From Sheffield United to luxury hotels – how Sheffield companies are struggling to fill hospitality jobs

Some of the city’s big employers gathered at the Winter Garden, next to the Peace Gardens, and explained how they currently struggle to fill roles ranging from housekeeping at a hotel to selling pies to mid -time at Sheffield United’s Bramall Lane Stadium.

They were brought together in a recruiting “job jamboree” which attracted potential staff to the site looking for work.

Hotels and restaurants explained how they struggled to find staff, with some even interviewing staff at the event to help move the hiring process forward.

Nigel Coleman, spokesperson for South Yorkshire JobCentre Plus, which organized the event, said: “A lot of organizations, some of the big pub and bar chains, really have hundreds of jobs that they have under their belts and I’m having a hard time recruiting right now because I think people are slowly coming back to life regardless of the new normal, but in fact while that is happening the workforce must be there behind them

“It is essential to fill these jobs, especially for a city like Sheffield. We have a really brilliant offer on the table when it comes to hospitality. We have a great nightlife, we have a theater life. great bars, restaurants and nightclubs, but all of these events need people to make them run. You or me, if we are going out for a meal or a drink, we need someone to serve us. These industries suffered a lot during the covid in that they lost a lot of their regular staff that they could have had, and they are now in the recruiting market, and hundreds of people are needed to fill these positions.

The general manager of the Mercure Sheffield St Pauls hotel in the city center, Victoria Camm, said she saw great interest in the roles offered at the event.

She said: “We are looking for jobs in reception, housekeeping as well as food and beverage service as we have seen a big increase in the number of events. Currently we find that it is more It’s hard to keep than to recruit, it’s an employee market right now and there is a lot of competition in the area, so we are struggling to retain new team members.

Emma Belwood, who hires for the hotel through Amaris Hospitality, said recruiters also find that potential new hires are sometimes offered more money from their existing employees to encourage them to stay where they are.

She represents five hotels and said she believes the Mercure Sheffield St Pauls has fewer recruiting issues than some other hotels because its central location and good transport links make it a popular place to work.

Officials at Crown Plaza, which runs Crown Plaza Royal Victoria and Holiday Inn Express, said they are currently looking for dozens of people, especially chefs. They were also looking for restaurant managers, restaurant assistants, bartenders and housekeepers. They had received the greatest interest in housekeeping roles, but they also hoped that a number of the people they had met could take on their leadership roles.

Filipino Przybysz, shift manager at Canadian fast food chain Tim Hortons, was looking for more than 30 jobs at his Crystal Peaks site which opened this summer.

He said, “We are looking for team members, managers and team members. “

“At the moment, it’s very difficult to recruit in the restaurant business. There are people who do not know if they have the required experience.

Sam French and Molly Ahmed were at the event for the Compass Company, recruiting for catering jobs at Sheffield United at the club’s Bramall Lane Stadium.

They said they could potentially review hundreds of posts.

Regional consultant Sam said: “We are looking for as many as possible. It is a casual part-time job.

“It’s mainly game day, but we do other events. We have bar jobs, chefs, kitchen porters, plate servers, and kiosk jobs selling pies and beer.

“We’ve had quite a few people signing up this morning on our computer. These will come in the form of nominations, and there will be an induction.

“It’s really hard to find people at all levels in the hospitality business these days. “

Hollie Magee, head of human resources at Vine Hotels, said she is looking for 25 employees for their hotels in Sheffield – Kenwood Hall in Nether Edge, DoubleTree by Hilton in Norton and Mosborough Hall in Mosborough – as well as seasonal staff in Whirlow Brook Handsworth Hall and Rectory.

She said they were looking for catering staff, mainly waiters and bar staff.

She said, “It’s good to come to this. There was a lot of traffic, and a lot of people took details.

“Three or four months ago it was very difficult to recruit, but it’s getting easier now.

The Restaurant Group, which operates sites such as Frankie and Benny’s and Chiquitos, was recruiting staff for its restaurants in Meadowhall, Don Valley Centertainment and Parkgate in Rotherham.

Scott Hesford, deputy managing director of the Centertainment site, said they were hiring staff, including chefs, bartenders and waiters, as well as management opportunities.

He said, “It’s not a specific number of jobs. We have the jobs and we will not turn down the right people.

“We’ve had quite a bit of interest and people applying on the website. We also did informal interviews here.

“We are happy with the response so far.

Chloe Tindall, recruitment consultant for TRG, said it was difficult to recruit right now and in the past some candidates did not show up for interviews.

Local journalism holds the powerful to account and gives voice to the people. Please take a digital subscription or purchase a paper. Thank you. Nancy Fielder, editor