· Caterer.com, together with Choose Hospitality, has created a series of inspiring videos showcasing to the next generation what it is really like to work in hospitality, alongside an extensive range of guidance and resources to support jobseekers
· The campaign has reached over 40k people across Tik Tok and Instagram, with Caterer.com seeing 4m applications in the last quarter of 2022 alone
· Tom Kerridge and other key industry figures and influencers appear in the content across social channels, which includes Tik Tok, to engage entry level talent across the country
· In addition, the Caterer.com ‘Hospitality Heroes’ videos, created alongside top brands such as Nobu and The Landmark London Hotel have been shared via the Youth Employment UK website and have been downloaded by over 100 schools to date as a careers teaching resource.
Caterer.com is working with Choose Hospitality and top hospitality brands to inspire the next generation of talent via a series of inspiring videos, content and resources.
Working with key industry figures, including the likes of Tom Kerridge and James Martin, amongst other influential TikTok content creators, the campaign targets a vast audience of young workers considering their next role or future careers. It has reached over 40,000 people on Tik Tok and Instagram to date, with Caterer.com also seeing over 4m applications to jobs on its website during the last quarter of 2022.
The series of videos, featuring TikTok influencers including Luke Flunder, thealmostcook and Marcus Bean, are focused on the ‘day in the life’ of a hospitality worker, demonstrating the versatility of the sector and its benefits, whilst breaking down negative perceptions surrounding the likes of flexibility and pay.
Research from the hospitality hiring partner found that 200,000 EU workers have left the sector since the pandemic began and whilst 61% of hospitality employers have been registered to hire internationally, immigration policies are discouraging 89% from doing this. With this in mind, the need to engage with homegrown talent and change misconceptions of the sector has never been more important.
Hospitality Heroes
Caterer.com has also created a ‘Hospitality Heroes’ content series currently being shown in classrooms across the UK. The videos have already been shared via Youth Employment UK and have been downloaded by over 100 schools to support as a teaching resource.
With previous Caterer.com research showing that over 95% of school leavers would not consider a career in hospitality*, the relatable but inspirational videos aim to change perceptions of the sector as they follow employees at different stages in their career.
Featuring leading figures at work across the UK – from a Commis Chef Apprentice at Nobu to a Front Office Manager at St Ermin’s Hotel and an Executive Chef at The Landmark Hotel.
Kathy Dyball, Director at Caterer.com: “The success of the hospitality sector continues to be hampered by significant talent gaps, and whilst there is no silver bullet to solving this, every employer and organisation in the industry can act to make a difference – and Caterer.com are pleased to play a significant part. Future talent for hospitality will take many forms, and young people are one key cohort. Engaging them in a long term, sustainable way is crucial, and through our partnerships with Choose Hospitality and Youth Employment UK, we’ve created genuinely engaging and useful video and resources that reach young people where they are at. The impact of the campaign so far is clear, with 40,000 people reached across Tik Tok and Instagram and 4 million applications to jobs on Caterer.com in the last quarter of 2022 alone.”
Claire Bosi, editor of Chef and Restaurant Magazine and co-founder of Choose Hospitality: “Over the past few months, we have received comments like ’this is what our industry needs’ or ‘we think you really can make a difference’ from business owners and operators across many disciplines within the hospitality sector. We know that Choose Hospitality together with Caterer.com will, in time, create an environment in which young people and job seekers are opting for a role in hospitality as their first and preferred choice.
“Collaboration, working as one team, with one shared purpose is what hospitality is all about – and this is why Choose Hospitality works. We understand, from first-hand experience, the challenges faced by both employees and employers. We see how preconceptions of a career in hospitality may have diminished the numbers coming through in recent years, we acknowledge that much work is being, and still must be done, to reverse those preconceptions.
“With such a strong start, and with time, effort, community and support – Choose Hospitality together with Caterer.com will continue to reach out to and inspire people into what we know is one of the most diverse, rewarding and exciting industries to be a part of.”
James Wingerath, Commercial Director at Youth Employment UK: “The bitesize Hospitality Heroes videos from Caterer.com give young people a real insight into what a career in hospitality is like, and the variety of roles available from event management, through to being a chef or working in the concierge department. The videos have also been a huge success with schools around the UK; with over 100 downloading them as a teaching resource, supporting young people with the skills and careers support that they need to progress.”
To watch Caterer.com’s Hospitality Hiring videos and find current vacancies visit: www.caterer.com/advice/what-types-of-jobs-are-there-in-hospitality.
For more information about Youth Employment visit www.youthemployment.org.uk/.
