The Dean Hotel was the venue for our latest hospitality hiring event, featuring wine, canapés and the straight talking panel of Peter Brennan of Marqette and Ben Barclay of Press Up Entertainment Group.
Jobbio’s Dee Murphy lead the afternoon discussion, sharing her expertise on the importance of employer branding in hospitality. For an industry renowned for a high staff turnover, it’s even more important to build your employer brand. Having a strong social presence in which your employees are invested is key.
“You want your staff to be advocates for you online – they do the hard work for you”
Peter Brennan, Executive Chef at Marqette was on hand to offer insights from his wealth of experience in the industry. He told attendees not to underestimate the power of small gestures like a handshake at the start of a shift or taking staff for the occasional coffee and chat.
“Hospitality is a people business. Look after your staff and let them look after your customers”
Next up was Ben Barclay of Press Up Entertainment Group, the group behind brands such as Vintage Cocktail Club and The Clarence Hotel. He spoke of the need for a strong concept, design and identity in the hospitality business but more than that the need for strong, welcoming staff.
“You can have the best rib eye steak in the world but if your staff don’t want to talk about it, you’ll never be successful.”
For Ben, hospitality hiring and development requires an investment in your staff. To counteract poaching and compete with higher salaries, his company have committed to bringing their staff up from within. He spoke of employees who have started as glass washers and graduated to cocktail bartenders. He believes this development strategy is key to their success.
A lively Q&A followed with attendees sharing their opinions and experiences on the challenges related to hospitality hiring such as the changing perception of the industry and interviewing processes. Among the many interesting questions raised was should hospitality experience be added to school curriculums to teach practical and social skills? What do you think? Have your say.
