The Institute of Hospitality team has been speaking to industry experts to find out what more we can all do collectively to promote hospitality, leisure and tourism as long-term careers.
Angus Bryden FIH, divisional managing director at Bartlett Mitchell is concerned about the long-term consequences of COVID19 when it comes to attracting talent: “COVID has had a severe impact on the reputation of careers within the hospitality industry and we have seen some great people leave their roles to go into other service areas, such as retail, transport and in some cases, leave the UK to return to their country of origin. We have relied heavily on some great foreign talent to support the industry over the years and I fear that this may be lost. However, we must be very careful we don’t just fill jobs with individuals looking for work. This is a great opportunity as an industry to take care and time over recruitment to attract the talent that wants to work within this amazing industry.”
Nicola Forshaw FIH, director of human resources at The Landmark Hotel agreed about uncertainty in the short-term: “The industry will be cautious to re-recruit too quickly. It is likely that many organisations will have updated and reviewed their contracts during this time and although this is essential, the terms and conditions could look less attractive to someone starting out in the industry. However, on a more positive note, many hotels will look at recruiting and developing their own talent which could create great opportunities for anyone joining our industry. Hospitality is such a diverse and flexible industry so opportunities will open for anyone that has the right personality and passion.”
Matthew Lewis MIH, vice president, operations from The Celtic Collection added: “In the UK, hospitality has often been an industry that people ‘fall into’ as opposed to choosing it as a career path. The last year has demonstrated the importance of the hospitality and tourism sector to the UK economy and as part of peoples’ everyday lives. As hospitality professionals, we have a desire to create memorable experiences for guests. The industry now has more of a voice than ever before with governments across the UK, and as an industry we need to harness this position and gain the support that is required to turn the hospitality industry into a career choice for future generations.”
Claire Cregan (FIH), human resources director from Old Course Hotel Golf Resort & Spa, St Andrews, believes the perception of the industry over the last year has been quite mixed. “In some ways the media have been an amazing support for hospitality, but I am concerned they may have damaged the reputation of a career in this industry. I do think we may struggle to recruit new people to begin with but I believe hospitality by the very nature of its resilience will recover and come back stronger. We often see people start their careers from weekend working but then they fall in love with the industry and that won’t change.”
Glen Harrison MIH, talent development manager at Concord Hotels added: “Hospitality has always been a secure job as people love to eat, drink and holiday. This is the first time the industry has ever just closed which is bound to raise alarm bells. In the short-term, when it reopens there will be people who need and want the casual evening and weekend work, but I worry more about the lack of people who may choose it as a career when they leave school, that’s going to take longer and will be more hard work.”
What should the industry be doing to promote hospitality as a career choice?
Should we be focusing on recruiting at school and further education level rather than those at university? That’s the thoughts of Glen as Concord work with further education college leavers and support them into the industry through placements alongside learning: “When students embark on a hospitality degree, they’ve already made their commitment to the industry. I think we should be targeting those in schools and their parents. We must promote the success stories, the ability to travel and the promotion prospects. Information needs to be in the hands of influencers of 15- and 16-year-old children, which is primarily their parents. We need to get ambassadors into schools talking to careers advisors.”
Angus added: “As we are now in the waiting room to rebuild our industry, we must plan for the growth that we will see later in the year and into 2022. It is now and at this point that we must shout about all the great successes that we will enjoy again and promote this within the universities and within our industry. Attracting is one thing, we must retain the great talent we have too. We must push the boundaries on salaries, benefits and opportunities. The public have seen how hard this has impacted us and they can also be our voice to not see it as a job, but as a career journey that could start off as a waiter and end up being a leader.”
Matthew told us about the work they do at The Celtic Collection: “As part of advisory groups at both Cardiff and Vale College and the University of South Wales, we have been able to shape the curriculum and facilities in the campuses to ensure that the foundations for learning are in place. We also provide access to resource in terms of our team’s time to speak with students and deliver educational workshops, both face to face and virtually, which has been particularly useful during the last year.”
Nicola believes it’s vital all areas of the industry are covered in career promotion: “To attract talent we need to focus on success from all disciplines including operational, HR, finance, sales, and marketing. It’s also key that we showcase successes of people that have entered hospitality from different backgrounds.”
How can universities and the wider industry work together to maintain the hospitality stars of the future?
Success often comes from collaboration and there has never been a time when hospitality has come together more than over the last year. From industry petitions, letters to MPs, the Hoteliers’ Charter, industry networking opportunities and the power of social media, we’ve seen hospitality truly unite.
Angus told us about some of the work they have done at Bartlett Mitchell to support the wider industry: “During lockdown we, along with many other caterers, set up the Foodservice Circle. This was a great collaboration with our competitors and likeminded caterers to support those during this challenging time. Something similar should now exist to support the universities and a charter drawn up that will encourage leaders from different parts of the industry to pledge time, mentorship and work placements. Together the universities can select the sectors within the industry that represent their students and ensure that all avenues of this diverse profession are highlighted so the right path is chosen early”.
Matthew believes it has to be about educational collaboration, promoting the industry, providing platforms for learning and opportunities for employment. He said: “No matter the size of the business, everyone has the opportunity to have a positive impact on the hospitality professionals of the future. It is important to remember that the hospitality industry has many sectors reaching beyond the traditional roles such as our culinary and service teams. As we have done with our trainee management schemes and hands-on training for degree students, we need to open their eyes to the wealth of opportunities and skills development available in areas of the business, like sales, marketing, events and human resources.”
Nicola added: “It is important that we take the time to connect with each other and there are many great platforms to enable us to do this. Articles like this are a great way of starting conversations which is really needed. It’s important that industry representatives engage with students, so they are hearing about real-life experiences.”
“Personally, I think we need to take away the idea that you absolutely must have a strong degree result to get to the top in your chosen career” commented Claire. “We are looking at much more vocational routes into our business. You need amazing emotional intelligence and general business acumen, including maths and sales. Potential employees need a CV that shows a broad skillset and people skills are vital.”
Glen concluded: “We need to see more innovation and creativity as a whole. I heard a great story about a hotel which gave students the chance to be GM for the day; this is such a good way of giving young people a taste of what opportunities are out there if they work hard.”
How do we help at the Institute of Hospitality?
We truly believe in the importance of leaders supporting new talent. Our student members on the Education Membership Scheme (EMS) are able to be a mentee on our Mentor Me scheme which pairs them up with someone who has already led a successful career. All students on this membership scheme can also access all resources such as books, white papers and webinars. We’ve seen student members engage with leaders on our social media channels and also make connections on our weekly coffee and conversation.
If you would like to get involved you can find out more here.
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