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Guide published to boost older workers in hospitality
A new guide aims to boost the number of older workers in the hospitality industry.
A new ‘Hospitality Guide to Recruiting Workers Aged 50+’ has been developed by UKHospitality in partnership with the Government’s over-50s Ministerial Taskforce to boost the number of older workers in the sector.
It looks at areas such as job advert language and the need to ensure imagery is age diverse and includes older workers, and that employer benefits that may appeal to an older worker are emphasised, such as flexible working.
It also recommends that recruitment efforts should be targeted where older workers are more likely to see them. This includes job boards targeted at older workers, using social media platforms like Facebook and physical advertising, such as on bus stops.
And it says adaptions to the workplace need to be made to ensure workers over 50s feel valued and comfortable. This could include adapting uniform policies, offering the opportunity to advance their skills, highlighting opportunities to progress and promoting flexible working arrangements.
UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said: “With hospitality continuing to deal with staffing challenges, it’s essential that businesses do all they can to appeal to everyone in the job markets.
“For far too long, the over-50s have been under-represented in our workforce but there is real untapped potential there to fix our workforce challenges. There is so much hospitality can offer, with its flexible working hours and the social element to our sector, and we need to get this message out there.
“Greater focus on recruiting in this area of the job market can lead to greater numbers of older workers taking up the exciting career opportunities hospitality offers. These are simple steps that businesses can take but it has the potential to deliver many times over. Small changes to recruitment processes and subtle tweaks to our practices within the workplace could make a big difference.
“This guide is one of many steps UKHospitality is taking to increase our focus on this age group and what they can bring to business, and was identified as a priority area in our Workforce Strategy.”
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