With over 112,000 vacant positions awaiting fulfilment, the solution to the hospitality industry's staffing scarcity might have been apparent all along, urging us not to reflexively cast aside CV’s and explore alternative recruitment strategies and embrace diverse talent pools.1

With older candidates often disregarded due to misconceptions regarding their productivity, adaptability, job longevity, and health, it takes over-50s twice as long to find employment.2 Yet, research provides no evidence that younger recruits put in a greater shift than their more senior colleagues.3

With 197,000 retirees having considered re-joining the workforce last year, there is more than enough talent to go around—but to capture their wealth of experience and unmatched work ethic, we need to create a hospitality sector that is welcoming to the older applicant.

Undoing unconscious biases

The average hospitality worker is aged between 20 and 24.4 Yet, as a sector, we have not gone out of our way to keep the age of our workforce low. The unfortunate reality is that unconscious bias affects us all and we typically don’t notice unless we’re in the firing line. For instance, a recruitment drive focusing on recent graduates may seem harmless, but will those excluded from exploring the opportunity feel the same way? To eliminate these biases and create a positive work culture for all requires a comprehensive examination of internal and external policies, processes, and messaging.

Among the policies considered should be your flexible working arrangements, with strict policies often unduly impacting the older demographic. These candidates come with other commitments—children and grandchildren to take care of, additional roles within their communities, and social activities they’re unwilling to compromise on. With years of service, they have earned this right. If establishments wish to call upon their vast experience, they need to accept adaptable schedules and remote working requests that empower older individuals to balance the work schedule and a lifetime of commitments.

Encouraging applications

But establishments cannot throw open the doors and expect the crowds to arrive, especially when no effort has been made in the marketing department. Currently, just 4% of people featured in advertisements are over-60s, despite making up a third of the population.5 This does little to dispel the image of hospitality as anti-social, physically demanding, and inflexible, with 68% of over-50s harbouring doubts about working in the sector.6

Age-inclusive marketing campaigns—such as McDonald’s 2023 recruitment drive featuring a silver-haired employee who was “not the retiring type”—can work wonders to dispel such assumptions. However, words alone won’t entice experienced workers. That requires action. Here, the Government’s ‘Returnership’ program, which offers funding for the training and development of talent aged over 50, can serve as a blueprint. With skill bootcamps that refresh the knowledge of those returning to the workforce, apprenticeship drives that aren’t solely focused on fresh-faced talent, and sector-based work academy programmes for those seeking new experiences, hospitality can recruit those that aren’t quite ready to call it a day.

Capitalising on experience

Hospitality is in the midst of a staffing crisis, but older candidates offer far more than an opportunity to make up numbers. They offer five-star problem-solving skills, outstanding customer service, and an ability to stay calm under pressure that is only earned from decades in a job. With research showing that half of all hospitality’s Gen Z workers plan to quit within four years, such experience will become harder to find.7

However, surrounding youth with seasoned talent could change hospitality’s fate. Along with instilling a sense of commitment and professionalism, these older colleagues will have plenty of stories to tell and experience to impart, helping young people to see that the sector is far more than a CV stop-gap. This mentorship can make all the difference to those just finding their feet in the industry. For instance, without the support of Tony Facciolo, an esteemed concierge with an unwavering commitment to serving guests, Burgh Island’s Head Concierge, Simon James, would have never stuck it out in the hospitality sector.

With or without a staffing shortage, the benefits of recruiting the older generation cannot be overstated. Experience, mentorship, and an invaluable work ethic should be qualities that every establishment seeks—but hospitality will need to put the work in if it’s to attract these outstanding candidates.

1. https://www.thecaterer.com/news/hospitality-job-vacancies-fall-pre-pandemic-levels
2. https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/article/1826672/50s-twice-long-rest-workforce-find-new-employment-study-finds
3.  https://financialpost.com/financial-times/older-workers-arent-less-productive
4.  https://www.caterer.com/recruiter-advice/how-to-engage-the-next-generation-of-hospitality-workers
5. https://www.marketing-beat.co.uk/2023/08/22/data-over-60-adverts/
6. https://restless.co.uk/press/over-50s-hospitality/
7. https://www.publicsectorcatering.co.uk/in-depth/stay-nimble-research-reveals-gen-z-turning-backs-long-term-hospitality-jobs