CGA, the insight and data consultancy for pub, bar, and restaurant operators and training specialist CPL Learning have provided a unique perspective on the re-opening of the hospitality sector, from those on the front line with our latest survey.
The research is a first-of-its-kind study with over 500 professionals from across the hospitality sector revealing the extent to which employees have been supported through lockdown and their thoughts ahead of returning to the industry.
More workers said their opinion of their companies had improved rather than worsened since the beginning of the COVID crisis, with good communication being a major factor.
The research carried out earlier in June among a range of front-line staff, including general managers, operations teams, front-of-house and back-of-house team members, nonetheless reveals that almost two thirds (65%) of hospitality workers are concerned about their short-term job security, jumping to 80% for back of house team members. Overall, 24% are very concerned.
“Against the background of media headlines about business failures, sites not reopening and predicted job losses, this is hardly surprising,” said Charlie Mitchell, research & insight director at CGA. “But generally respondents remain upbeat about the sector and hospitality as a career for them. Judging by some of the write-in comments, there’s an eagerness to return to work.”
Our survey reveals that over half of those surveyed expect to return to work by the end of July. Despite worries about their own jobs, 76% reported confidence that their employers will survive, with 37% very confident.
Looking at the whole market, a third (34%) of our survey respondents believe it will recover by the end of the year, 32% by the first half of 2021, and 35% thinking it will take longer.
“Over half (58%) of workers in the survey are optimistic about the prospects hospitality over the next 12 months – which makes them more upbeat than their bosses,” added Mitchell.
When they return to work, team members expect to see a number of measures being implemented to ensure their safety. Your teams will expect more regular cleaning, increased provision of hand sanitiser, physical distancing measures and PPE provision, which matches similar expectations from consumers.
Team members expect reduced shifts and smaller teams when they return to work, although few felt this was essential for their return. Just 16% of workers feel that reduced shifts would be essential in their return to work, despite 44% expecting this. Similarly, 62% were expecting limited capacity for teams, with just 35% suggesting it was essential.
The results suggest a broadly positive picture of the interaction between teams and their employers during lockdown, with 35% of team members suggesting that their opinion of their employers has improved over the period.
69% of respondents said they have been satisfied with the level of support from their employers with 60% believing their wellbeing had been prioritised. Communication has been key in building good feeling between team members and their employers, with two thirds (67%) saying that communication had been done well.
Finally, a massive 74% of team members feel that the industry offers good career opportunities with 64% of respondents planning to remain within the sector for over five years. 61% would recommend hospitality as a career to friends and family.
The survey shows that there is a lot of positive feeling among hospitality professionals despite a challenging few months and some future uncertainty.
Keep an eye on the CPL Learning blog for more insights from the Team Member Survey soon and also join our Hospitality Professionals Facebook group for more industry insights, surveys and training opportunities here.
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