WE ❤️ HOSPITALITY - Robin Sheppard

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? 

Took a holiday job aged 15+3/4 as a waiter in a West Country hotel. It was terrifying and so old fashioned, but the drama hooked me straight away

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

Helpful yes, essential no. Sadly our hotel schools such as Bournemouth and Oxford Brookes have given up on their recent purpose, and that creates a real hole in terms of talent supply.

Which leader / figure inspired you and why? 

Douglas Barrington owner of the Lygon Arms, because he pointed out my many mistakes and made sure that I never forgot how to avoid repetition. Anticipating the needs of his guests was his great skill.

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

Possibly because I am no longer fit to do anything else! But I have loved my 50 years in the industry and still get the buzz. The job changes every day and it’s the variety I adore.

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

Its constant and in permanent flux as we veer from new Covid regulations, to employment rules and our portfolio grows. Sharing our DNA with each new member of the family needs method, systems and touch. It’s a fine balancing act. 

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

 Zigzag! And work for well-known businesses at the beginning. Employers won’t know you from Adam but will recognise where you have worked before and base their early view on assumptions about the quality of that restaurant, bar or hotel. 

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

Trust your gut instinct and don’t overrule it. Every mistake I have ever made has been for this reason and thank fully I am doing it less often.

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