Expert Insights NEWS from
As I have discussed in the pages of this magazine previously, and across other formats; although the hospitality sector is dynamic and continually evolving, we sometimes face a bit of an image problem. This is most acutely obvious when it comes to recruitment. All of us in the industry know that hospitality is an interesting and rewarding place to work. Working with us is often challenging, but that’s the case with any rewarding job. We provide opportunities for hard- working team members to go from collecting glasses to managing a venue or portfolio of sites in a relatively short period of time.
We don’t necessarily have to change the way we work, but we do have to change the way in which we present ourselves. We possibly need to undertake a kind of inversion of the sort of work Radiohead have been carrying out for three decades – a band that pushes the boundaries of rock even while reinventing the genre. We do not need to reinvent the wheel, perhaps just tinker with its spokes a bit to keep it feeling refreshed.
No, we don’t want to be Radiohead, we want to be more like Weezer: the reliable flag-bearers of US alternative pop rock. Weezer have ploughed along with their brand of easy-listening rock at a reliable pace, resurfacing every few years with just a slightly revamped image, but not a fundamentally different approach. If one discounts the wildly ill-advised Red Album, the band has not tried to mess with the things they do best, instead refining their approach and delivering something recognisable every
Kate Nicholls UKHospitality Chief Executive
UKHOSPITALITY SOUNDS WARNING OVER LABOUR SHORTAGES
Hospitality businesses need access to labour in order to keep pace with projected growth, UKHospitality has warned.
The warning follows the news that UK employment has reached a record high of 32.5 million.
couple of years with an admirable sense of winsomeness.
The hospitality sector does not need to fundamentally change the way in which it works, we know that our industry is a great one. We don’t need to embark on a massive overhaul of what we can offer. There is no point in setting off on a path that will only produce our version of Their Satanic Majesties Request, a psychedelic flop that helps nobody and fails to show hospitality in its best light. Our sound is a good one, it’s just the packaging that needs a bit of polish.
This year, UKHospitality will be working with its members and policy-makers to ensure that the sector gets the credit it is due and that hospitality careers are properly positioned as the viable and attractive career paths they should be seen to be. We don’t need to sack the drummer and panic-hire the guitarist from Simply Red, we just need to do what we do best.
With levels of employment historically high, businesses are concerned about their ability to access labour and fill vacancies, an issue that is likely to worsen if migration is seriously reduced following Brexit.
UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said: “Historically low unemployment and high employment is driving labour shortages in sectors like hospitality. Our members are reporting that they are finding it increasingly difficult to fill vacancies. Businesses are concerned that they will not be able to find the employees they need to continue to grow.
This is only going to be exacerbated if the Government continues down the path of seriously restricting migration post-Brexit. We need a future immigration system that meets the needs of the UK economy, not one based on inflexible ideology. We need workers from the EU to bolster our home-grown workforces and keep pace with growth, particularly with unemployment historically low.
UKHOSPITALITY WELCOMES FRAMEWORK FOR SUPPORTING LATE-NIGHT SECTOR
UKHospitality has welcomed the London Night Time Commission’s report, London at Night, and recommendations to support the night-time economy.
UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said: “I am very happy to have been able to play a role in the creation of the report in my role as Chair of the Night Time Commission. The Commission also has the full support of UKHospitality and we look forward to aiding the report’s implementation to support the fantastic late-night sector in London.”
6 FEBRUARY 2019
WWW.VENUE-INSIGHT.COM
UKHospitality Late Night Consultant Jon Collins said: “Late-night hospitality is a crucial part of the wider sector and nowhere is that more apparent than in the capital. The report provides a clear framework for partnership work to ensure the sector continues to thrive and achieves even more.”
www.london.gov.uk/press-releases/mayoral/ night-time-economy-can-help-save-the- high-street
www.london.gov.uk/business-and-economy- publications/london-night-evidence-base- 24-hour-city
According to the new data, wage rates are growing, on average, by 3.3%, but wage rates in the sector are growing even faster. The sector is working hard to fill vacancies and invest in their domestic workforces, but their efforts will be undermined if there simply aren’t enough bodies to fill empty roles.
Undermining hospitality businesses’ ability to invest and grow is only going to have a negative effect on the high street. Ultimately, customers are going to feel this knock-on effect if high street businesses are destabilised and unable to hire and grow.”
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