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Better pay needed to plug hospitality skills gap

Nearly a third (31%) of people don’t think hospitality is a career path you actively choose, according to new research conducted for Nestlé Professional.

The survey of 1,600 hospitality workers also revealed that: 45% of millennials consider a career in hospitality a “stop gap”; almost three quarters (73%) of managers are concerned the industry is no longer an attractive career option for millennials; and 18% of those currently working in the industry are thinking of leaving within the next 12 months.

Problems with retaining staff are thought to cost the hospitality sector £274m every year. Firms are also facing a shortfall of 60,000 workers a year following Brexit.

The research has been published as part of a new report – BuzzBites: Talking Talent – which highlights the perceptions of the hospitality sector and provides advice from industry professionals on how to better attract, upskill and retain talented individuals.

The report reads: “The industry is experiencing a crippling labour turnover rate of 75% and more needs to be done to show that jobs in hospitality offer progression and a meaningful career path worth sticking at.”

Indeed, better pay (65%), flexible working (47%) and opportunities for career progression (38%) would make millennialls more likely to consider a career in hospitality.

More than two thirds (70%) of hospitality workers say they are proud to work in the industry and 53% of those outside the sector think it would be rewarding.