In conversation with: Joanne Barratt

In the fifth Annual Event Salary Survey Q&A, Jill Hawkins talks to Joanne Barratt, managing director, The Venues Collection. She says employee training helps with staff retention
In conversation with: Joanne Barratt
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In the fifth Annual Event Salary Survey Q&A, Jill Hawkins talks to Joanne Barratt, managing director, The Venues Collection. She says employee training helps with staff retention.

Recruitment

Jill Hawkins: What is the biggest recruitment challenge facing the industry now?

Joanne Barratt: We are facing a few challenges at the moment.

Many applicants lack experience and understanding of the industry, so when they apply there is a gap between the image they have of the role and their expectations and the actual reality of the job. For example, we are a 24/ 7 operation and most of our roles are not Monday to Friday positions.

Where a position requires a specific skill – such as a chef or an event sales office position – we currently have very few people applying. This means that we have to be extra creative in where we post positions and what we do to attract candidates.

We are also finding that some candidates are applying for a role, going through the recruitment process and once offered the job, they are using the offer as a bargaining tool to ask their current employers for more money.

JH: Could you share any initiatives you have implemented to help recruitment?

JB: Training is very important to us and we do a lot of work with apprenticeship schemes – offering them to new starters and also to our existing teams to help with their career advancements. 

What we can offer an individual does depend on the role, but we have looked at how departments can be restructured to accommodate individual job seeker requests and requirements.

We know that the mid-age group no longer want to move to a different part of the country to progress in their career, so we are looking at ways in which we can move them around different Compass venues and departments to provide more varied and fulfilling training and career opportunities.

We are also ensuring that the candidate experience is a good one; we ensure we get back to candidates quickly and treat them with courtesy and respect.

According to the 2022 Job Seeker Nation Report by Employ, one in every three new hires will leave a job in the first 90 days due to poor onboarding and training. We have ensured that our onboarding processes are robust and inclusive, and that training is a priority.

As well as promoting training and career prospects to help with recruitment, we are also growing our own. We are encouraging and highlighting the future superstars in our business to ensure they have their own development plan, that they know their career path and what we can do to help them along it.

Salary

JH: How do you currently decide the salary for new starters?

JB: We offer the real living wage or higher to all of our employees. We look at the position’s responsibilities and also its location.

JH: What do you think will happen to salaries in the next 12-18 months?

JB: Everyone is talking about inflation and the impact this is going to have on the cost of living which in turn impacts on salaries. I think salaries will have to rise by 10-12%.

The perks we offer, such as free meals whilst onsite, will have even more beneficial impact to our teams as food prices rise. We also offer live in accommodation for three to six months to employees who are re-locating – which again will have even more benefit to future employees.

The next generation of eventprofs

JH: What benefits are job seekers asking you for now and how do you think this may change over the next 12-18 months?

JB: Candidates are looking for more flexibility in their working hours and for clear and planned career progression, perhaps because they opted out of university and the debt that brings. They want a clear and defined career path, good training and real opportunities for progression.

Post-pandemic, people are now far more focused on the whole picture and how an employer treats the individual. They are interested in company culture, how we care for our teams’ mental health and well-being, D&I and other initiatives to ensure inclusion and happiness at work.

Some candidates – especially the teens and twenty-somethings – are asking about our sustainability policies and our commitments. Candidates aren’t just focused on pay and pensions, they want to work for an organisation that fits with their ethics and beliefs and that will provide them with the right family environment in which they can thrive so that they enjoy coming to work.

JH: What would you say to someone thinking of coming into the industry?

JB: I would say that it is a wonderfully diverse environment and one that can fulfil so many career dreams. It can often be tainted by the fact that it is long hours and hard work, but working in hospitality and events is extremely rewarding and can also open doors to other careers too.

It’s an industry that encourages people out of their shells and helps to create confidence and adaptability – skills that are transferable and crucial to many career paths.

JH: What do you think the industry can do to attract the next generation of talent?

JB: We need to ensure that we share the inspirational and often creative stories of our people, how they started and what they have achieved. People buy people and they want to see how the industry could benefit them and to relate to the experience of others.

These stories need to be celebrated and shared through social media, the press and how we communicate our industry and its image to people looking to come into it.

We also have to stop being so fixed and traditional in our approach; we are now offering flexible working, more part-time hours and taking a more adaptable approach to many roles in order to create a better work-life balance for our teams.

The world has changed and as an industry, we need to ensure that we are an attractive and appealing environment for people looking to forge a rewarding career.

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