WE ❤️ HOSPITALITY - Katy Thompson

The last year has been terrible for the hospitality sector. Most businesses have seen extreme financial challenges and its reputation as an employer has been severely affected. We are now hearing from many, many of our clients about their fears for the future from staff shortages to skills gaps and top mid-senior talent moving to other sectors.

Krishnan Doyle is sharing his conversations with service industry leaders and operators on all that is good about hospitality & catering with the purpose to improve the sector's reputation as one of the largest employer worldwide but also as a great place to develop your career. 

How did you get into hospitality?

I started working at the local golf club as a waitress on weekends and then moved into pubs to earn a bit of cash. I just really enjoyed the social side and being part of a team. I sort of fell into it after that as I studied Home Economics at A Level and from there thought a Hospitality degree would be easy! It wasn’t…

Do you think it is important to have studied hospitality to be a success in the sector?

I think it helps but it is not essential. To be successful in Hospitality it’s all about personality and the right attitude. 

Which leader / figure inspired you and why?

My Dad – however successful and busy he was, he always had time for people and made sure he had fun along the way. 

What keeps you in the sector and why to you enjoy working in it?

The people mainly – I am fortunate to work with some of the best and they become your second family. Second to that is my love of food – the past year has been particularly tough on all of us but not being able to eat out has been torture. I also love how every day is a different and I love the challenge that this brings. 

Tell us about the development / training that you give to your teams and management

At CH&CO we have an outstanding L&D team who provide us with so much support and are constantly evolving and bringing new ideas to the table. At the moment we’re very focussed on ensuring our teams are supported on their return to work. We’ve held a number of Wellness sessions now and the most recent focussed on how music can really boost you – we had so much feedback from this that we’ve created our very own CH&CO wellness playlist! We’re also about to launch our new discovery induction pack for new and returning employees which is really exciting. 

What advice would you give to those starting out in the sector?

Enjoy yourself, be a team player and listen. Oh, and always leave a job on a good note, you never know who you will bump into again along the way! 

If you could go back and tell yourself one piece of advice as you started your career, what would it be?

I would have like to have experienced different parts of the sector, I kind of fell into contract catering and wish I had had more retail experience starting out.

If you would like to take part as a leader in this thriving sector, get in touch with Krishnan (krishnan@corecruitment.com)