Hospitality isn’t just another industry – it’s where human connection becomes art. Think about it: every shift is a performance, every interaction a chance to create something memorable. But scratch beneath the surface and you’ll find an industry grappling with some uncomfortable realities. We’re still clinging to recruitment practices that feel positively archaic, rolling out diversity initiatives that barely scratch the surface, and managing a workforce that’s been fundamentally changed by recent global upheavals.
People First, Hierarchy Second
Here’s what I love about hospitality: some of our most brilliant leaders started by polishing glasses or folding napkins. Their journey wasn’t about climbing a predetermined ladder – it was about showing up, learning on their feet, and discovering they had a genuine gift for making people feel welcome.
Yet we’re still obsessed with narrow career pathways. Too many hiring managers get stuck on tenure when they should be looking at potential. When you’re overly fixated on job descriptions that tick every box, you miss the candidate who might not have five years’ experience but has the emotional intelligence to defuse a difficult situation or the natural warmth that turns first-time visitors into regulars.
What if we valued empathy as much as experience? What would happen if we recognised that someone’s ability to connect with people might matter more than their ability to navigate our complicated internal systems? That’s the conversation we need to be having.
Rethinking How We Find Our People
The pandemic didn’t just temporarily close restaurants and hotels – it fundamentally shifted how people think about work. Many of our brightest talents walked away, seeking industries that offered better work-life balance or more predictable schedules. Brexit compounded the challenge, shrinking our traditional talent pool even further.
This exodus forced a reckoning with recruitment practices that hadn’t evolved in decades. We can’t keep hiring like it’s 2005 when the workforce has fundamentally changed.
What does smarter recruitment actually look like right now?
- Hunt for hunger, not just history. The candidate who’s genuinely excited about hospitality often outperforms the one with the perfect CV but little passion.
- Strip away the bureaucracy. If your application process takes longer than booking a weekend away, you’re probably losing good people before they even start.
- Cast a wider net. That parent returning to work after raising children? They’ve mastered multitasking and crisis management. The career changer from retail? They understand customer service at its core.
When you recruit for potential rather than pedigree, you often discover people who bring fresh perspectives and genuine loyalty to your organisation.
Inclusion That Goes Beyond the Posters
Most hospitality businesses are genuinely welcoming to their guests. The question is: does that same warmth extend to your own people?
I’ve seen plenty of companies that celebrate Pride month with rainbow logos but struggle to create environments where LGBTQ+ staff, particularly those who are trans or non-binary, feel genuinely supported day-to-day. Real inclusion isn’t about the diversity statistics in your annual report – it’s about whether your people feel they can bring their whole selves to work.
True inclusion lives in the details. It’s in how you handle pronoun usage, whether your uniform policies are flexible, how you respond when someone faces discrimination, and whether promotion opportunities are genuinely accessible to everyone. You can’t declare your way to an inclusive culture – you have to build it, conversation by conversation, decision by decision.
Why Mentorship Changes Everything
Here’s something I’ve observed: representation gets people through the door, but mentorship helps them stay and thrive.
In hospitality, mentorship creates a multiplier effect. When a young professional sees someone who looks like them or shares their background in a leadership role, it shifts what they believe is possible. For the mentor, it often reignites their own sense of purpose and sharpens their leadership skills.
The magic happens when mentorship becomes embedded in your culture rather than left to chance encounters. Imagine if every new starter was paired with someone who could help them navigate not just the practical elements of their role, but the unwritten rules and cultural nuances that often determine who succeeds.
That’s how you break down barriers – through genuine human connection and investment in each other’s success.
When Your Values Get Tested
Policies matter, but how you handle the difficult moments reveals who you really are as an organisation.
Picture this: a guest makes an inappropriate comment about one of your team members’ appearance or background. What happens next? Does your staff member feel supported? Do your managers know how to respond? More importantly, does your response demonstrate that you genuinely value your people over potentially difficult customers?
These situations test everything you claim to stand for. Your middle managers are often the ones making these split-second decisions, so they need more than a handbook – they need the confidence, training and backing to do the right thing.
Making inclusion operational requires:
- Practical manager training. Role-play difficult scenarios. Build their emotional intelligence and give them clear escalation paths.
- Regular culture checks. Are your recruitment, recognition and promotion patterns reflecting your stated values?
- Visible leadership. Celebrate diverse success stories and make it clear that different paths to leadership are not just tolerated but valued.
Building Tomorrow’s Hospitality
At its heart, hospitality has always been about people. It’s about reading the room, anticipating needs, and creating experiences that linger in memory long after the bill is paid. If we want this industry to thrive in the next decade, we need to apply that same people-first thinking to how we build our teams.
This isn’t just about being nice – it’s about being smart. When you create workplaces where people genuinely feel they belong, where their contributions are valued, and where they can see a future for themselves, you’re not just building better teams. You’re creating competitive advantage.
The organisations that get this right won’t just survive the ongoing labour challenges – they’ll attract the best talent, retain their people longer, and create the kind of service culture that keeps guests coming back. When your people feel valued, it shows in every interaction they have.
Real hospitality doesn’t start with the customer – it starts with how you treat the people who serve them.
