The Talent Menu: Attracting, Developing and Retaining Great Hospitality Staff

Recruitment might look a little different in hospitality right now, but the need for great people hasn’t gone away. Following a panel discussion at Glee Birmingham 2026, Penny Cook shares her thoughts on the current challenges facing the industry, why getting the basics right still matters, and how businesses can attract, develop and retain the people they need to succeed.

 It was great to be at Glee Birmingham at the NEC this year, catching up with existing clients and industry contacts, and having some really honest conversations about recruitment.

I was also delighted to take part in a panel discussion, The Talent Menu: How to Attract, Develop and Retain Great Hospitality Staff, alongside Ricky Towers, Group Restaurant Director at British Garden Centres, and Boyd Douglas-Davies, Managing Consultant, The Boyd Partnership.

Ricky and I have known each other and worked together since 2012, so we’ve had plenty of conversations about recruitment over the years. This was a great opportunity to bring some of those discussions to a wider audience, share experiences and, hopefully, give people a few practical ideas to take away.

As you might expect, recruitment was very much at the heart of the conversation. But what became clear is that the challenges facing hospitality businesses are evolving, and finding people is only one part of the picture.

Where is everyone?

It’s a question I hear time and time again: with so many hospitality businesses closing, where are all the people?

On the face of it, you might expect closures to mean more candidates are available. In reality, it isn’t quite that straightforward.

There’s understandable nervousness in the market. When people see businesses closing and uncertainty increasing, many are choosing to stay where they are rather than risk moving somewhere new. Even those who might be open to a change are thinking carefully about their next move.

At a more senior level, I’m also seeing people who are keen to progress but simply don’t have the right opportunities to apply for. If the roles aren’t there, they aren’t going to move.

So, although there are certainly people out there, finding the right people, with the right skills and attitude, at the right time remains a challenge.

And it’s not just about recruitment activity slowing down. Businesses are also looking at how they operate, where they can make efficiencies and how technology can help them do more with less, all while maintaining the quality, service and customer experience their businesses depend on.

That’s a difficult balance to strike.

Recruitment is changing, but the basics still matter

One of the questions from the audience was a familiar one: Where do we find people when advertising just isn’t working?

It’s a fair question. But before spending more money on advertising or trying yet another platform, I think it’s worth taking a step back and looking at the whole process.

·      Are you absolutely clear about the role you’re recruiting for?

·      Do you know what you’re looking for in a candidate?

·      Is your salary competitive?

·      And are you making it as easy as possible for someone to apply?

These might sound like obvious questions, but you’d be surprised how often the basics get overlooked when businesses are under pressure to fill a vacancy.

Be clear about what you need

A well-written job description is a good starting point. It helps you define the role, understand the skills and qualities you need, and set realistic expectations for candidates from day one.

Be transparent about the salary, hours, responsibilities, job title and benefits. If there are challenges within the team or business, be honest about those, too. It’s far better to have an open conversation at the outset than for someone to discover the reality after they’ve joined.

And remember that benefits and perks are great, but salary still matters. You need to understand what the market is paying and make sure your offer is competitive.

Look beyond experience on paper

Experience is important, of course, but it shouldn’t always be the deciding factor.

Attitude, empathy, resilience and cultural fit can be just as valuable, particularly when you’re recruiting for a role where specific skills can be developed through training.

Ask yourself:

·      can I teach this person what they don’t know?

·      Do they have the right attitude?

·      Will they work well with the existing team?

·      Are they someone who can adapt as the business changes?

In a market where finding the perfect candidate can feel increasingly difficult, being open to potential rather than focusing solely on a long list of previous experience can make a real difference.

Make it easy to apply

If your application process is long, complicated or unnecessarily time-consuming, you could be losing good people before you’ve even spoken to them.

Think about where and how you advertise. Employee referrals can be effective, particularly when your existing team understand the culture and the type of person who would fit in. In-house advertising, local job boards and community channels can also help you reach people who might not be actively searching online.

And don’t overlook social media. Showing the reality of working for your business through genuine photos, videos and team stories can be far more engaging than another standard job advert.

Most importantly, make the application process straightforward. Remove unnecessary barriers and give people a simple way to express an interest.

Speed matters more than ever

Once you’ve attracted someone’s interest, what happens next is just as important.

We talked about interview no-shows, poor communication and candidates whose expectations change during the process. These are frustrations many employers will recognise.

But recruitment is a two-way street. Candidates are assessing you just as much as you’re assessing them.

