Report underlines hospitality staffing crisis
The industry ranked second in a list of sectors in dire need of temporary and contract staff while it ranked ninth overall in the list for permanent jobs during the month of August.
The report summarised that the hospitality industry is most in need of chefs and front-of-house staff, following recent skilled job shortages trends within hospitality.
REC chief executive, Kevin Green, said that employers could invest in training to tackle the crisis.
“In response to worsening skills shortages, employers are focussing on retaining the staff they have and this will promote wage growth. Better investment in training and motivating the current workforce should also help to improve productivity,” he said.
Bernard Brown, a partner at KPMG, put the overall shortage in candidates applying for jobs in August down to people taking time off to go on holiday, but he also highlighted pay issues.
“This frustrating dynamic continues to have an inflationary effect on pay, which rose yet again in August. With candidates having their pick of the job market, companies need to offer more than just cash,” he said.
“In order to attract and retain the best people businesses need to offer a bespoke package of benefits, including flexible working, which can be tailored to suit the individual and their priorities and commitments.”
The hospitality industry has reacted to the chef and skilled worker shortage in a number of ways with Sat Bains with Rooms switching to a four-day working week and new businesses such as Dave Ahern’s London-based Wahleeah offering staff a profit share scheme. BigHospitality has also spoken to a number of industry professionals to find out what they think needs to be done to solve the issue that chef two Michelin-starred chef Daniel Clifford says could lead to the rapid demise of the industry.
