As hospitality continues to face staffing challenges, UKHospitality’s new guide shows businesses how they can adapt their recruitment practices and engage with the over-50’s in the job market. People over 50 years old have been historically underrepresented in hospitality businesses and with an additional 1 million workers over the age of 50 in the UK workforce by 2025¹, businesses should be ensuring their recruitment practices allow them to recruit from this pool.

The new ‘Hospitality Guide to Recruiting Workers Aged 50+’, developed by UKHospitality in partnership with the Government’s over-50s Ministerial Taskforce, highlights that:

1. Job adverts should ensure imagery is age diverse and includes older workers, use language that doesn’t deter older workers, and emphasise employer benefits that may appeal to an older worker, such as flexible working.
2. Recruitment efforts should also 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.
3. 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.

“I’m delighted we’ve been able to work with The Phoenix Group and the Government on this important document and I hope it makes a tangible difference for businesses and the new workers they recruit as a result.”