Wow, what a year 2021 was. Hospitality had to pivot, change, adapt, grow, shrink and everything in between to ensure its survival in the craziest of times.
However, hospitality did exactly what it does best and ensured that guests and friends had the very best of experiences in the darkest of times.
Throughout the pandemic, businesses and staff looked at employment with a different view – how can we retain our staff, keep the work family unit together and ensure our guests will have a wonderful experience.
On speaking with our clients across the UK – everyone is adapting their processes and practices to attract only the best to join them.
The scramble for staff has meant that properties are introducing a number of new initiatives to make working for them a more attractive proposition. Reviewing salaries, a clearer tronc system and added employee benefits are all being considered as hotels reassess their hiring and retention rates. It is all about company culture and ethos, while flexible hours and a more achievable work-life balance is also one of the top priorities for those who have returned to work following last year’s furlough. All these things help staff to feel proud of where they work and the products they are selling.
For the last six months, we have been working extremely closely with Richard Palmer, MD of the Devonshire Restaurant & Hotel Group.
As a business they have used lockdown, post-Christmas, and service times to look at how they can further care for their teams. And this has resulted in the creation of a four-day working week to ensure staff have the best working environment and personal balance. Richard and the team have created a culture and ethos within the group of cohesiveness, togetherness, and good old-fashioned teamwork, while we at Ginger Hospitality have helped fill in the gaps across the estate with relief chefs and front of house staff which has provided team members with time to spend with family over this troubled Christmas period.
To further develop this feeling of togetherness within the group, Richard and his team have developed a Chefs Academy, with an exciting programme including visits to Cheshire Cookery School, lessons in social media, food photography and LinkedIn profile building to name but a few.
The industry should look at the Devonshire Group as a gleaming example of how looking after your staff can only have good repercussions for the business. By listening to staff more, delivering on promises and always looking at how to improve standards for staff, we can help retain talent within our glorious industry. Through new ways of working and developing staff for a successful career and happy homelife, brings together a team who are engaged and can deliver excellence every day to guests.
Hospitality is a fabulous place – it develops and grows people, while opening the door onto amazing careers, let’s use this fresh start in 2022 to nurture the most important part of our industry – our people.
Author: Craig Jackson, Head of Permanent Recruitment – Published in The Caterer
