Hospitality businesses are being encouraged to consider the untapped potential of people over 50s to fill jobs in the sector.
UKHospitality, in partnership with the Government’s over-50s Ministerial Taskforce, has produced the Hospitality Guide to Recruiting Workers Aged 50+, to tap into an age group which has been historically underrepresented in hospitality businesses.
The guide highlights that:
- Job adverts should ensure imagery is age diverse and includes older workers, use language that doesn’t deter older workers, and emphasise employer benefits that may appeal to an older worker, such as flexible working.
- Recruitment efforts should also be targeted where older workers are more likely to see them. This includes job boards targeted at older workers, using social media platforms like Facebook and physical advertising, such as on bus stops.
- Adaptions to the workplace need to be made to ensure workers over 50s feel valued and comfortable. This could include adapting uniform policies, offering the opportunity to advance their skills, highlighting opportunities to progress and promoting flexible working arrangements.
UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said: “With hospitality continuing to deal with staffing challenges, it’s essential that businesses do all they can to appeal to everyone in the job markets.
“For far too long, the over-50s have been under-represented in our workforce but there is real untapped potential there to fix our workforce challenges. There is so much hospitality can offer, with its flexible working hours and the social element to our sector, and we need to get this message out there.
“Greater focus on recruiting in this area of the job market can lead to greater numbers of older workers taking up the exciting career opportunities hospitality offers. These are simple steps that businesses can take but it has the potential to deliver many times over. Small changes to recruitment processes and subtle tweaks to our practices within the workplace could make a big difference.”
