RECRUITMENT
“Old-fashioned roles with split shifts and very few days off have become unattractive. For candidates today it's not all about the salary; they want to pursue other interests outside work”
MEETING THE RECRUITMENT CHALLENGE AROUND THE WORLD Staff shortages is a significant issue for restaurants globally. Seen as a less attractive industry for younger people who value work-life balance, these challenges have persisted.
sees restaurant staff as cheap labor you can replace easily, so naturally people choose different industries where they can get better treatment. Tis is particularly true for waiters and chefs, while barista and bartender jobs tend to be more popular,” says Magro.
PATHWAY FOR TALENT
In Hong Kong, the hospitality job market remained largely unaffected: “Hiring for hospitality in Hong Kong is challenging, but it’s always been like that, we haven't seen a massive difference. In spite of a bit of staff shortage initially, there was never a real lack of local or international professionals,” says Nathan Garrod, founder of Cutting Edge Recruitment, an agency specialized in F&B and hospitality operating in Asia, London, and the Middle East. Hong Kong is part of an international
hospitality network, a sort of pathway for talented workers that stretches from London to Australia, and includes Dubai, Singapore, and Saudi Arabia. Tat, Garrod explains, helped provide a constant supply of qualified candidates. Another factor was the ability of
local businesses to adapt to the new job market: “We’ve seen a real change in how restaurants approach staffing. Tey know they need to offer more vacation days,
60
training, and long-term job prospects, if they want to attract the best talents.” Retaining hospitality employees: “Old- fashioned roles with split shifts and very few days off have become unattractive. For candidates today it’s not all about the salary; they want to pursue other interests outside of work. Restaurant businesses need to help them pursue those interests and build relationships with them from a compassionate angle. What’s also important is to work with a recruiter who is specialized in hospitality.”
AN APPROACH BASED ON SINCERITY
In China, this change hasn’t really happened yet: “Most restaurants don’t have effective HR departments,” says Magro. “Tey may go as far as creating an operations manual and KPIs, but then don’t really put them into practice. Tis problem cannot be solved by just a few businesses. Te whole sector should come together to build better opportunities and better lives for people.” “Te key is to build an approach to
HR based on sincerity,” adds Magro. “Even if you’re a small restaurant, it’s important to really take care of your team, not just say you’re going to do it, providing more training and helping them understand where they can be in the future.”
In the US, the National Restaurant Association has focused on the issue for some time and in a 2023 report found that operators have resorted to closing for lunch or service or short staffing their shifts, meaning a tangible financial cost. In the UK, vacancy levels in hospitality remain above pre-pandemic levels, though they are improving. At the end of 2023, the number of vacancies was 112,000, down from 147,000 a year earlier. Last year, industry body UKHospitality took a novel approach to the problem and launched a campaign to attract over-50s to the industry. “For far too long, the over-50s have been under- represented in our workforce but there is real untapped potential there to fix our workforce challenges,” said UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls at the launch. Introducing shorter working hours, increasing pay, fostering a supportive culture are all ways to make joining the hospitality sector more attractive. What is evident is that it must be a genuine effort and not just a box-ticking exercise. Prospective workers will see through anything that is not done in a thoughtful way.
In Europe, the Spanish operator Grupo Nomo, which is made up of 10 restaurants, has a serious approach to dealing with people. A considered approach to company culture starts with a through on-boarding process and involves regular check-in conversations with employees; technical training sessions; work-life balance; and a warm and open environment. HR director Gala Macaya explained the approach during the program hosted by FCSI EAME at the Alimentaria trade show in Barcelona in March (see p50). “The focus on people will never stop,” she said. “It is at the core of our business to keep them engaged so they are happy and want to stay in Grupo Nomo.”
FOR MORE GO TO
FCSI.ORG
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68
