Getting Creative: How Three Hospitality Businesses Transformed Their Recruitment Strategy

The Great Resignation is here, and if you want to attract, motivate and retain top talent, you need to get creative and rethink your recruitment strategy. But how do you ensure your hiring plans win over the right candidates in today’s recruitment landscape? Well, we have an idea or two… 

Here’s how three of our long-term clients redeveloped their recruitment strategy to tackle the staffing crisis and diversify their workforce.

1. D&D London

D&D London was one of many businesses to take advantage of the now-closed Kickstart Scheme. The government funding enabled the group to expand its teams and get young people into the hospitality industry at the height of the pandemic. D&D then maximised its recruitment strategy by hosting summer school sessions – week-long programmes that trained people with little-to-no experience and prepared them for a career in the industry.

The results? Those who weren’t already employed through the Kickstart Scheme were invited to an interview, and all 22 were offered roles across various D&D venues!

Summer School

2. Pizza Pilgrims

We recently spoke with Hayley Cummings, Head of People at Pizza Pilgrims, about Pizza Academy – an innovative training site that runs out of their Camden pizzeria. The academy is aimed at young people, part-time students, former homeless people, ex-offenders, or anyone who needs a fresh start. It enables individuals to earn qualifications, gain experience, and develop transferable skills, whilst allowing existing employees to upskill and further their potential.

3. Mercato Metropolitano

Mercato Metropolitano (MM) is well known for being a great place to work. As well as being an accredited Living Wage employer, and offering benefits like employee discounts, free meals, and a competitive holiday allowance, MM has its own skills academy. This supports the hard-hit hospitality sector by developing employment skills and ensuring those who were unfairly affected by the pandemic have a fair opportunity at employment.

What other options are there for businesses to help with recruitment?

Only A Pavement Away

Harri is proud to partner with Only A Pavement Away. The business connects forward-thinking hospitality employers with charities that work with people facing homelessness, prison leavers, and veterans, helping them into long-term and secure jobs. Its Life Skills Hub aims to educate, train and provide essential skills to those being rehoused or re-employed. See how you can get involved here.

Springboard CareerScope

We’re also honoured to partner with Springboard to support their CareerScope campaign, which helps young people to find their dream jobs and create successful career paths in the industry through knowledge and training. Springboard’s free courses include 1-2-1 mentoring and coaching, allowing participants to gain soft skills, confidence, and hospitality-related accredited qualifications. Meanwhile, their training webinars provide a great opportunity to achieve personal career goals.

If you want to improve your recruitment processes in 2022, you need to think outside the box. That’s where Carri comes in. Our smart conversational ambassador manages the end-to-end application process and communications lifecycle for you, enabling you to quickly acquire top candidates whilst freeing up time for your hiring managers. 

Does this sound like a solution that could help your business overcome skill and talent shortages? Request a free demo today!

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