Hospitality firms offer UK staff relocation bonuses as they struggle to fill Brexit hiring gap, report claims

Most hospitality firms say Brexit is still impacting their ability to hire staff, according to research – with firms now looking to lure workers from other parts of the UK with lucrative relocation packages. 

In a new report, hospitality jobs website Caterer said 69 per cent of hospitality businesses were having difficulty recruiting personnel because of Brexit.

Chef positions are the most challenging to fill, it said, with nearly two-thirds of companies struggling, followed by general management and front-of-house roles.

According to Caterer, 70 per cent of hospitality companies believe that actively trying to enlist UK workers from outside their immediate area will help solve the shortage.

Some are enticing staff with flexible shift patterns or relocation packages involving bonuses, moving costs or subsidised accommodation.

Calvern James, the director of hospitality management at Caterer, said firms had ‘swapped the EU for Edinburgh and Essex as they become increasingly more creative in finding talent.’

He added: ‘This could be a hotel in Devon advertising to workers in Scotland or a Yorkshire cafe targeting people thinking of leaving London.’

Other hospitality groups are recruiting from traditionally overlooked demographics, such as refugees, students, the homeless, and ex-offenders. 

Britain’s departure from the European Union four years ago led to additional red tape and costs for groups wanting to employ people from mainland Europe. 

Many EU citizens also returned to their home countries, a trend that was accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic and the temporary restrictions on non-essential venues like pubs, bars, and restaurants.

Caterer said the ‘next few months are a crucial time for the [hospitality] sector,’ which estimates it will hire nearly one million Britons to support this summer’s events calendar.

It pointed to the Paris Olympics, European Football Championships in Germany, and Taylor Swift’s Eras tour, whose 15 UK dates are anticipated to boost consumer spending by almost £1billion.

The website’s report also said hospitality companies would need extra workers to serve the three-quarters of UK families planning ‘staycations.’  

Eighty per cent of hospitality businesses intend to enlarge their headcount in the coming months to cope with the potential bump in trade.

Between January and March 2024, vacancies for roles on Caterer increased by almost a quarter, with positions in Scotland seeing a 68 per cent jump, the biggest rise of any region.

Caterer’s survey involved polling organisation Opinium questioning 100 firms and 2,000 UK adults in April.