after the recent Covid-19 health crisis, with most firms enjoying greater profits compared with the pre-Covid period. However, the industry is still facing huge obstacles, particularly the ability to source and retain the best staff. Here are some hospitality recruitment tips to help you find and retain the best candidates.

Rethink your hospitality recruitment strategies

Placing ads on your window and doing a quick five-minute interview may have worked in the past for bar recruitment, but there are better ways to handle this crucial process. Today, you must ensure that potential candidates have a good experience, from professionally organised recruitment to engaging interviews and timely updates. Fortunately, you can now guarantee an excellent recruitment strategy by working with a dedicated hospitality recruitment service provider.

Reconsider which candidates you’re attracting

Your hospitality or hotel recruitment must attract the right personnel most suitable for the available work. Here are a few tips to ensure you maximise candidate attraction and get a diverse mix of high-quality candidates across all your vacancies:

•             Create accurate and descriptive job descriptions to attract candidates based on the requirements for specific roles instead of focusing on job titles

•             Revaluate your benefits by requesting a hospitality recruitment service provider to compare your perks and salaries against local firms that manage to attract the best personnel

•             Consider investing in your staff by setting up internal development programs that create future managers and leaders to minimise long-term pressures on your recruitment efforts.

Reconsider where you get candidates

The most used channels for hospitality recruitment include the business website, social media profiles, and through employee referrals. The drawback of limiting yourself to these methods is that they restrict your attraction to people that are specifically seeking out your brand. Unless you have a strong brand presence, it is doubtful that the best talent will always be on your business website daily looking for vacancies. Instead, hospitality firms should do the following:

•             Place ads on multiple channels to reach a broader range of top candidates, especially on a specialised hospitality recruitment agency.

•             Develop your brand throughout your online presence, including social media and website, to ensure candidates understand your vision and determine if they are appropriate for your unique culture.

Conclusion

The best way to enhance your hiring processes is to partner with a renowned hospitality recruitment firm like JWR. JWR provides clients with effective hospitality and hotel recruitment solutions to give you long-lasting top talent that positively impacts your business.

Cost of living: how the right team can deliver affordable menus

Restaurants, bars, hotels, cafes and eateries of all sizes are having to contend with the cost-of-living crisis - and for most, this means unveiling more competitively priced menus to get more covers in the door. While it’s true that most hospitality venues have been eager to offer value for money for quite some time, there’s been a trend for higher-end establishments to unleash more accessible priced menus recently.

This phenomenon first appeared on the back of the Covid-19 pandemic. With many restaurants reopening for the first time in months, and with restricted hours to boot, it was important to entice as many customers through the doors in as safe a manner as possible. While the days of lockdowns may be behind us, consumers are facing a new challenge: the cost-of-living crisis.

Rising inflation, increased energy costs and general economic uncertainty have all meant that UK consumers are tightening their belts like never before. This has created a particular set of challenges for restaurateurs around the country, many of whom are seeking to balance a quality menu which offers value for money, but crucially generates profit. In fact, it’s one of the main hospitality trends for 2022.

Can the hospitality industry benefit from cheaper menus?

In an era of high inflation, it might make sense for those in hospitality to be looking at increasing their prices, not dropping them. However, it’s a simple fact that those who can afford to deliver quality menus at affordable rates will cope best in terms of hospitality recovery this season.

Celebrity chef Tom Kerridge was one of the first mainstream hospitality icons to embrace the “cost of living” offer, by delivering a two-course set lunch for £15. While some may have considered Kerridge’s price drop as a mere publicity stunt, it’s an idea smaller eatery can certainly learn from.

How the right team can help you deliver a winning cost-of-living menu

One of the recent hospitality trends involves sourcing ingredients which help businesses to do their bit for the environment by using high-quality produce which might have otherwise gone to waste on account of its shape or physical attributes. This phenomenon, often known as “wonky” produce, can help to wildly reduce on-costs while ensuring your restaurant has access to fresh ingredients your customers will love.

Getting your bar, hotelor hospitality recruitment right is more than about simply having friendly, presentable, hard-working, and personable staff. With the right kitchen management in place, you could be able to unlock the sourcing of quality ingredients for cheaper, by having a dedicated team in place who are willing to put the effort in to develop lasting working relationships with suppliers.

For further information on how hospitality recruitment could transform your current business setup, please feel free to contact us today. A member of our professional team will be happy to offer information on how our agency can help meet your needs.

AA Hospitality Awards 2022 celebrates hospitality stars

With a new year comes a new set of AA winners for the hospitality industry. Let's take a look at some of the winners from this year's spectacular ceremony.

About the 2022 AA Hospitality Awards

Returning with an in-person ceremony for the first time since the pandemic began, this year's event was hosted by TV presenter Gabby Logan, with the awards honouring the best hospitality establishments in the UK across 26 categories.

