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As the Olympics draw nearer, more hospitality jobs are becoming available with an increasingly high demand for talented staff.   According to the fourth quarterly Hospitality Employment Index from Caterer.com and People 1^st, businesses should prepare now to reap the benefits during and post Olympics

The report highlights that there’s a lot to be positive about in the industry at the moment.   The number of new job ads during the fourth quarter of 2011 stood at 40,000.  This was up nine percent on the year before and 17 percent on 2009;  an encouraging sign that, even in difficult economic times, sector businesses are faring relatively well.

In terms of staffing levels, 35 percent of respondents expect their workforce numbers to increase over the Olympics.   However, preparations seems to be  behind schedule as only 18 percent have taken on or plan to take on any more staff. The Winter Olympics study^[1] found that businesses began their recruitment drives far too late, which impacted their ability to take advantage of the occasion.  UK businesses should plan to take on new employees as early as possible to increase performance and success.

Brian Wisdom, chief executive, People 1st said: “The industry will have to operate at full capacity and, consequently, businesses need to be fully prepared with the right number of skilled staff in place to provide a world-class service.   Whilst it has been easier to recruit staff, it’s still hard to recruit skilled staff. Although the Olympics provide a great opportunity for businesses, they will only bring these skills shortages more sharply into focus.  With four months to go, businesses need to start acting immediately.”

Now more than ever, there is a need for those in managerial positions to lead and deliver excellence at every operational level.  Furthermore, as other industries shed more and more staff, employers in hospitality may wish to consider recruiting talent from other sectors to alleviate their skills shortages.

Some of the largest growth in hospitality in the fourth quarter has been amongst managerial positions.  The highest increase was in the number of  job ads for pub management (42 percent increase in the fourth quarter of 2010), bar management (23 percent) and events manager (22 percent). Whilst skills may be lacking in those within the business, it opens up opportunities for those in other sectors to cross over with management skills.

Source: People 1^st and Caterer.com, Hospitality Employment Index, Q4 2011

Ian Burke, director, Caterer.com said: “Whatever experiences, skills and aspirations individuals have for their careers, hospitality has the brands and development available to keep the momentum going post Olympics. It is the best opportunity to retain those who join us and it’s our job to continue to develop and engage them for future roles.”

Even with 715,000 job applications made in the fourth quarter of 2011, many kitchen based roles (eg pastry chef, chef de partie and sous chef) are still attracting relatively few applications indicating they are still difficult to recruit for.  This is an increase of 24 percent on the same quarter in 2010 and 39 percent on 2009.

The 2012 Olympic Games are expected to have a longer lasting impact which will go beyond this summer.   VisitBritain predicts that 50-70% of the net economic benefit of the London Olympics will come through hospitality and tourism over seven to ten years.

Brian Wisdom, Chief Executive, People 1st said; “Ambassadors for the industry and the UK must now step forward and give hospitality the good name it deserves to grow in 2012 and beyond.”

^[1] Caterer.com and People 1^st 2012, Olympics readiness survey. This consisted of an online survey disseminated in February 2012 to employers registered with Caterer.com.   It yielded 107 responses.