The news feed remains awash with stories of the hospitality labour shortage. By some counts, the industry has been understaffed since at least 2006, with Brexit and Covid-19 serving to rock the boat further.
Such is the seriousness of the problem, MPs launched an inquiry into the issue of staff recruitment and retention in the hospitality industry in April 2024.
Against this background, how can you attract the right candidates and reduce staff churn in a notoriously difficult-to-recruit-for sector?
Here are CoGoGo’s 4 top tips for hiring the right candidate to your new café business.
1. Be a competitive employer and pay your staff fairly.
There’s no shortage of hospitality jobs going around. In fact, 2024 has seen a massive surge: according to new research from hiring platform Caterer.com, vacancies for roles increased by almost a quarter (24%) from January to March 2024, with a particular uptick in the Northeast (62%) and Yorkshire (43%).
What does this mean for you as a new café boss? It means you’ll have to pitch yourself to potential candidates as much as they’ll have to pitch themselves to you.
And in a cost-of-living crisis, offering a competitive wage is key to long-term retention. In London, it’s not unusual to see ads for “all-rounder” café jobs at ~£14.50 per hour plus service charge or £30k per year. Across the rest of the UK, average salaries for an “all-rounder” or barista range from the minimum wage (£11.44) through to £13 per hour.
Café chefs, on the other hand, can command from £24k per year to upwards of £40k, depending on factors such as location and the level of skill required.
Offering other perks like free food on the job, flexible shift patterns, company discounts, health insurance, paid sick leave, and gym membership may all work in your favour.
2. Articulate your needs clearly in the role description, avoiding buzzwords and jargon that raise red flags for potential applicants.
Vague job descriptions are a major red flag for job seekers. In fact, a 2022 survey conducted by talent platform Eightfold AI found that “vague or confusing” job descriptions put off 17% of workers from roles in the past 18 months.
Ensure that your job description sets out required shift patterns, working hours per week, and duties. Ensure that you state whether the role is temporary, designed to cover for seasonal peaks or events, or long-term.
Avoiding non-specific buzzwords such as “flexible hours”, “work-life balance”, “attention to detail”, “competitive salary” and other jargon will most likely be a waste of space if they are not qualified or quantified. Your job description should clearly highlight and quantify the key benefits of the job, such as higher wages, tip-sharing, free staff meals, paid sick leave and discounts.
Remember that Gen Z in particular have very clear expectations regarding work-like balance and flexible working arrangements, and may well hold you to account on these promises.
3. Upskill the unskilled and help to change the perception of hospitality work.
Hospitality work is often seen as casual unskilled work that is used as a stop-gap before taking on something more permanent.
You can help change this perception by offering qualifications such as level 2 NVQ in hospitality, or training courses and certifications in management, first aid, customer service, food safety, food presentation, GDPR and disability awareness.
This will not only improve the customer experience at your establishment; it will also improve reduce staff churn by presenting work within the hospitality industry as a viable long-term career.
You may also wish to consider the apprenticeship levy which can help cafés and other businesses with talent acquisition and retention. These can be used for first-time entrants to the workforce or for high-quality upskilling training for more seasoned staff – from level 2 to level 7 of higher education.
4. Reliability and good character are non-negotiable in hospitality so ask for references.
Reliability and friendliness are non-negotiable in the person-centred industries, such as hospitality. After all, your customers are not only paying for food and drink; they’re also paying for the service.
Bad service may translate to bad reviews, and bad reviews can make or break an up-and-coming café business.
Asking your candidates for character references is a good idea to ensure that they’re up to the task of smiling through the customer complaints, the customer mess, and, well, the general public. Past employers (or tutors) can provide valuable insights into a candidate’s reliability, work ethic, skills, and suitability for your establishment.
You may even wish to use a specialist hospitality recruitment agency to hire staff with the right “soft skills”, such as organisation, reliability and ability to take the initiative. Many such agencies will vet the candidates on your behalf.
