It is all too easy not to recognise and react to change. Change indicators for some need to be repeated ad infinitum, with words and pictures more often than not insufficient, some pain needs to be brought into the equation.
People and skills shortages in hospitality have inflicted much pain on many operators, examples are numerous with no business immune.
The situation has forced many to reduce opening times as the people needed to operate the business are simply not available. Brexit and Covid are cited as primary causes, and they are of late, but they are inextricably linked to historic problems in hospitality. Pay and working conditions.
The reality of poor pay and working conditions in hospitality is highlighted annually when government name and shame businesses guilty of having paid people less than the minimum wage.
The most recent list was published by government on December 31 2020 titled “Rogue employers named and shamed for failing to pay minimum wage” naming 139 companies that failed to pay £6.7 million to more than 95,000 workers.
A total of 42 of the 139 businesses named are from hospitality equalling 30%, not including another 11 on the list that have gone out of business, so 53 in total, 38%.
Some of those names are household name brands, others are celebrated within the ‘great and good’ of hospitality, read down the list you won’t have to go down too far to recognise them.
Given the wide array of business sectors in the UK, for 38% of the government’s named “rogue employers” to stem from one sector provides fuel that stokes anti-hospitality sentiment.
Anti-hospitality sentiment is growing and much of it is directed at low pay and poor working conditions. It is not only lessening the number of new people entering hospitality, but also motivating many within it to work elsewhere.
Not what we all want to read but it is reality and is being reported in all mainstream media. Media that the young people we want and need to come into hospitality consume every day. So, the headline – Next generation hospitality, digital natives, politically progressive, embracing diversity.
The information quoted above is all very easily found by the potential next generation hospitality, who are digital natives. They are also politically progressive and again what is quoted is highly visible as such. They also embrace diversity, which is fundamentally not in any way linked to the treatment of people cited above.
Demand and supply has shifted, we need new young people to enter work in hospitality more than they need us. If we as an industry want to attract young people into hospitality we need to recognise and react to how they consume media and recognise their values, now.
Hospitality’s Golf Day sees a welcome return to being social
News from the hospitality and catering industry is also being featured extensively in our Facebook and twitter social media accounts with the opportunity to engage with others in hospitality and share your views.
Hospitality & Catering News: Next generation hospitality people are digital natives, politically progressive, and embrace diversity. – 27 July 2021 – Next generation hospitality people are digital natives, politically progressive, and embrace diversity.
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