At The Evolve Group UK, composed of Evolve Hospitality, Enhance Catering, and Collins King & Associates, we are passionate about fostering an inclusive and diverse workforce. This month, our focus is on age diversity in hospitality and recruitment, inspired by insights from industry leaders.
Clare Downes, Managing Director of Enhance Catering, emphasises that employers should prioritise capabilities and experience over age. “Most employers care about the capabilities of the candidates being able to carry out the role – if they ask for a Head Chef they expect someone who has the experience of doing that role within a similar setting. The age of the candidate is irrelevant, the experience and suitability are the most important thing. So, I encourage employers to look at the experience above all else. When it comes to on boarding older candidates, provide a variety of methods to enable them. Some may not have access to or be comfortable with certain technology, so be open to how you expect them to share and digest information.”
Gary King, Managing Director of Collins King, notes “I’ve seen a definite rise in the number of clients who are actively seeking over 50’s candidates or are open to considering them. This interest has been increasing over the last 2 or 3 years, especially on the culinary side and in F&B led management roles. Employers see the benefit in the skills and experience of this group, they are considered reliable and often more loyal and generally they have more commitments in life, and make career moves in a more considered way. This tends to mean they can bring more to the role and will also remain the role longer. Many more employers now actively want to hire over 50’s for skilled and senior positions for all these reasons, whereas previously they might have looked for younger candidates. I encourage all employers to be open-minded about the idea of hiring older candidates and take time to look at their career background and get to know them through the interview process. The benefits of hiring older workers are significant.”
Recent interviews with employees from The Evolve Group UK echo these sentiments, highlighting the unique perspectives and experiences that younger or older colleagues bring to the team.
Introducing you to Pamela Dancer, Recruitment Consultant for Enhance Catering, this is what she recently said, “I think it is critical to recognise that older employees can offer a wealth of experience and knowledge to younger employees within the workplace. I have myself come up against the issue of my age in the workplace, being asked with the changing workload at my age would I be able to cope? It made me lose a lot of my self-confidence and question if I could continue in my position as Area Manager within School Catering, which I had been very happy doing for 40 years.
Looking for another position at that time made me very unsure if I would be able to get another job, so I applied to work as an agency member of staff as a Kitchen assistant at Enhance Catering. I had a call from the business manager Jack Oakland who asked me if I would like to be a consultant with all my experience, and that I would be wasted as an assistant. There was never any question of my age coming into any conversation, I have never looked back since joining Enhance/Evolve and all members of staff are treated with respect and if you’re unsure on anything there is always someone to help, it’s like working in a large family business. It’s a pleasure to work for a company that thinks so highly of everyone and recognises staff when they do well.”
The second employee we spoke to is Maisie Godfrey, Payroll Administrator for The Evolve Group, she said “In general, The Evolve Group promotes age diversity by not defining the various roles within the company by age range capabilities. They recruit according to company fit whether you’re fresh out of uni or have had 40 years experience in the industry. All employees are offered the same benefits which have been designed to cater for our diverse team’s needs and wants, including training programs for all stages of career progression. Our Directors have a nurturing nature for developing careers in the hospitality industry which is demonstrated by our intern program with Ulster University offering uni students a year’s placement in the thick of our operations, gaining a vast amount of experience across the board. Equally they revel in the amazing experience that our team “from the industry, for the industry” bring to the table from 10 years as a Chef in a private members club, Restaurant manager at 2 Michelin star establishment or Head of Operations at a famous midlands football club.
My role specifically within the payroll & back office operations is super diverse in age and experience and has allowed me to grow professionally and personally, being the youngest member in the Group this is valuable experience I wouldn’t be able to gain if I worked in an environment that only had people my age (19).”
According to research by Caterer.com, as the hospitality industry faces a labour shortage, over three-quarters of employers now believe that over 50’s are crucial to solving this challenge, up from 25% in October 2022. Beyond filling vacancies, over a third of employers find age-diverse teams more productive, with higher retention rates. Additionally, 43% believe over 50’s enhance team skill sets, excelling in providing exceptional customer experiences.
With 29% of hospitality employers prioritising age diversity, we recognise the importance of taking action. From slight hiring process tweaks to comprehensive inclusion policies, becoming an age-friendly hospitality employer is a marathon, not a sprint. We believe in providing actionable tips for implementation, understanding that change takes time.
Let’s collectively champion age diversity, making the hospitality industry a welcoming and inclusive space for individuals of all ages. Join us in the journey towards a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive future in hospitality!
11th December 2023
