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What do you get when you combine immense pressure to recruit staff, rising labor costs and increasingly complex legislation?

We like to call it the recruitment paradox.

Hospitality, as a sector, experiences the highest staff turnover rate of any sector in the UK, creating a relentless need for recruitment, not to mention seasonal peaks which drive demand.

However, recent legislative changes, such as the Employment Rights Act 2025 and the Autumn Budget updates, are causing many employers to think twice about their recruitment strategies.

To help you, in this blog we provide tips on recruitment best practices to help you manage your future hiring in 2026.

Five tips for recruiting in the hospitality sector

To manage demands, employers must adopt smarter and more efficient hiring strategies.

Here are five ways to optimize your recruiting efforts.

Create clear job offers

First, make sure your job postings are transparent, describing the expectations of the position and the length of the contract.

Look to include:

• Job title: clear and precise (for example, Barista, Hotel receptionist)
• Company presentation: briefly describe your company, your values ​​and your culture
• Role overview: summarize the purpose and importance of the role
• Main responsibilities: Use bullet points with action verbs to list main tasks
• Essential skills and qualifications: highlight essential and desirable attributes
• Working hours: specify work patterns, flexibility and part-time/full-time options
• Benefits and Benefits: includes salary, staff reductions, training and unique benefits
• Location: clearly indicate the location and accessibility of the workplace
• Salary and remuneration: be transparent about compensation, tips and bonuses
• Application process: provide clear instructions and deadlines for applying
• Call to action: end with an enthusiastic invitation to apply

Solidify your interview process

Use different types of questions to assess personality, values, knowledge and work experience.

Here are examples of interview questions:

• How would you describe yourself?
• Why do you want to work here?
• What motivates you?
• How do you manage stress?
• Why are you leaving your current position?
• What are your future goals?
• Can you tell me how you overcame a difficult situation?
• What are your salary expectations?
• Do you have any questions for me?

Highlight flexibility

Flexibility is a key attraction for seasonal workers.

Offer varied working hours and promote a healthy work-life balance.

Additionally, consider implementing Earned Wage Access (EWA) solutions, which allow staff to access a portion of their salary before payday – a benefit that can be particularly attractive to temporary workers.

Advertising placements

Choose appropriate platforms to advertise your job vacancies and tailor your approach based on your target audience.

For example, consider TikTok for Gen Z recruiting and platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Indeed and Total Jobs for broader reach.

Leverage recruitment software

Modern recruiting software, or applicant tracking systems (ATS), can transform your recruiting process, especially during busy times.

Here’s how to do it:

• Vacancy authorizations: automate the approval process for new positions, reducing bottlenecks and ensuring vacancies are advertised quickly
• Role Advertising: post jobs across multiple platforms in just a few clicks, reaching a wider audience without hassle + for repetitive roles, you can fully automate the process
• Application forms: use customizable templates to collect the right level of information for each position without overburdening candidates
• Pre-selection: filter out unqualified candidates and rank suitable candidates, saving you time and focusing on top talent

Managing costs and legislative pressure

Stephanie Coward, Chief Executive of HCM, commented on the Autumn Budget, saying: “Modern HR and payroll systems help teams automate payroll and HR compliance,identifywhere organizational practiceshaven‘tkept pace with the legislation and provides insight into areas where they can rethink benefits or processes more creatively.

“Accurate modeling of labor costs becomes essential when the threshold freezes over several years, affecting everyone from entry-level employees.  benefit from minimum wage increases for employees facing changes in salary sacrifice systems. 

“Automation and better data also allow HR professionals to focus on value-added initiatives that drive employee engagement, which is vital for retention in a competitive job market.”

“Managing regulatory changes through spreadsheets or static intranet documents is no longerviable.

“By using technology to ensure legal compliance, automate key payroll tasks, personalize benefits, shape career development programs and streamline communications, HR teams can help their organizations stand on firmer footing in the wake of another influential budget.” » 

FREE guide: overcoming the three main human challenges of the hotel industry

The hospitality industry thrives on providing unforgettable experiences, but behind the scenes, it’s a whirlwind of staff management, compliance and logistics.

Now, in 2026, the pressure to get it right has never been greater.

From finding and retaining the right talent to adapting to changing legislation, the challenges pile up: in an industry where happy staff equals happy customers, there is no room for error.

Our new guide is here to help you cut through the noise.

We’ve overcome the three biggest HR hurdles hospitality businesses will face in 2026, providing practical insights and actionable strategies.