The Challenges Facing Hospitality Recruitment Post-COVID

It goes without saying that Covid has had an unprecedented impact on industries across the country. With the likes of pubs, restaurants, nightclubs, hotels and bars being unable to open their doors for most of the year, it’s not surprising to see hospitality being one of the worst affected industries. The pause in trading that was caused by the pandemic saw many businesses facing financial turmoil, with concerns about the future of the industry being raised alongside a huge increase in feelings of job insecurity for those who work in hospitality. One of the biggest knock on effects of this disruption has been an increase in the challenges facing hospitality recruitment. Let’s take a closer look at how hospitality recruitment has been impacted. How has Covid affected hospitality recruitment? As lockdown restrictions have started to ease, we’re seeing pubs, restaurants, bars etc. full to the brim as we’re all catching up on months of being unable to drink and dine out. Whilst businesses are facing record demand, this is coinciding with huge staff shortages. The demand for hospitality recruitment is so large that between 23rd August to 5th September 2021, 30% of hospitality businesses reported that vacancies were more difficult to fill than normal. This compares to 13% across all industries. * Why are vacancies so hard to fill? Well, this depends on a range of different factors, with the impact of furlough playing a big role. During the lockdowns, a huge number of employees in the hospitality sector were placed on furlough for months at a time. For many, this increased already existing concerns about job insecurity in the industry, causing many to re-evaluate. As a result, many staff who previously worked in hospitality decided not to return to their old jobs. The added pressure of covid restrictions (having to wear a mask all day at work etc.), was also a factor in preventing people from returning to their old jobs. As a consequence of these challenges, hospitality recruitment has faced large staff shortages, but also a lack of staff with the required skills. The challenges faced in hospitality recruitment as a result of the pandemic have also been enhanced by the ongoing impact of Brexit. This has caused a decrease in EU applicants to hospitality recruitment, making the issue of staff shortages even worse. What’s the answer? Whilst there is no immediate solution to the challenges currently faced by hospitality recruitment, there are steps that employers can take to improve their appeal to potential employees and to secure the skilled workforce that they need. If you’re concerned about how to recruit hospitality staff in the current climate, using hospitality recruitment agencies, like ourselves at ChefShare, is an effective solution. As a team of ex chefs, we know the importance of hiring a skilled, reliable workforce that you can trust to deliver a service that reflects the quality of your business. That’s why we recruit the best chefs and front of house staff who have the necessary skills to deliver outstanding service. Using our combined experience, we can help you find exceptional staff who not only fill your current vacancies, but who become invaluable assets to your team. In the current climate of hospitality recruitment, using ChefShare, provides you with a wider pool of applicants, meaning you can find the best staff available. Equally if you are a chef or front of house staff struggling to find work post-covid, we can help you find a position that best suits your skills and experience. Fill out our simple ‘I need a chef/ front of house staff’ form to request help filling a vacancy, or view the current positions we have available for helping finding new vacancies. For further information on the services we offer, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

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