The number of hospitality jobs is up 7% from last year and 38% from 2009 with 45,000 new job adverts being posted in Q2 2013 according to the latest Hospitality Employment Index report from Caterer.com, the UK’s largest hospitality recruitment website and People 1st, the sector skills council for hospitality, passenger transport, travel and tourism.
Almost 950,000 job applications were made through Caterer.com in Q2 2013 – a 19% rise from Q2 2012 and the highest number for Q2 the site has recorded.
Ufi Ibrahim, Chief Executive of the British Hospitality Association, commented: “Few industries can match the power of hospitality to generate jobs across the entire UK. Whether in remote villages, coastal towns, northern cities, southern resorts or London – hospitality accounts for more than 5% of total employment. Our industry has the power to generate jobs in every area in the UK. Few other industries can do the same.”
Competition grows alongside number of hospitality roles
Competition for jobs in the hospitality industry is growing. The report shows that the average number of people applying for each role in the industry is 21 – an increase from 19 applications per job last year and up from 15 applications in Q2 2010.
London and the South East remain the powerhouses for hospitality jobs, with over 11,000 job adverts and almost 13,000 unique job adverts posted in Q2 2013 respectively. However, despite the higher number of jobs on offer, applicants in London had the hardest chance of finding a job with an average of 34 applications per role. Competition was almost as high in the North East, North West and Scotland with 26, 24 and 21 applications per job respectively. East Anglia had the least competition with 11 applications for each position.
Growing need for a strong brand experience
While the Hospitality Employment Index report indicates that there is no shortage of applications for jobs in the sector, employers continue to experience challenges in finding candidates with the right skills, attitude and experience – and the right candidates that fit their brand.
Ian Burke, Website Director of Caterer.com, explained: “As the hospitality market is highly competitive, creating a strong brand experience enables companies to differentiate themselves. Customers have increasingly come to expect this unique brand experience and naturally, this has changed employer’s recruitment attitudes and tactics. Forward thinking employers now look to recruit brand ambassadors – people who embody the feel and ethos of the company from day one and then go on to grow through focused training.”
Brian Wisdom, Chief Executive of People 1st, concluded: “Job advertisements are rising and strong job competition remains, suggesting that the hospitality industry is continuing to attract people. However, behind everything there is an underlying need to both attract the right people to the industry and then ensure they are incentivised to stay. One method of doing this is via apprenticeships; they offer a structured route into employment and can help foster a culture of career development within an organisation.”
The quarterly Hospitality Employment Index report from Caterer.com and People 1st is available to download free of charge at: www.Caterer.com/HEI and www.people1st.co.uk/research/hospitality-employment-index
