ao link

You are viewing 1 of your 2 articles

To continue reading register for free, or if you’re already a member login

 

Register  Login

'We've lost some brilliant talent': hospitality firms struggling to reopen without staff

Some of the UK’s biggest hospitality employers have said they do not have enough staff to cope with reopening indoors on 17 May.

 

A survey of 15 large companies, including InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), BaxterStorey and Compass Group UK and Ireland, by the Springboard charity found many are facing a major recruitment crisis.

 

One in three respondents said they do not have enough staff to manage reopening indoors, and 80% said there was a lack of skilled candidates, especially among young people. Almost nine in 10 are struggling to recruit for kitchen and back of house positions, while one in three cannot fill senior management roles.

 

Noel Mahony, co-chief executive of BaxterStorey, said a “cocktail” of Covid-19 and Brexit had seen hospitality lose many “brilliant” team members as they returned home overseas.

 

“Over the last 30 years we have not produced enough hospitality professionals in the UK and have become increasingly reliant on incoming labour from around the world,” said Mahony.

 

“Across BaxterStorey, I have spoken to individuals who have chosen to retrain and take a different career path altogether, from courier work to retail grocery to setting up their own businesses in different sectors. This trend is concerning, and shows how some are viewing the fragility of our industry just now.”

 

Many smaller hospitality business owners have told The Caterer they are unable to find staff, with candidates not turning up to interviews or even leaving the country before their shift is due to start.

 

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the hospitality sector lost 355,000 paid employees in the year to March 2021, over three-quarters of whom were under the age of 35.

 

Mahony added that hospitality needed to address “big issues” around working hours, pay, diversity and training programmes to fill the skills gap.

 

The majority (87%) of the employers surveyed by Springboard are now investing more time and money in retraining staff who are returning from several months on furlough.

 

Springboard chief executive Chris Gamm said: “Our industry was facing a skills shortage pre-pandemic and Covid-19 has put even more strain on this problem.”

 

The charity has launched an initiative called Springboard to 2022, which is aiming to train 10,000 young people to work in the sector by December 2022.

 

Image: David Tadevosian / Shutterstock

Newsletter sign up

Stay informed with all the latest

Newsletter Sign Up

Stay informed with the latest news

 

Sign Up

People Awards 2024

People Awards 2024

Plant-Based World Expo

Plant-Based World Expo

Social Media Summit 2024

Social Media Summit 2024

Hotel Cateys

Hotel Cateys

Queen's Awards for Enterprise

Jacobs Media is honoured to be the recipient of the 2020 Queen's Award for Enterprise.

The highest official awards for UK businesses since being established by royal warrant in 1965. Read more.

Jacobs Media

Jacobs Media is a company registered in England and Wales, company number 08713328. 3rd Floor, 52 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1W 0AU.
© 2024 Jacobs Media

We use cookies so we can provide you with the best online experience. By continuing to browse this site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Click on the banner to find out more.
Cookie Settings