I want to transform people’s working lives – and their social lives too.
I have grown The Curve Group from a start-up in 2004 to the company it is today. Before owning The Curve Group, I was the HR Director for Deloitte’s and Sodexo, where I was part of the executive team responsible for growing their Outsourcing business.
In The Curve Group, we have built an organisation that can deliver a full range of ethical and configurable people solutions, across the entire Recruitment and HR spectrum. Our focus is on transforming people’s working lives and the Curve Group has received national recognition for this.
But it is not just about people’s working lives. I became a Tourism for All Ambassador because I want to help transform people’s social lives too.
Recruitment and HR have changed so much in the time I have been involved in the sector
There are now more employment law and compliance rules than ever before. This has got to be a good thing, because it helps to protect both employees and employers, but it does mean that HR management has become increasingly complex.
Technology is helping of course. There is less requirement now to go through face-to-face interviews for roles and this trend has really accelerated with the move toward online working that we have seen during the pandemic. This can save busy HR departments time, but this can be offset by a corresponding and increasing need for stringent vetting and ‘onboarding’ processes.
All industries are currently facing a skills shortage. There are several reasons for this, but it does seem to be affecting the tourism and hospitality sector particularly badly and it is putting pressure on employers, not just with regard to salaries but the whole nature of their relationship with employees. In my experience, the companies that are engaging the best talent in the marketplace are those who have a swift and structured recruitment process that can offer flexible working and benefits.
One change I am really pleased to see is that many larger organisations have made the decision to take diversity and inclusion far more seriously than ever before and are incorporating that into their recruitment processes.
Outsourcing can save organisations money and help them recruit better talent in a timelier fashion
Employers who outsource their recruitment and HR functions – or any elements of them – have HR skills and resource at their fingertips that can support activities that internal HR departments often won’t have time to do.
Working with a provider like The Curve Group, employers can pick and choose what they need from a range of services across the entire employee lifecycle. These services encompass sourcing and attraction of talent, screening and selection, engagement and ‘onboarding’, induction, employee relations advice, HR administration and HR assistance for employees.
An outsourced provider can also manage the employer’s diversity and inclusion monitoring and compliance. This is an area which has become increasingly important and this will continue.
Outsourcing is not just for larger organisations
Any business which hires more than 20 employees per annum should consider outsourcing in order to ensure they benefit from more competitive market rates and access to more diverse talent.
Businesses which hire smaller numbers than this can still look to benefit from external support. For recruitment, it is worthwhile engaging with traditional employment agencies to develop a small list of preferred suppliers, who are willing to invest in understanding your organisation and requirements. For general HR processes and issues, look to establish a mutual mentoring network with businesses in your area / sector, to compare experiences and share solutions. With any HR issue that you encounter, the chances are that a business in your area or sector will have experienced the same issue and will be happy to share what they have learned with you.
Impairments can have an upside as well as a downside
I have dyslexia and that can cause me some issues, such as when I am creating a document from scratch or when I am reading long complex documents or lists of numbers.
I find technology really helpful, such as my dictation software, which lets me create documents simply by dictating them, rather than having to type them.
And, like so many people, my impairment actually has some advantages. The Executive Summaries I prepare for client documents tend to be very simple, clear and straightforward, and I find that when I look at a spreadsheet which somebody has prepared I will spot any mistakes - errors seem to jump out at me, which is good news for me, even if it can be embarrassing for the person who made the error!
It still seems to be more difficult for candidates with impairments to gain employment
I think things are improving, but we still have a long way to go.
The changes in traditional interview techniques, improved access, underlying skills shortages, targets set within large organisations (although sometimes this seems to be a ‘tick box exercise’!), equipment and technology, and education are all helping.
Unfortunately, there is still bias and the only way we will overcome this is by continuing to train decision makers and by supporting employers with the cost of the necessary adaptations and the equipment required.
In a competitive employment marketplace, it isn’t just about salaries
We are in a situation where demand for staff outstrips the supply of candidates and tourism and hospitality businesses are having to compete for staff. For many businesses simply paying more than the competition is not realistic – but there are other practical things that tourism and hospitality businesses can do and offer to make themselves attractive to high quality candidates.
Flexible working and hybrid working are desirable to most candidates. The Curve Group have recently introduced a reduced working week, going from a 40 hour to a 35 hour working week. Before we announced this, we were having similar issues to other organisations.
Employers should be looking to widen their pool of candidates. Consider alternative talent which may have transferable skills or those whom you can train and develop yourself.
As a company, you must show that people can thrive in the industry and have proof of rapid progression and the opportunities you can offer. Ensuring you’re clear about what you as an employer can offer a candidate will help you to sell the opportunity.
When employees are at work ensure that their experience is positive. Remember that 80% of people who change their jobs do so because of difficulties with their line manager.
The tourism and hospitality industry can offer everyone a wonderfully engaging and enjoyable career. Show this to your employees and they will be loyal and deliver to your customers.
Don’t miss an opportunity by overlooking candidates with impairments
In today’s challenging environment, staff who are versatile, adaptable and who can solve problems are at a premium.
I would counsel any tourism or hospitality business that you are potentially missing an opportunity if you don’t consider closely candidates who have impairments, because for many people with impairments, the restrictions that society and the environment impose mean that they have developed exactly those skills of versatility, adaptability and problem solving. That can mean that someone can join your business who already has the key personal qualities you want and who you can train and develop yourself to give great – and loyal - service to your customers.
I would also counsel tourism and hospitality businesses not to overlook older, more mature candidates. The workforce is generally ageing and, as well as the benefits of experience and transferable skills, older employees can often prove to be more flexible in their working patterns – which can be a boon in a sector where nights and weekends are an essential part of the working week.
I don’t think the recruitment issues in the tourism and hospitality sector will reduce over the next couple of years
The UK population and workforce are not increasing, and I cannot see anything on the horizon that is going to change this. Bearing in mind that the tourism and hospitality sector is renowned for struggling to attract and retain top talent and that financial pressures mean that organisations don’t always have the capacity to invest in their HR, I am not hopeful that the pressure will reduce in the short to medium term.
I believe that those businesses who recognise that recruitment and HR issues are here to stay, and who invest in their existing employees, will be the businesses that thrive.
My advice would be to attract the widest pool of candidates and then really engage and invest with them. This is easier said than done, I know, and that is why, now more than ever, organisations are looking at outsourcing to help address their HR issues.
