After three decades working within the hospitality sector, you start to realise a fundamental truth: keeping great people is much more of an art than a science. Right now, the UK hospitality industry is facing a genuine moment of reckoning. We’re staring down the barrel of 132,000 job vacancies, a figure that’s nearly half again as high as it was before the pandemic. As a result, hoteliers and restaurateurs aren’t just managing their establishments; they’re in a constant battle against a serious talent drain.
This isn’t just a spreadsheet problem; it’s about the very heart and soul of our industry. When the dust settled after Brexit, we found ourselves with a much smaller pool of the skilled EU workers who had long been the backbone of our teams. It’s a situation so critical that the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Hospitality and Tourism is now involved, a clear sign the issue is finally getting national attention. They aim to get to the bottom of this retention crisis and hopefully find some workable solutions.
But while policies are being debated in Westminster, what can we, the people on the ground, do today? Here are some of the most crucial lessons I’ve learned about not just attracting talent, but actually keeping it in this new, challenging landscape.
1. It all starts with an honest handshake: The power of a transparent job description
Think of your recruitment process as a relationship. If that’s the case, the job description is the very first conversation. If you aren’t straight from the beginning, you’re setting everyone up for disappointment.
Consider this: roughly 30% of new hospitality hires are gone within the first three months. The main reason? The job in reality didn’t look anything like the one sold to them. But here’s the flip side: staff who make it past that initial window are 50% more likely to stay with you long-term.
So, what’s the solution? Absolute clarity. You have to paint an honest picture of the role, covering the challenges as well as the rewards. Don’t oversell the dream. Give candidates a real sense of the day-to-day responsibilities, the pace, and the pressures. That kind of transparency builds immediate trust, and trust is the real currency of loyalty.
2. Culture isn’t a buzzword; it’s the air your team breathes
It doesn’t matter if I was working at the Ritz-Carlton or a small family-run place in the Lakes, one thing has always been true: people stay where they feel heard, respected and empowered.
Creating a culture that is open and responsive isn’t some fluffy perk; it’s a core business strategy. Are you actively encouraging your team to bring ideas to the table? More importantly, are you showing them you’re listening by putting feasible suggestions into practice? When you do this, you foster a sense of ownership. People are far less likely to walk away from something they feel they’ve helped to build.
Simple things like regular one-to-ones, clear channels for communication, and genuine flexibility in shift scheduling are transformative. A bit of humanity, like understanding the challenges of a long commute or childcare arrangements, can have an enormous impact on whether someone chooses to stay or go.
3. Get the pay right, then make the perks meaningful
Let’s be direct. In the 2024 Access Salary Survey, a staggering 95% of respondents said fair pay was the single most important benefit. The message couldn’t be clearer: a competitive salary isn’t a perk, it’s the price of admission.
Of course, the extras still matter. A fair and transparent system for tip distribution has always been important, but with the new Code of Practice coming into force in October 2024, it will soon be a matter of law. We’ll all be required to pass on service charges, with no exceptions.
But why stop there? Properly structured performance-based bonuses connect an individual’s hard work directly to the business’s success. When your people see that their effort makes a real difference to the bottom line and their payslip, their motivation naturally climbs. When you add meaningful well-being perks (think staff meals, gym access, private health options, or solid pensions), you’re no longer just talking about compensation. You’re building commitment.
4. Show them a future, not just a job
That same Access survey revealed that 88% of hospitality professionals put a high value on learning and development. This isn’t about us ticking boxes for compliance; it’s about tapping into the ambition that our best people have.
The opportunities are plentiful, from simple cross-training on the job to formal NVQs, and from running your own in-house workshops to creating external partnerships with local hospitality colleges. When you invest in your team’s personal and professional growth, your organisation reaps the rewards of sharper skills and much deeper loyalty.
The equation is really quite simple: when people can see a clear future with you, they’re far less likely to look for one elsewhere.
5. Recognition is about more than money; it’s about being seen
I learned early on to watch how different senior teams celebrated success. The businesses that held on to their talent best were always the ones that noticed effort, not just the final outcome.
A good recognition programme, whether it’s a formal Employee of the Month award or a simple, sincere thank-you during a team briefing, builds what you might call emotional capital. The key is to make that recognition both public and personal. Share wins in team meetings or newsletters. Celebrate work anniversaries. Praise someone for their initiative, not just for hitting a target.
The result is a culture where people feel their contribution is truly valued, paving the way for a loyalty that is genuinely mutual.
In the end, your workforce is your brand
In our line of work, we’re only ever as good as the people who welcome our guests, prepare our food, and keep a cool head when things get busy. This is why retention isn’t just an HR function; it’s one of the most critical leadership responsibilities there is.
By putting our energy into transparent hiring, nurturing a people-first culture, offering fair rewards, building clear development pathways, and practising authentic recognition, we can create environments where our best people don’t just land; they choose to stay and grow.