While the awards recognise businesses and institutions, there are also some categories which highlight the individuals that make these operations run so smoothly at such a high level. Just some of the awards on offer include AA Hotel of the Year, AA Accessible Award, AA Housekeeper of the Year, AA Chefs’ Chef, AA Lifetime Achievement Award and AA Restaurant of the Year,

Who were the winners?

One of the most notable winners of the night was Mark Birchall, Chef Patron of Moor Hall in Aughton, Lancashire, who won the award for 'Chef's Chef'. The 'Lifetime Achievement Award' went to John Williams MBE while Diane Payne from Rockliffe Hall in Darlington picked up 'Housekeeper of the Year'. The 'Small Hotel Group of the Year' award, meanwhile, was won by Iconic Luxury Hotels, and the 'Accessible Award' was presented to Rudding Park in Harrogate, North Yorkshire.

These wonderful awards recognise the efforts of smaller businesses as well as promote accessibility so that UK holidays and stays can be enjoyed by everyone.

How to improve your business.

If you dream of winning one of these great awards one day, the first thing you need to do is focus on people. Your staff are what makes your business, and you have no chance of excelling to such a level if they aren't motivated and invested in your company.

For this reason, you need JW Recruitment. We will not only find and recruit the best candidates for your roles but also help you to transition them into these positions so that they offer the very best to your company. We thoroughly check each candidate to make sure they are of the highest standard and will perfectly fit and strengthen your business. So, if you want to be on the list of winners one day, make sure to get in contact with JW Recruitment.

James Webber, MD of JWR added “It is great to see the recognition of those striving for excellence in the industry. For those looking to develop their teams further we have a raft of support available, from the introduction of General Managers across the UK to food and beverage specialists in the home counties. If you are looking for recruitment support, we are only happy to help.”

Government must act quickly warns the hospitality industry

The hospitality industry has warned the new Prime Minister that they 'must act quickly' to address the new energy crisis that is having a huge impact on many businesses within the hospitality sector.

The energy crisis

With energy bills soaring, many businesses in the hospitality industry are struggling to stay afloat with some already being forced to close their doors.
After the pandemic already sent the hospitality industry into crisis, the rise in bills is only further deflating many businesses' progression towards recovery and causing major concerns for people's jobs and livelihoods.

Pre-pandemic, the hospitality industry spent 10 billion a year and employed 3.2 million people, however with energy bills for businesses of hospitality now rising by 300%, they are in desperate need of support if they are going to be able to contribute to the UK’s economic growth.
A plea for the Prime Minister to take action
On the 5th of September Liz Truss was elected as the new Prime Minister and it was not long before she faced a warning for action to be taken against the soaring bills.

Kate Nicholls, the CEO of UKHospitality addressed Truss by stating: ‘Congratulations to Liz Truss on her election as the new leader of the Conservative Party and our Prime Minster. We very much look forward to working closely with her and the new cabinet in the coming week as we strive to save the hospitality industry which is experiencing crushing cost rises.’

She also warned that the new government needs to act quickly before it is too late to help save the industry from depleting any further.

This was followed up by Michael the CEO of the Nighttime Industries Association which is responsible for the representation of a range of independent bars and nightclubs across the UK.

He stated: ‘Over the coming weeks without an effective intervention from the Government, we will see thousands of businesses go to the wall and millions of jobs lost’.
However, concerns for the hospitality industry amidst this energy crisis continue as it seems the Governments focus is currently directed towards households rather than businesses.

This raises concerns for pubs, bars, nightclubs, and restaurants alike who are struggling under the pressing costs, previously of food and wage inflation, and now soaring energy bills.
Martin William, CEO of Rare Restaurants declared: 'It is time to reverse the VAT increase made in April and have a comprehensive review and reduction in business rates so that Hospitality has parity with the retail sector.'
In these uncertain times, it is essential hospitality businesses have confidence in their employees. If you are looking to hire experienced and qualified candidates to support your business during the energy crisis, get in touch with JWR today.

How the hospitality industry can take advantage of the recent increase in staycations

The Covid-19 lockdowns of 2020 and 2021 had an immense impact on the UK’s hospitality industry, with approximated damages of £115 billion. However, the restrictions placed on international travel meant that ‘staycation’ breaks became more popular, allowing restaurants, hotels and bars to reopen their doors to all the Brits holidaying at home.

And despite the ease in travel restrictions, staycations are still hugely popular in 2022, so the hospitality industry should be taking advantage of them.
Promote, promote, promote

When it comes to attracting consumers, promotion is absolutely essential. With so many Brits looking for their perfect stay-at-home holiday, you need to make your establishment stand out. Recent data has demonstrated that Google searches for ‘UK staycations’ and ‘UK holidays’ have increased 23% in 2022 from 2021, so there will be plenty of competition across the hospitality industry.

