Leading recruitment specialists, Caterer.com, and sector skills council, People1st, have released the latest Hospitality Employment Index report, which shows that the chief attractions to working in hospitality are the career prospects, excitement,?and the sociable nature of the industry.
The report also offers a range of insights into the hospitality industry?s performance during the second quarter of the year, showing that while?job advertisements for roles in hospitality have decreased by eight percent, it continues to outperform other similar sectors.
While the research shows that job advertisements have slightly decreased, the industry continues to remain attractive to job seekers, with?competition for jobs increasing from 15 applications for every role posted in Q2 of 2010 to 19 in Q2 of 2012.
The report offers a special focus this quarter, an area that is feeling a significant impact from Generation Y, with 18-34 year olds going out twice?as often as 35-54 year olds(Generation X), and three times as often as people aged 55 and over (Baby Boomers).
Ian Burke, director, Caterer.com, said that the emergence of this age group in the industry is shaping the way businesses are run.
?Restaurants are the first sector to really use the opportunities provided by this generation and are using new technology such as social media,?apps and mobile sites, as well as powerful branding, to engage with this segment. This group is taking the restaurant market through the quieter?periods and spending their money eating out.?
Yet the research also reveals that Generation Y is having a large impact on recruitment in the hospitality industry and on restaurants in?particular. Perceptions of working in the industry are changing and organisations taking advantage of the growth in Generation Y job seekers will?reap the benefits.
Philippe Rossiter, chief executive of the Institute of Hospitality, was clear that this influential market will play a key role in the future of the?industry, especially if employers make an effort to attract and retain young people.
?The trick is to provide those who do make a start in our sector with such a positive experience that they will never want to leave.?
Brian Wisdom, chief executive at People 1st, also believes that businesses need to keep pace with change and to ensure that they meet the needs?of this new market.
?The rise of mobile technology has changed recruitment, with 46 percent of jobseekers using their phones to apply for jobs and 60 percent of?those with a tablet having also done so.
Young people use technology to book tables at restaurants, write reviews, and get recommendations on where to eat ? it?s a huge market.??Yet?almost a third of restaurants do not even have a website, which is proven to show that businesses could be losing up to ?31,000 in revenue each?year.”
The report also found that while job advertisements have fallen for both managerial and non-managerial roles, staff retention improved?considerably throughout the recession. This has made it less necessary to recruit in management, while for other businesses there has been a?reluctance to expand staffing levels given the economic climate.
Marcus Weedon, senior recruitment manager, Carluccio?s Limited said that his business has benefited from this increase in staff retention.
?Obviously this is good for business as we would not have to train further people, but invest our time in delivering the tools that they need to?succeed in their roles.?
The reduction in advertisements and increasing desire for more informal dining experiences has also had a significant impact on the kinds of job?roles that are advertised; competition for waiting roles is extremely high, while the demand for sommeliers has dropped by 49 percent.
The complete Q2 Hospitality Employer Index report is free and is available for download at?www.caterer.com/HEI