How to Attract and Retain Hospitality Talent in a Tight Labour Market

To inspire confidence and spread knowledge, we have developed BM’s “Recipe for Success” guides for workplace and contract catering. You can download other guides from our website too.

With offices reopening, the hospitality industry booming and the impact of Brexit, UK hospitality employers find themselves facing a new challenge – hiring and retaining talent. The Office for National Statistics reports that the number of unemployed persons per vacancy recently fell to 1.2. This is the lowest on record.

Candidates Want More

Research and recent behaviour suggest the pandemic has changed applicants’ expectations. Companies must show applicants that they are an innovative and dynamic company worth working for. Candidates want a career path with a strong employee value proposition, continuous learning opportunities, and the ability to grow. BM’s People and Talent Manager, Murray Soper said, “Candidates want to know they will learn and develop. They also want to engage in and become part of the community. Whilst we know everyone is facing a squeeze on incomes, salary is not the only motivation.”

Innovative benefits, life insurance and more wellness options get employees excited. However, it’s not what you say, it’s what you do that’s important. Candidates use review websites like Glassdoor to find out more about a potential employer. BM’s current Glassdoor score is 4.2 out of 5 which is high for the industry. Friend recommendations and Best Companies accreditation are other ways potential employees can find out about a company before they join it.

Recruiting in a Tight Job Market

Creative recruitment ideas ensure BM stands out from the competition when it comes to attracting and retaining top talent in a tight labour market. BM has put in place;

• A dedicated in-house recruitment manager
• Regular recruitment open days
• Targeted and creative recruitment ad campaigns
• A cool social media presence
• A smooth recruitment and on-boarding process

Our recruitment open days are a vital ingredient in securing the best talent. Attended by our recruitment and people team as well as senior BM leaders they give us a chance to talk about our values and opportunities for development, in person.

This brings our culture to life in a way that far exceeds anything anyone could read on a website or a job advert.

A Workplace Culture that Engages and Entices

Hiring in today’s competitive market takes more than finding and securing great candidates. Attracting employees means finding a great match between the employee and the company’s culture.  In the most comprehensive cross-cultural research ever published, Oxford University anthropologists identified a common moral code that allows companies to create a captivating employee experience. These findings align perfectly with BM’s values and the culture we have worked hard to develop over the past twenty years.

1: Family values

People want to work at companies where they are supported by their colleagues. People work best when they are part of supportive teams. At BM that’s not just the site team, it’s other sites, departments and support functions. Relationships must be strong for team members to want to join and stay. BM behaves like a family and as a result team members started to call it the #bmFamily💜💚. These are some of the reasons why;

• BM has a strong set of family values we live by
• Birthdays are celebrated, everyone receives a birthday card personally signed by the founders – and their birthday off!
• New joiners receive a welcome pack including a card and bag of Pear-drop sweets
• Success is celebrated at two team parties every year
• Everyone has access to Yapster- BM’s mobile communications app to chat, share and recognise great work

2: Bravery

The most rewarding work experiences are those in which team members can stretch themselves. Creating a culture where it’s OK to take risks allows us to be innovative. BM recognises team members who are entrepreneurial and innovate.

3: Respect

Most companies have some degree of hierarchy because it is an efficient way to organise work and make decisions. At BM our family tree is drawn unconventionally- the sites are the top and the Exec team is at the bottom! While those in positions of leadership deserve respect, it’s not hierarchy based. All team members are respected for their expertise and experience. In the annual awards a Kitchen Porter is as likely to be recognised as a General Manager. Everyone has access to masterclasses with Michelin chefs including Adam Byatt.

4: Fairness

Team members want to join companies that treat people fairly. By providing career development and pay which are aligned with talent, experience, contribution, commitment and motivation, BM has created an inclusive culture;

• Strong emphasis on equality, diversity and inclusion which has been recognised both internally and externally
• We created Sheffy – BM’s culinary network which champions female chefs to reach their full potential and build better kitchens that work for all
• Annual team member surveys are held as part of our Best Companies accreditation
• Annual personal development plans including a career journey

5: Recognition

Team members want and need to be respected and recognised for the contributions they make. BM’s annual FOODIES awards recognise the lengths team members go to live the company’s values. BM also recognises our teams through:

• Chef of the Year award
• BM Barista Championships
• Encouraging everyone to recognise a colleague for living BM’s FOODIES values
• Sending thank you cards
• Publicly praising team members on Yapster – BM’s communication app
• Entering team members in independent external awards

6: Help

People love reciprocity. Reaching out and helping others makes us feel good about ourselves. A corporate culture that recognises those who give back creates a virtuous cycle. By offering help and supporting team members they tend to do the same. BM provides;

• The opportunity for team members to take one day off a year to support a charity of their choice
• External community support to food charities- like the Felix Project
• Trained mental health first-aid team for #bmFamily💜💚
• Collaboration opportunities with social enterprises
• An employee communications app
• The framework to set up team member groups including fitness and wellbeing
• Detail regarding the ethics and provenance of our food
• Annual Corporate social and environmental responsibility report; from 2022 this will include social impact measurements

BM Founder, Wendy Bartlett MBE said, “In a tight job market, finding the very best team members is hard—and keeping that talent is even harder. We know that truly living our values is the successful way to attract and retain our team members”.

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