People over 50-years-old have been historically underrepresented in hospitality businesses and with an additional one million workers over the age of 50 in the UK workforce by 2025, UKHospitality believes that businesses should be ensuring their recruitment practices allow them to recruit from this pool.

Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, commented: “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 that 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.”

The new ‘Hospitality Guide to Recruiting Workers Aged 50+’, highlights that:

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.