If someone applies and hears nothing for days, or attends an interview and receives no feedback, they’re unlikely to be left with a positive impression. And if another employer moves more quickly, you could lose a good candidate simply because your process took too long.

My advice is to plan your interview process before you start recruiting. Know who needs to be involved, what you want to ask and how quickly you can make a decision.

Use structured interviews with questions based on real-life situations, particularly those involving customer service, teamwork and problem-solving. Give clear, constructive feedback and arrange any follow-up interviews promptly.

Where appropriate, a short working interview or taster shift can also help both sides understand whether the role and team are a good fit. If you ask someone to give up their time for a trial, consider paying them for it.

Above all, communicate. A quick update, even if you haven’t reached a decision yet, is always better than silence.

Retention: keeping the good people you already have

Attracting new people is only half the job. Once you’ve found someone good, you need to give them reasons to stay.

This is particularly important in the current climate, when many employees are understandably cautious about changing jobs and businesses are under pressure to make the most of the teams they have.

A good onboarding process is essential. Don’t assume that someone will simply find their feet because they have experience. A structured induction, proper training and clear expectations help people settle in, understand the business and feel part of the team.

After that, communication needs to continue. Set clear goals, give regular feedback and make time for meaningful reviews. If you promise someone an opportunity, a pay review or additional training, make sure you follow through.

People want to feel that they’re progressing, that their contribution is recognised and that there’s a future for them within the business.

That doesn’t always mean a promotion. Could they spend time in another department, learn more about marketing or HR, gain experience in a different part of the operation, or shadow a senior leader? Opportunities to learn new skills and understand the wider business can be hugely valuable.

Keep an eye on market salaries, too, and consider whether bonus schemes or other incentives could help reward performance and encourage people to stay.

And while we’re talking about retention, it’s worth remembering that people will leave eventually. That’s simply part of running a business. Succession planning is particularly important for senior and business-critical roles, so you’re not left trying to fill a significant gap at short notice.

The bigger challenge: doing more without compromising quality

One of my biggest takeaways from the day was that the conversation is shifting.

Recruitment remains a huge concern, but with fewer people moving around in some areas of the market, there’s also a growing focus on efficiencies, technology and getting more from existing teams.

At the same time, businesses are managing changing attitudes towards work and evolving candidate expectations, alongside concerns about employment legislation, rising energy and food costs, increased National Insurance costs and the next increase in the National Living Wage.

There’s a lot for employers to navigate, and I don’t underestimate the pressure this creates.

Technology has a role to play. Used well, it can help streamline processes, reduce administration and improve efficiency. But it needs to support the people delivering the service, not undermine the quality of that service.

Hospitality is still a people business. You can introduce new systems and processes, but you still need the right people in place to make them work. People who are resilient, adaptable and able to maintain standards while the business around them changes.

That’s why getting recruitment right matters so much, even when the immediate focus is on cost control.

So, what should hospitality businesses do next?

If there was one consistent message to come out of the panel discussion, it was this: get the basics right, be honest about what you’re offering, and treat recruitment as an ongoing part of running your business rather than something you only think about when a vacancy appears.

Before you invest more time and money into finding candidates, take a look at your current approach.

• Review your offer. Is your salary competitive, and are the role, hours and benefits clearly explained?

• Know who you’re looking for. Be realistic about the skills you need and where attitude and potential could matter more than previous experience.

• Review your recruitment process. Make it easy to apply, respond quickly and keep candidates informed.

• Invest in your existing team. Good onboarding, training, communication and genuine opportunities to progress all help people feel valued.

• Plan ahead. Keep an eye on succession, particularly in senior roles, and build relationships with potential candidates before you urgently need them.

And if your current advertising isn’t delivering, don’t automatically assume that spending more will solve the problem. Sometimes the answer lies in reviewing the role, the offer or the process itself.

A final thought

I really enjoyed sharing the stage with Ricky and Boyd at Glee and hearing the questions and experiences from the audience. It was a useful reminder that, although every hospitality business has its own challenges, many of us are grappling with the same issues.

The market is changing, candidate expectations are changing, and businesses are being asked to do more while managing ever-increasing costs. There isn’t a single solution that will work for everyone.

But the businesses that take the time to understand what they need, communicate honestly, move quickly and look after their people will be in a much stronger position.

And if you’re struggling to find the right people, or simply want to review your recruitment approach, sometimes an informal conversation is a good place to start.

After all, finding great people has always been about more than filling a vacancy. It’s about finding the right fit for your business and giving that person every reason to succeed.