Tackling Chef Shortages: Insights from 3,500 Jobs distributed so far this year
Matthew de la Hey
There is a pressing issue of chef shortages in the UK Hospitality sector. Reports from UK Hospitality have highlighted significant shortfalls, ranging from 10% for head chefs to a staggering 21% for production chefs. These shortages ripple across the industry, affecting kitchen operations, dining experiences, and business profitability.
Our technology has driven 27,000 applications across 3,500 chef roles this year. Below, I share my three favourite takeaways from the data as they emphasise just how important it is to have a diverse talent acquisition strategy, paired with a conversion-optimised careers hub, and underpinned by data.
51% of chef applications we manage come from organic search
With organic search being such a prevalent source of applicants, having an optimised careers hub that converts visitors into applications is imperative. We’ve seen firsthand that a strong online presence and effective employer branding significantly impacts the number of quality applications.?
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7.5 applications per chef role?
By diversifying job distribution channels, leveraging technology to manage distribution across job aggregators, social media platforms, and targeted search campaigns, we received on average 7.5 applications per chef role. Our data indicates a strong interest in hospitality sector opportunities, the key is playing the right roles in the right spots to attract the right candidates.?
Average cost of ￡10.50 per application?
Tracking the cost per application across these channels allowed us to report on client hiring costs and identify the most effective investments. As a result, we were able to maintain an average cost of only ￡10.50 per application by focusing on the channels that had the most impact. Diversifying job distribution has boosted applications, saved time through automation, and reduced clients' recruitment spending.
It’s time to take proactive measures to adapt talent acquisition strategies and review candidate experiences. Businesses who lean into new thinking and technologies will be the ones who get ahead.