Hiring in hospitality: the recruitment paradox

What do you get when you combine immense pressure to secure new staff, rising employment costs and increasingly complex legislation?

We like to call it the recruitment paradox.

Hospitality, as a sector, has the highest staff turnover of any industry in the UK, creating a relentless need to recruit, not to mention seasonal peaks driving further demand.

However, recent legislative changes, such as the Employment Rights Act 2025 and updates from the Autumn Budget, are making many employers think twice about their recruitment strategies.

To support, in this blog, we provide recruitment best-practice advice to help you manage your hiring going forward in 2026.

Five tips for hospitality recruitment

To manage demands, employers must adopt smarter, more efficient hiring strategies.

Here are five ways you can optimise your recruitment efforts.

Create clear job adverts

Firstly, ensure your job adverts are transparent, outlining the role’s expectations and the contract’s duration.

Look to include:

• Job title: clear and specific (e.g., Barista, Hotel Receptionist)
• Company introduction: briefly describe your business, values and culture
• Role overview: summarise the role’s purpose and importance
• Key responsibilities: use bullet points with action verbs to list main duties
• Essential skills and qualifications: highlight must-have and desirable attributes
• Working hours: specify shift patterns, flexibility and part-time/full-time options
• Benefits and perks: include salary, staff discounts, training and unique perks
• Location: clearly state the workplace location and accessibility
• Salary and compensation: be transparent about pay, tips and bonuses
• Application process: provide clear instructions and deadlines for applying
• Call to action: end with an enthusiastic invitation to apply

Solidify your interview process

Use various question types to assess personality, values, knowledge and work experience.

Example interview questions include:

• How would you describe yourself?
• Why do you want to work here?
• What motivates you?
• How do you handle stress?
• Why are you leaving your current role?
• What are your future goals?
• Can you tell me about how you overcame a difficult situation?
• What are your salary expectations?
• Do you have any questions for me?

Highlight flexibility

Flexibility is a key draw for seasonal workers.

Offer varied shift patterns and support a healthy work-life balance.

Additionally, consider implementing Earned Wage Access (EWA) solutions, which allow staff to access a portion of their wages before payday – a perk that can be particularly appealing to temporary workers.

Advertising locations

Choose appropriate platforms to advertise your jobs and tailor your approach based on your target audience.

For instance, consider TikTok for Gen Z recruitment, and platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Indeed and Total Jobs for wider reach.

Leverage recruitment software

Modern recruitment software, or applicant tracking systems (ATS), can transform your hiring process, especially during busy periods.

Here’s how:

• Vacancy authorisations: automate the approval process for new roles, reducing bottlenecks and ensuring vacancies are advertised quickly
• Role advertising: post job openings across multiple platforms with just a few clicks, reaching a broader audience without the hassle + for repetitive roles, you can automate the process entirely
• Application forms: use customisable templates to gather the right level of information for each role without overwhelming candidates
• Shortlisting: filter out unqualified applicants and rank suitable candidates, saving time and ensuring you focus on the best talent

Managing cost and legislative pressure

Stephanie Coward, Managing Director, HCM, commented on the Autumn Budget, stating: “Modern HR and payroll systems help teams automate payroll and HR compliance, identify where organisational practices haven’t kept pace with legislation and provide insight into where they can redesign benefits or processes more creatively.  

“Accurate workforce cost modelling becomes critical when threshold freezes compound over multiple years, affecting everyone from entry-level employees  benefitting from minimum wage increases to earners facing changes to salary sacrifice schemes.  

“Automation and better-quality data also enable HR professionals to focus on value-add initiatives that drive employee engagement, which is vital for retention in a competitive labour market.  

“Managing regulatory change through spreadsheets or static intranet documents is no longer viable.  

“By using technology to ensure legal compliance, automate key payroll tasks, personalise benefits, shape career development programmes and streamline communications, HR teams can help their organisations move onto a stronger footing following another influential Budget.”  

FREE guide: tackling hospitality’s top three people challenges

The hospitality industry thrives on delivering unforgettable experiences, but behind the scenes, it’s a whirlwind of people management, compliance and logistics.  

Now, in 2026, the pressure to get it right has never been greater. 

From finding and keeping the right talent to navigating evolving legislation, the challenges are stacking up – in an industry where happy staff equal happy customers, there’s no room for error

Our new guide is here to help you cut through the noise.  

We’ve tackled the three biggest HR hurdles facing hospitality businesses in 2026, offering practical insights and actionable strategies.

HR overview: tackling hospitality’s top three people challenges

Download here