More than 20,000 applications have been made to the newly created Hospitality Rising portal however new research shows that 62% of hospitality businesses are reporting they will have staff shortages over the festive season.
The survey carried out by Hospitality Rising, in partnership with hospitality research consultancy KAM, saw 70 leading multiple operators, including pubs, bars, casual dining and hotels, sharing their current experience of recruitment and staffing levels within their businesses..
In response to the survey of hospitality businesses, the majority said vacancies not being filled was having a significant impact on the welfare of their current team members (79%), the quality of the customer experience (79%), as well as sales and turnover (65%).
Mark McCulloch, founder of Hospitality Rising and Campaign Director, said, “By working collectively via initiatives such as Hospitality Rising, we can bring more people into our dynamic and rewarding industry and ensure that we aren’t leaving revenue on the table due to a shortage of staff. The first phase of Hospitality Rising, our #RiseFastWorkYoung campaign, has already proved its effectiveness – driving 17,000 applications via our dedicated jobs board in its first three weeks.
“We’ve been blown away by the support we’ve received so far, with over 300 businesses including global brands and some of the world’s most successful hospitality leaders backing our campaign.
“However, in order to keep up momentum and drive the next stage of the campaign we need more operators to come on board and more companies to pledge financial support. Hospitality is nothing without people and we are determined to work together to ensure the best and the brightest are attracted to the industry to ensure a bright future for the sector.”
Katy Moses, founder/MD of KAM says, “Customers tell us that they’re excited about the upcoming festive season and despite the cost-of-living crisis many intend to put more effort into Christmas 2022 because of the disappointment of the last two years. It’s heart breaking, albeit sadly not surprising, that staff shortages continue to limit the vitality of the Hospitality sector with customer service levels, employee engagement and sales being impacted. The research really highlights the critical role which Hospitality Rising is playing in attracting new people to the sector.”
To find out more information about Hospitality Rising or to get involved in the campaign, visit https://hospitalityrising.org/
Download the survey results here: https://kam-media.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Hospitality-Rising-The-Current-State-of-Play-Oct-2022.pdf
