There has been much improvement and change over the past year on the hospitality employment landscape, but there is always room for improvement and refinement to continue recruiting and retaining hospitality professionals. 

We recently surveyed our audience on their experience and what is keeping them in the hospitality industry or what they are looking for if they plan on leaving. 

Thank you to everyone who participated in our survey, we appreciate your feedback. 

How unemployment changed from 2020-2021

The current leisure and hospitality unemployment rate is 7.5%, a monumental improvement from the 39.3% we saw at the crux of the pandemic in April 2020, but still 3% over the total unemployment for all industries (4.6%).

56% of our audience answered that they were currently unemployed, 32% are in management, 8% are in front of house and 5% are in back of house roles. 96% of our audience said that they are currently looking for a new employment opportunity. 

Of the 96% looking for a new employment opportunity, 90% are planning to stay in the hospitality industry. Many in that group mentioned that hospitality is their life long passion, and the relationships they have developed are keeping them in the industry. Of the 10% who are planning to look outside of the industry for a new employment opportunity, they said the workload to pay ratio is no longer sustainable and that there are some ethical issues that the industry or specific employers need to correct instead of just talking about. 

Although in a previous survey, 87% of our audience said the hospitality industry is equally as or more diverse than other industries, 30% of those who identified as Black or African American, 12% Asian, 8% Hispanic, Latinx or Spanish Origin and 9% White still believe it is less diverse, so there is still room for improvement. 

What Job Seekers are Looking for, Really

With so many job seekers on the hunt, what are they looking for in new employment opportunities? 

The top five things that job seekers look for in a job description are:

Previously, job seekers also said the top thing they look for when deciding to apply to a job opportunity is how well that job matches up with their skills and the career path they would like to be on. 82% answered that having technology that matches them to job opportunities, like the Hcareers Personal Fit Score, increases their chance of applying to a job.

Using These to Create Your Job Description

Keeping this information in mind when you are creating and posting your job descriptions on Hcareers can help increase the number of candidates you receive, and will help them be a better match for your role.

The more skills, requirements and perks and values that you include in the job description and your employer profile, the more accurate candidates Personal Fit Scores can be when they see your job opportunities.

Also, the more information you include on your job description, candidates will know all of your expectations and needs and make a more informed decision when applying.

Here are 8 more tips to optimizing your job posts