Hospitality staff shortage – finding alternative labour pools.

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With the usual staff avenues closing and talent pools drying up, what are your options?We talked to hospitality recruitment expert, Conrad Brunton, about adjusting expectations and starting to recruit from alternative labour pools…

We are no longer in a candidate rich marketplace and therefore need to adapt our thinking in order to recruit the right people for our businesses. Take out the noise around recruitment and think about the core qualities that you want in an employee. Skills can be learned, but a good work ethic, efficiency and professionalism are the building blocks of the best hospitality staff.

1. Bring down the age/experience barrier

The hospitality workplace has typically been a young one, but why? Just as there are young school leavers looking for work, keen to learn, similarly there are older candidates that want to retrain. Look at your capacity to teach on the job and focus on the core qualities that you’re looking for to grow your business and enrich your team.

2. Ex-offenders

There may be taboos and prejudice against people who have spent time in prison, but someone’s past doesn’t have to define them. Charities such as Clink, are putting time and resources into training offenders, so that they re-enter society with the specific skills and talent that you’re looking for.

Hospitality is one of the industries set to benefit from the initiative. Full time training takes place over a period of 6 – 18 months for front and back-of-house careers. Many trainees are working towards gaining their City & Guilds National Vocational Qualifications.

3. Homeless and vulnerable

Again, charities are hard at work trying to help those who have become homeless and vulnerable. By giving them the training, they are able to find work and improve their situations. One such charity is the Beyond Food Foundation, who provide support to people who have been impacted by homelessness.

The programmes focus on simple, good food; cooking it and serving it. They deliver training that will get people into fulfilling and meaningful employment, thus breaking the cycle of homelessness, unemployment and poverty and potentially helping the hospitality businesses that are crying out for staff.

About Tonic Talent

Tonic was set up to be different, by drawing recruiters straight from the hospitality industry itself. With many years of direct hospitality experience between them, the team delivers expert service, highly attuned to the industry and to the clients’ and candidates’ individual needs.

For more information visit: https://www.tonictalent.com/