Three-quarters of hospitality businesses planning recruitment drive

Three-quarters of business leaders will be looking to recruit new staff members and grow their teams in 2021, according to CGA's Business Leaders Survey.

The survey, which was sponsored by Fourth and pooled responses from 726 operators across the restaurant, bar and casual dining industries, found that 44% will be recruiting to the same, or a greater extent, than in previous years. Furthermore, they predict that their workforces will return to 79% of their previous scale by July 2021, and 90% by December 2021.

Fourth's own data, aggregated from the analysis, found the hospitality workforce shrunk by 28% over the course of 2020. Of the survey respondents, 71% of business leaders stated employee engagement will be a key focus.

Sebastien Sepierre, managing director – EMEA, Fourth, said: "There is cautious optimism returning to the industry, thanks to a clear timeline for reopening and a new round of support measures announced in the Budget. This shot in the arm will act as the starting gun for many businesses, as they seek to drive employment and establish systems ahead of reopening.

"Make no mistake, this is still a precarious time for operators, with fluctuating consumer demand and fierce competition all contributing to an uncertain and fast-changing operating climate."

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