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New white paper urges hospitality sector to embrace the 'now economy' to plug staffing gaps

Published:  10 September, 2018

Embracing the “now economy” by using technology to plug staffing gaps with temporary workers has been hailed a must for the hospitality sector as a staff shortage looks poised to increase further as a result of Brexit.

The uncertainty surrounding Brexit, coupled with a weaker pound that is already making it hard for businesses to attract temporary workers, will force the sector to look to use social media recruiting, app-based technology or other “innovative methods” in order to reach “quality flexible workers faster and in greater numbers”, according to a new white paper by hospitality recruitment specialist Adia.

Recruiting in the “Now Economy” white paper follows the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy suggesting there are close to 2.8 million people working in the now economy in the UK. According to the white paper, those involved are generally younger than the rest of the population, with more than half (56%) aged 18 to 34.

That group, it says, is made up of those who choose to earn their main income from flexible work; casual earners who take on flexible work on the side of permanent positions; individuals who take on flexible work in addition to permanent work as a financial necessity; and those who have to pursue flexible work but would like a permanent position.

Pointing to a recent study by KPMG, which warned the sector would need to recruit another 60,000 workers a year on top of 200,000 staff already required to meet its needs if EU migration is restricted, Adia chief executive Ernesto Lamaina, said: “With all trends suggesting the now society will grow, businesses must move with it to ensure they are recruiting the kind of quality staff they need to operate.”

One important way of doing that was by giving employees more autonomy to choose the jobs that were right for them as this in turn was likely to improve productivity, he added.

“As the world of work evolves there will no longer be a requirement or option to employ as many full-time, permanent staff. This is matched by a shift in mindset from younger generations, away from the traditional nine to five and towards short-term work, which offers them greater autonomy,” he said.

Benefits of the now economy include allowing employers to offer jobs on a non-permanent basis to reduce the cost of permanent workers, cover holidays/sick days, meet deadlines, fill in during seasonal peaks, staff large-scale events, and work on temporary contracts or non-permanent campaigns.

Businesses like Deliveroo, People Per Hour and Airbnb are all examples of businesses thriving in the now economy.

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