WE ❤️ HOSPITALITY - Matthew Milliken

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 was diagnosed with Dyslexia at an early age and I was lucky enough to be offered a place at a superb specialist school in Somerset. I was forever buzzing around the kitchens and the idea of food preparation and service just grabbed me instantly, I was hooked and there was no other career for me. 

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

At the risk of sounding conceited I am living proof that a formal education in hospitality is not completely necessary, I work alongside many well-qualified professional and I greatly admire their knowledge but I was MD of a 4 Star hotel in my early thirties and I got there through hard work and learning on the job. 

Which leader inspired you? 

So many wonderful people have inspired me, including the owners of The Mandolay Hotel where I have been for over 6 years. However, the people I have been most inspired me have been those that told me I couldn’t do something, it seems that I am quite bloody-minded, although I prefer the term single minded. 

What keeps you in the sector? 

It’s a cliché but I have to say the variety and the challenges that every day presents. 

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

It is so important to share knowledge and pass on the experience I have gained over the years, of course there is a great deal of formal training and there are plenty of compulsory courses to be completed as well. 

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

Stick at it, ours is a wonderful industry packed with great people and opportunities. One specific piece of advice I received and still adhere to is ‘do every job as though your mum is watching…that way you’ll always do your best’. 

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

Don’t take up golf

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