The countdown is on for the reopening of the hospitality industry in the UK. As businesses begin to take their employees off furlough and recruit to fill vacant positions, we take a look at four of the biggest recruitment trends this year for hospitality businesses to watch out for.
1. The future of work is flexible
Flexible working can include flexible staff banks, employee self-rostering, shift-swapping or taking time off for training, which have all rapidly increased as organisations looked to adapt to the changing working environment caused by the Covid 19 pandemic.
And data shows that employees are looking to continue the trend of flexible working patterns throughout 2021. According to data from Statista, 63% of workers in the UK support a four-day working week, while only 16% consider traditional 9-5 working hours to be ideal.
Many candidates will be looking to find roles that offer flexibility to allow them to create a better work-life balance, shorten their time commuting each week and fit in with their responsibilities (such as childcare or studying) outside of work.
Our tip: Make your organisation irresistible to candidates by introducing flexible working policies that will exist long after lockdown. Your recruitment efforts should highlight the opportunities available to future employees, whether that is flexible hours, choice of shift patterns, or remote working opportunities.
2. Workplaces will become more skills driven
40% of hospitality businesses do not expect to have enough suitably trained or experienced staff when their business is fully able to reopen. Due to the nationwide shut-down of the hospitality industry in the UK, along with the reality of Brexit, The Office for National Statistics has reported that many EU workers have returned to their home countries over the past year.
To adapt to the changing environment, hospitality businesses will need to become more skills-driven, looking at candidates transferable skills as well as spending time on training, cross-function working and training.
Our tip: Look to candidates transferable skills to see where they could be beneficial within your new organisation structure.
3. Candidates will continue to need assurances that their workplaces are safe
According to data from Monster, 58% of candidates feel that their job search priorities have shifted during the pandemic, with safety being one of their biggest concerns.
Many employers are concerned and understanding about the importance of this issue for their employees and candidates. While some are including content to address these concerns in their job descriptions, others are addressing it on their careers sites and web pages.
Besides introducing increased hygiene and social distancing regulations, many employers are offering their employees an option to return to work when they feel safe or have a hybrid schedule.
How your organisation handles candidates’ and employee’s safety concerns speaks volumes about your brands, and you can be sure that candidates are watching this.
Our tip: Your organisation’s recruitment efforts should talk about the ways in which you are looking after your employees’ health and safety in the workplace. This can include specifics regarding workplace safety practices including sanitising, social distancing protocols, and more.
4. More organisations will turn to gig workers
According to research from Monster, 92% of job seekers said they think now is a good time to start looking at the gig economy.
This has given rise to the number of candidates moving into freelance roles or joining flexibleworking schemes to supplement their income (such as signing up to food delivery apps such as Uber Eats and Deliveroo).
Our tip: Now may be the time to look at how gig workers can help to move your organisation forward. Gig workers are concerned with flexibility, salary, and fair treatment so focus on these aspects when hiring. For hospitality, which has been one of the hardest-hit sectors during the pandemic, consider a flexible staff bank to manage staff levels throughout 2021. You can learn more about our staff bank by getting in touch with our team.
If you’re concerned about filling vacancies for your hospitality business as you reopen, speak to a member of our team to find out how we can help you reopen with confidence.