By Katherine Price, Sustainability Editor, H&C News: Positive culture and collaboration will drive sustainability, say industry leaders.
The hospitality industry needs to work together to drive sustainability and meet the expectations of the next generation, which was the conclusion of a recent round table attended by leaders from across the sector.
Sponsored by professional hygiene technology and food waste management company Meiko UK, the event took place at Coworth Park in Ascot, Berkshire, on 31 August. The discussion focused on how hospitality can ensure it is sustainable not only in its environmental efforts but in how it engages with the younger workforce to develop a sustainable pipeline of talent, with the sector reporting around 173,000 vacancies, according to recent ONS data.
A Deloitte report on ‘Understanding Generation Z in the workplace’ concluded that companies “must demonstrate their commitment to a broader set of societal challenges such as sustainability, climate change, and hunger” to engage young people.
H&C sustainability editor Katherine Price launched the debate with the question: what are the expectations of the next generation of hospitality workers when it comes to sustainability, and how can employers effectively communicate with this segment?
Defining and understanding sustainability
Participants began by discussing what sustainability meant to them. While some defined it as a responsibility to the next generation, or being aware of the consequences of our actions, others described it as improving efficiency, and ensuring the sustainability of people.
“We’ve got to do a lot more with less,” said Paul Anderson, managing director for Meiko UK. “We try to apply that in how we manufacture equipment – it uses water, electricity and chemicals, so we need to make sure that what’s going down the drain is safe, use less water, less heating… I’m with it 100%. ”
Cyrus Todiwala, co-owner of Café Spice Namaste restaurant in London’s Docklands, spoke of communities across the UK “under threat of perishing” and the need to secure sustainable sources of income for those communities for their survival.
Chief executive of the Institute of Hospitality (IoH) Robert Richardson said that, to him, sustainability meant ensuring we have a future “for our industry, for our communities and our planet”. He said that inclusivity was one way to address the sector’s people shortage, pointing out that 173,000 was less than half the number of people of working age who have a disability and are unemployed. “And yet we never really look at how we can have a wheelchair user at the concierge desk or in housekeeping,” he said.
Culture and attitude change
Luke Holder, chief director of Lime Wood hotel in the New Forest, described the sustainability of the hospitality workforce as its “most pressing issue”.
“Attitudes and cultural ethos are absolutely paramount in changing and becoming more sustainable, and all the other environmental issues will come as a consequence of great cultural attitude within a business,” he said.
Pervin Todiwala, co-patron and operations director of Café Spice Namaste, spoke of the fierce competition for talent resulting in competitors attempting to poach employees with “envelopes of cash”; while Jemma Bessent, assistant director of people and culture at Coworth Park, expressed concerns that people were “leaving the sector altogether”.
Despite this, Richardson said that entry-level engagement the IoH has conducted indicated a business with strong core values on issues such as sustainability was a pull factor over inflated wages or bonuses.
“People want to look at businesses and see that what’s important to them is reflected in the business, whether that’s EDI or sustainability,” he said. “That’s what we’re being told.”
“They’re looking at brands in terms of, ‘does this brand align with what I believe as a person? Do I want to be part of the culture that this brand has?’ continued IoH head of marketing Kim Bailey. “If we’re not putting those messages out there and building those brand values in the right direction, then we’re not going to attract the talent that we need.”
Anderson said that young people were seeking fast career progression, while Holder stressed the importance of creating space for people to feel comfortable. He suggested that apprenticeships were becoming too academic and food too highbrow, putting people off.
He also spoke of working unpaid hours far beyond his contracted hours during most of his career, but said the industry was moving away from this as employees seek better work-life balance, particularly post-Covid.
Anne Simmonet, head of sustainability and compliance at Foodbuy, Compass’ procurement arm, pointed out that the group’s highest retention rate was in its school catering division Chartwells, which was also the easiest division to recruit for, as the hours are more aligned to school hours.
Positively, competition for talent is seeing some employers in the sector forced to offer better work-life balance on top of better salaries to attract people, Richardson suggested: “The poorer employers are having to become better just to keep the doors open.”
Power in unity
However, Bailey expressed concerns that hospitality was still not perceived as a positive industry to work in, and attendees agreed that the sector needed to collectively address the issues around sustainability, education, and its image – including getting the government on board and backing the sector to ensure its sustainability efforts aren’t undermined.
“There’s so much best practice going on in other industries,” suggested Bailey. “If we can get some collaborations together, maybe we can also use that power to push our voice forward.”
“We should see ourselves as being part of the food industry,” added Simmonet, supported by Cyrus Todiwala, who added that tourism was too often seen as separate to hospitality. He suggested the industry was “lacking unity” in education as well as a voice in government. “Every minister only has a five-year vision,” he said.
Despite the challenges facing the sector, it was clear attendees were passionate to engage with the next generation of hospitality workers by improving workplace cultures; developing more sustainable, diverse workplaces; and offering career progression opportunities.
“There’s hope because now I look at my team and they are compassionate, considerate, understanding,” said Holder.
Added Bailey: “We should be putting out some real positive messages about the fact that things have changed and will continue to change.”
The importance of businesses developing their culture to develop and grow sustainability and all its facets was evident during the morning’s discussions. Denis Sheehan, Publisher at H&C News summed up the repeated references to business culture saying: “The sustainability of hospitality is dependent upon people. We need a constant pipeline of career opportunities at every level attracting new people into our industry, and alongside that we need a business culture that retains and rewards their loyalty. Facilitating the experience of being part of hospitality to become the key retention enabler. Circular HR.”
The event was captured on video and interviews with delegates can be seen below.
The H&C News Sustainability Roundtable will take place again in early 2023, at Coworth Park in partnership with Meiko UK.