NFU Mutual’s Hospitality Recruitment Guide, published this week, has revealed that a skills shortage is one of the key concerns for those in the hospitality and tourism industry – with 45% of the survey’s respondents citing it.
Unsurprisingly, another issue for the industry has been the potential economic instability brought about by Brexit, according to 47% of respondents. When asked about their plans for Brexit, 85% of those who felt Brexit would impact the sector made no comment.
The impact of the National Living Wage was also listed as a key concern particularly for the hotel industry, receiving the votes of 35% of those representing hotels and 23% of the wider hospitality industry.
The guide has been created by NFU Mutual in partnership with the British Hospitality Association (BHA) and Reed Specialist Recruitment in a bid to provide advice to help senior hospitality figures address their concerns about skills shortage by encouraging them to recruit more young people into the industry.
Darren Seward, hospitality sector specialist at NFU Mutual, said: “Businesses we are speaking with are stressing the huge importance of EU staff to their operations, with real worry that Brexit will result not only in a smaller pool to recruit from but also skills and talent shortages.
“Some businesses already have plans in place for addressing these challenges – such as working more closely with schools and colleges – but in general, very few businesses appear to have done much planning and preparation for Brexit. While it’s difficult to prepare for an unknown, businesses should at the very least start thinking about how they would manage a changed employment landscape, which is how our Hospitality Recruitment Guide can help.”
The full report can be read here