The key is to promote as regularly and relevantly as possible on your website and social media platforms in order to attract attention to your business. Specifically, promote the hotel breaks that you offer as the perfect ‘staycation’ getaways and extend your digital marketing campaign to target both locals and people across the UK.

Capitalise on your location

When it comes to taking advantage of the staycation boom, your location could be the key to your success. According to staycation booking website Snaptrip, the “most desired features” for UK staycations include a nearby beach, a nearby pub, Wi-Fi, a swimming pool, and a luxury feel.

If you run a hotel with a nearby beach, you should and can easily make that one of the key features that you advertise for your summer staycation breaks! If you run a pub adjacent to a beach or a string of hotels, advertise yourself as that ‘nearby pub’. Other features are a bonus, but your location will be the main pull for people searching for new staycation breaks.
Focus on customer service

Anyone in the hospitality industry will know that customer service begins as soon as a potential customer shows interest. So, to benefit from the surge in Brits hunting for their perfect staycation getaway, businesses should focus on making their booking processes as simple as possible.

Then, try to make every customer’s stay as comfortable and enjoyable as possible because excellent customer service yields excellent customer reviews. And the better the things that visitors have to say about your business, the more customers you are likely to attract.
Ultimately, the recent increase in UK staycations has been nothing short of a blessing for the hospitality industry after devastating lockdowns, so now is the time to take advantage, if you haven’t already. If you need any support or resources to help transform your hospitality business, JWR can provide that. We offer recruitment support across the industry working with hotels, restaurants and bars across the UK. For more information visit our website today and find out more.

Efficient hiring is increasingly an essential pillar of an effective hospitality recruitment strategy. In a jobs market moving more quickly than ever, speed is the name of the game to hire the best candidates or, in some cases, anyone at all.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development described the current recruitment picture as the “highest level of labour mismatch in history” with “hospitality at a critical point”. But if you operate in the sector, you already know that only too well.

Go slow, miss out

Up to 20% of job seekers reject a job offer. Candidates for hospitality jobs are likely to have applied for more than one and often several positions. There is almost a golden rule among employment advisers that those seeking a new role should aim to complete 10-15 applications a week.

That means if you don’t conclude the recruitment process quickly, the best person for the job may well have already indicated their intent to take up a different role. As a result, employers often find themselves investing time and resources for nothing if they’re taking too long to hire.

How quickly should we complete steps in the hospitality recruitment process?

Even if you know that speed is critical when hiring, you might be surprised at the timescales recommended to move through the process.

As best practice, acknowledging that HR resources vary enormously in the hospitality industry, you should aim to:

Acknowledge that applications have been received within two hours and then send shortlisting

‘yes’ or ‘no’ responses on the same or next day as a minimum.

Interview shortlisted candidates in 24 to 48 hours after that. Remember that people are more likely to be available for remote interviews than in-person ones if that’s in line with your preferred policy.

Once a preferred applicant is identified, there’s usually little reason not to make a telephone call indicating the intent to make a conditional job offer and gauge the candidate’s likelihood of acceptance.

Much depends on the size of your organisation, but for hospitality businesses that employ a number of people and have an average to high turnover of staff, it may well be necessary to dedicate one to two hours a day to recruitment.

If that seems onerous, then you will only continue to run the risk of missing out on potentially excellent employees to work in your segment of the hospitality industry.

An alternative is to engage the services of specialist hospitality recruitment consultants. With a network of existing candidates and operating in hotels, restaurants and contract catering to attract new talent, JWR can do the hard work outlined above for you with fast results and positions filled quickly. Get in touch to find out more.

The hospitality sector has been experiencing a strong post-pandemic recovery, but this cost-of-living crisis and widespread staff shortages could threaten this.

Industry predictions have suggested the sector could grow by 26% in 2022 compared to the pre-pandemic level; a rise of £12 billion in annual turnover beyond 2019. This is according to Barclay's Corporate Banking's latest study entitled UK Hospitality's Next Challenge. But these stellar growth predictions could be stifled by the escalating costs from suppliers and the competition for talent.

The main challenges to overcome

In the study, Barclays reports that as many as 96% of restaurants are confident of growth in 2022, but a worrying 84% are struggling with hospitality recruitment. There are lots of vacancies in positions like front of house and cleaning staff - the shortage of housekeeping is most pronounced in the east of England and the east Midlands.

The response from the hospitality industry is to establish new incentives for the recruitment and retention of talent. The most popular measure is to offer higher wages to staff.

