Recruitment, retention challenges still a major concern for hospitality leaders
A new survey highlighted widespread job vacancies and upward pressure on labour costs.
Three in five (59%) hospitality leaders say they will recruit at a greater rate than usual this year as staffing issues continue to set back hospitality’s recovery from COVID-19.
New research from CGA and Fourth’s Business Leaders’ Survey says this is a jump of 13 percentage points since the previous confidence survey in December.
However, nearly one in 10 (9%) roles remain vacant and open for applications, a drop from the 14% figure in late 2021. 52% of leaders say they feel confident about their recruitment and retention in the next 12 months.
Nearly four in five (77%) said they have offered better pay to try to retain staff, increasing their levels by an average of 11%. 85% said they are stepping up levels of communication with staff (85%), 82% are creating more learning opportunities whilst 72% are focusing on staff wellbeing and mental health.
Two thirds (67%) of leaders also cited the impact of increases in the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage from April as a key challenge.
Two in five (42%) leaders, meanwhile, think technology is most useful for managing bookings and payment, 18% for managing workforces, and 14% for controlling inventories and stock.
Just 22% of leaders think their business is “ahead of the market average”, whilst 25% think they are behind.
