The trials and
tribulations of post pandemic recruitment
According to the Office for National
Statistics, "hospitality
businesses are most likely to be experiencing challenges in filling vacancies
compared with normal expectations at this time of year."
We are proud of our low employee turnover
within Albacore and don't need to recruit very often. However, I've just
completed the recruitment process for a vacancy as our client experienced a
surge in employees returning to the office preferring to interact with
real humans again - great news for us!
Here we are edging out of the pandemic
and finding that Brexit, hospitality business closures and the end of furlough
have forced so many talented hospitality professionals to seek employment in
other sectors.
I try to recruit all of our employees and it's
a process I usually enjoy. My highlights are the amusing email addresses
candidates use in the hope of securing their dream job. santababy@xxx.com, mamawontwork@xxx.com , and Im-just-bad-news@xxx.com, to name just
three!
I then send about one hundred "I was
impressed with your cv and experience however... ''emails, and keep the six
best for interview and trial shift if appropriate.
I utilise an online advertising and community
website as it's reasonably priced and you can use unlimited words, unlike a
newspaper where ‘’ Catering Asst required M-F Bathgate’’ will set you back the
price of a city break.
A couple of weeks ago, I placed one of my
usual advertisements online with what I thought was a great opportunity.
Catering Assistant, Monday to Friday,7am to 3pm, living wage, meal on duty,
uniform, pension, development programme...I braced myself for the deluge of
applications.
Replying to the first three candidates emails
all three came back undelivered multiple times.
Then three applied by text- fantastic!
Initial phone interviews, all sounded perfect
for the role, a wonderful dilemma! Trial shifts arranged with payment at the
end.
All with the usual confirmation
email, full instructions for location, travel, access to the building plus
the plea that as I was travelling an hour to the site especially to meet them,
JUST TEXT if you change your mind. Reply to my email to confirm you'll be
attending.
I arrive at site half an hour early.
Reception, security, the team and I wait with anticipation. Will they be
THE ONE?
Twenty minutes later my welcoming smile has
become rather crumpled. I feel like a teenager whose first date didn't
show up.
What did I say?
What did I do wrong?
Did the bus break down?
Are they all lost, panicking out there
somewhere?
Were they all abducted by an alien?
Are they all involved in a vendetta to repay
me for something I unknowingly did to upset them?
Strangely now, the mobile number I was
previously connected to with warmth and enthusiasm now cuts off when I speak,
or goes straight to voicemail. I leave a lonely voice message, followed by an
insincere text "I assume you're no longer interested in the position.
Wishing you all the best for the future" and hold myself back from adding
NOT!
It's not all doom and gloom, though. A day
later, I received a text "intrstd in job no cv". I took a chance,
called back within a millisecond and arranged the interview, trial shift and
immediate offer and start date all completed in two days. The team on site are
so happy with their new member and so is our client. And I'm ecstatic! On cloud
nine!
I’m not speaking from actual experience, but
just like dating sites, there are still some really great matches out there, we
all just have to work harder to find them!
Good luck to everyone recruiting
at the moment. I wish you every success in finding THE ONE!