Pandemic blues

There can be no doubt that hospitality was one of the hardest-hit sectors during the lengthy lockdowns brought on by the pandemic. But when restrictions were lifted in early 2022, sales were very strong and those in the industry grew in confidence about their prospects. Now, the escalating cost of living crisis is emerging as a serious threat to that growth. Restaurants, pubs, bars and clubs have all experienced a slight decline in sales from April 2022 to May 2022.

As mentioned, talent shortages are the other major concern. Hospitality recruitment is under the spotlight and employers in the industry are having to find new, novel ways to recruit and also retain their staff. For people looking to enter the industry, this could mean that the rewards and incentives are about to become very attractive indeed.

New staff needed

The report emerged after figures published in an article in Big Hospitality by UK-Hospitality, the British Beer and Pub Association and the British Institute of Innkeeping. It appears that staff shortages in the sector are costing around £21 billion in lost revenue, with nearly half of operators having to cut trading hours to cope with the shortage of staff.

This is a great time to enter the hospitality industry as employers are crying out for new talent. If you are interested in seeking work in this industry, today and we will get you started on your journey.

Major boost in hospitality spending over the Jubilee weekend

There was much excitement in the hospitality industry before the extended June bank holiday and the public didn't disappoint, heading out in their millions to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee across the country. Bars, restaurants, clubs and venues saw a huge increase in spending and footfall, with events up and down the country catering to packed crowds. The UK's enthusiasm for a celebration has given the recovering hospitality industry a much-needed boost.

Hospitality spending up by 74%

With street parties, live events and a range of creative promotions, the hospitality industry was keen to embrace the celebratory spirit. Pubs, bars and nightclubs saw a surge in spending of 74.2% collectively over the bank holiday weekend. Footfall was also up by 17.1% for the whole week compared to the May average, showing increasing consumer confidence after such an uncertain two years. It looks like people were more than happy to spend on a celebration, with a 67.3% increase in spending on entertainment too.

Growing demand for hospitality & events

After two years of restrictions, it seems like the UK's appetite for dining out has also returned as restaurants saw the average spend over 4 days up by 41% year on year according to Barclaycard. This provides some welcome relief after concerns over the cost-of-living crisis and how it might impact hospitality spending. Hospitality recruitment is also experiencing more demand than ever before, with a need for experienced staff to meet increasing customer demand after a tough two years during the pandemic. Public transport spending was also up as people celebrated close to home.

A brighter summer for hospitality

It looks like customer confidence is rising, with the hospitality sector hoping for further growth in domestic travel and tourism for a successful summer season. People were more than happy to stay in the UK, enjoying relatively good weather and great British food and drink. As people enjoyed a UK staycation for the jubilee and the extended bank holiday, local hospitality businesses should prepare for a better summer, with no restrictions.

Get in touch

If you need more staff for your thriving hospitality business, at JW Recruitment, we can find the perfect candidate using our vast network of hospitality contacts and resources. Contact our hospitality recruitment specialists today.

The ongoing climate crisis should not be forgotten about within the hospitality industry, even though it may be the last thing on our minds post-COVID. As more people become environmentally conscious, choosing a green hotel is increasingly at the top of customers' wish lists. Despite myths telling us that being eco-friendly means reducing quality or increasing maintenance costs, there are many simple steps hotels can make to become more eco-friendly without compromising on quality. In this list, we run down our top tips for running an eco-friendly hotel.

Automate energy

One of the simplest eco-friendly moves which will save you money is automating energy use in the hotel. This could be as simple as investing in room sensors that detect movement and light to switch lights on and off and increase bulb brightness automatically. You could also install smart thermostats to automate the AC and heating systems. These moves, especially alongside bigger changes such as installing solar panels and/or a water recycling system, will greatly decrease the amount of energy used by guests and staff alike, reducing your carbon footprint and your bills.

Reduce plastic

Reducing our use of single-use plastic is one of the most important factors when it comes to building a sustainable ecosystem. In a hotel, the most practical way to do this is to consider ditching the plastic key cards for a keyless door system and remote check-ins, which also doubles down on the unnecessary use of paper. Provide reusable cutlery instead of plastic and organic soaps and shampoos in biodegradable packaging. You could provide reusable water bottles for employees and install water fountains throughout to discourage the use of single-use plastic bottles.

Encourage sustainable travel

It’s good to have an eco-friendly hotel, but what about the way your staff and customers reach you? You could encourage the use of public transport with clearly signposted information or invest in providing a group shuttle service. Have electric car charging points in the car park, as well as safe cycle storage to encourage these sustainable methods of travelling. You could even consider implementing an eBike rental system at your hotel, which is an increasingly popular activity for tourists and commuters alike and could bring you profit.

Having an eco-friendly hotel can help attract more customers and more of the highest quality staff to your organisation. Contact the expert team at JW Recruitment today for help with hotel recruitment.