Simply attracting people into your organisation can be difficult, while finding those with the skills, personality and drive you seek remains even more of a challenge. The job pool is growing ever smaller in the UK, and other upstart industries such as mobile telecoms now directly compete for the employees our industry needs, not only to survive but to continue to grow.
For a potential employee or career professional in the hospitality industry finding time for interviews is always difficult, but Caterer Jobs Live 2003, which takes place at the Novotel Hammersmith London hotel, 6 to 8 October, has been specifically designed to tackle this problem directly.
Nowhere else will you find a dedicated hospitality recruitment event that introduces job candidates to the types of employers they want to meet, facilitating easy, face-to-face meetings that give both parties an instant recognition of what each other has to offer, all centralised in a single location.
"There were so many employers under one roof, all actively looking to recruit, which meant no one wasted your time," says Malcolm Higgins, who, with his wife Fiona, left his previous employer and joined the Greene King Pub Company after meeting representatives of the company at last year's event. "You get to meet key people from each company and get an immediate feel for what they're like as employers. You also get to meet face-to-face and can really sell yourself."
Visitors to the show will be able to spend considerable time going round all the exhibitors' stands, and the show will also feature a range of offerings aimed at equipping job candidates with the ammunition they need to make their mark.
As part of the event, Caterer will be running CV Live, an opportunity to gain insight, encouragement and practical advice from a range of senior industry figures. The likes of chef-restaurateur Brian Turner, Charles Boyd, managing director of contract caterer Chester Boyd, chef Michael Caines, and Frank Bothwell, a regional director of contract caterer Avenance, will be on hand over the three days of the event to give attendees the lowdown on the industry and share stories of their failures and successes on the way to the top.
There will also be self-development seminars, competitions, CV clinics and interview advice available throughout the show. Those attending should make sure they're equipped with plenty of copies of their up-to-date CV and be prepared for an immediate interview.
"Employers often recruit for attitude rather than skills, so make sure you are positive and enthusiastic," says Jane Sunley, managing director of Learnpurple and a CV Live speaker at the show. "Be interested, as well as interesting, and know both your short- and long-term goals. Also, be aware of your main selling points."
With the economy at last steadying itself, and operators looking to the future and the long term, now is the time to make your next move and make it count. Caterer believes that this event will help you do just that.
Timetable details for this free event can be found at the dedicated mini-website, www.catererjobslive.com, and Rachelle Breaden is available on 020 8652 8385 to answer any queries you may have.
Who'll be speaking at the show?
A range of industry leaders will be speaking at Caterer Jobs Live, among them:
- Charles Boyd, managing director of catering company Chester Boyd, which has been credited with substantially raising the standards of catering in the City of London.
- Emma Corlett, director of human resources, Four Seasons hotel, London
- Brian Turner, one of the UK's best-known and most successful chefs and restaurateurs, whose latest restaurant, Brian Turner Mayfair, opened in London in April
- Gareth Edwards, operations director, Springboard UK
- Frank Bothwell, regional managing director for London and the South-east of England, Avenance UK
- Jane Sunley, managing director of the UK's first people retention business, Learnpurple
- Michael Caines, managing director, Michael Caines Restaurants
- Fiona Ingham, senior image consultant, House of Colour Image Consultancy, London