Use Christmas to boost long-term recruitment, urges The Change Group
Hospitality recruiter The Change Group looked at data over the past three years, and found that recruitment rises by up to 47 per cent during November and December, ahead of the busy festive period.
However, this recruitment appears to be largely short-termist, with figures showing a 10 per cent drop in recruitment for permanent positions, compared to a 77 per cent increase for temporary back-of-house roles.
This is despite the continuing staff shortage in the sector. The Change Group suggested that instead of taking a short-term approach, employers could use the seasonal boost in recruitment to bolster their staff for the future, investing in key talent and demonstrating hospitality as a long-term career choice.
Training, development and team-building, as well as adapting shifts and work patterns for new staff could help encourage workers who previously saw their roles as a temporary option, to consider a career for the long-term.
Change founder and director, Craig Allen, said: “We find many people who register for temporary Christmas positions have worked intermittently in hospitality. They have less experience overall and may see the job as a short term option.
"Christmas is a very busy time for hospitality and so can be stressful for everyone involved. It can seem off-putting. But it is also a time when our value as an industry is at its highest, so it could be an excellent moment to get people excited by the prospect of a long term career. This could result a stronger pool of more engaged, better trained and competent employees for everyone to draw from in the New Year.”
Allen also highlighted that some businesses were looking to add even more value to staff as a way of enticing them to become more engaged with the industry, including providing training and access to herb gardens, bee hives, and working with local producers.
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