Addressing chef shortages: insights

Recent reports from UK Hospitality have highlighted significant shortfalls, ranging from 10% for head chefs to a staggering 21% for production chefs. These shortages have far-reaching implications for the industry, impacting the smooth functioning of kitchens, overall dining experiences and the bottom line for operators. Since January 2023, our technology has distributed over 3,500 chef roles, resulting in a remarkable 27,000 applications. Helping overcome the chef shortages for our clients. In this article, we are going to explore the data behind those numbers and dive into how we are overcoming these shortages. 

To attract the best talent, it’s crucial to understand the most successful channels for chef applications. Our data reveals that 51% of chef applications we manage come from organic search, emphasising the importance of optimising your careers hubs for converting visitors into applications. We’ve seen firsthand that a well-crafted online presence and strong employer branding can significantly impact the number of quality applications within the hospitality sector. When we relaunched Compass Group’s careers hub, we saw visitors to applications increase by 42% across all their roles. Having the right technology and application processes in place, is vital to ensure people you have engaged convert into applications. 

To build on this, you need to diversify your job distribution channels and track results effectively. By leveraging technology that manages your distribution across; job aggregators, social media platforms, and targeted search campaigns. We received on average 7.5 applications per chef role we have distributed so far in 2023. Our data shows there is a strong interest in opportunities within the hospitality sector, we just need to make sure our roles are in the right places to find the right people. On top of that, by tracking the cost per application across these channels, we can report on our clients’ hiring funnel costs and identify where we are getting the best return on investment. Our technology does this automatically and across chef roles this year we are averaging a cost of only £10.50 per an application. By diversifying our job distribution, we have not only driven more applications and saved time through automation, we have done it while reducing our clients recruitment media spend. Focusing on the channels that have the most impact.  

At inploi, our mission is clear: to harness technology and optimise hiring processes to address the challenges facing the hospitality industry. We believe that by providing innovative solutions and facilitating seamless connections between employers and talented people, we can play a significant role in overcoming talent shortages and supporting the growth of the sector. inploi is committed to empowering both employers and job seekers within hospitality. Together we can reshape the sector, ensuring a thriving culinary landscape for years to come.