People 1st has released a report that explores the productivity issues facing the hospitality industry, as it launched a campaign to tackle the low productivity that it claimed “threatens the industry”.
The company has published an infographic to illustrate the fact that an employee in the hospitality and tourism sector contributes 53% less to the economy than their counterparts in the retail sector. Low staff retention, it said, was leading to a skills gap that will need to be resolved through the addition of almost 1m new staff by 2022.
The report urges employers to improve staff retention by offering more development opportunities for staff that make them want to stay with employers, including a clearer view of career progression and promotion prospects; employing apprentices, which are proven to provide a return on investment to employers; and recruiting more maternity returners and older workers for flexible positions, instead of relying too heavily on seasonally available employees.
People 1st managing director Simon Tarr said: “The causes of low productivity are complex and diverse. It is clear that parts of our industry are trapped in a revolving door of high turnover, increased skills gaps, and reliance on resorting to further transitional, non-permanent staff, to plug those gaps. We believe diversifying recruitment to include older workers and maternity returners as well as putting in place strategies to reduce turnover with a greater focus on career progression, will have a positive impact on productivity.
“However, we want to tackle this challenge in collaboration with the industry, and are keen to share the best practice of those who know the industry best. That’s why we are launching a consultation today to gather the views of employers to reveal how to tackle this together, head on. The good news is that even incremental improvements can lead to substantial benefits to business and indeed the nation in terms of increased productivity.”
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2024