Guide to Hiring Staff in Hospitality and Retail

Key takeaways

• UK hospitality vacancies remain 48% higher than pre-pandemic levels, so a structured hiring process can help differentiate your hiring process in a competitive labour market

• Skills-based hiring, strong employer branding, and creative benefits help you attract quality candidates in a tight labour market

• A smooth onboarding experience and genuine investment in development can help improve employee retention

• Technology like Deputy's hiring module and paperless onboarding can cut admin time and help streamline hiring and onboarding workflows

If you manage a hospitality or retail team in the UK, you already know that finding good staff has never been harder. Vacancies are up, expectations have shifted, and the candidates you want are fielding offers from every direction. The good news? A thoughtful, well-structured hiring process can set you apart from the competition and help you build a team that actually stays.

This guide walks you through every stage of hiring, from writing your job advert to onboarding your new starter and keeping them for the long term. You'll find practical tips backed by UK data, real examples, and advice you can put to work straight away.

Why hiring in hospitality is harder than ever

The UK hospitality and retail sectors are facing a hiring squeeze that shows no sign of easing. According to UKHospitality, staff vacancies remain 48% higher than pre-pandemic levels. The workers are out there, but they have more choices than ever, and they're being pickier about where they spend their time.

The workforce itself is changing, too. Deputy's UK Big Shift Report 2026 found that Gen Z now represents 63% of hospitality shift workers, up from 58% the year before. This generation values flexibility, purpose, and development, and they'll move quickly if an employer doesn't deliver. Monthly hiring rates have settled into a 3% to 6% range, down from the 8% to 10% churn seen during the post-pandemic recovery, but that still means you're replacing a significant chunk of your team every year.

Rising costs, tighter margins, and evolving employment regulations all add to the pressure. If you're competing for talent without a clear plan, you're already behind.

Where to advertise hospitality roles

Use hospitality-specific job boards

General job boards like Indeed and Reed will get your advert in front of a large audience, but hospitality-specific platforms tend to attract candidates who are already committed to the industry. If you're unsure where to post job listings, start with platforms such as Caterer.com, Hospitality Jobs UK, and Leisure Jobs, which are built for the sector and attract experienced candidates.

If you're hiring at volume, Deputy's hiring module lets you distribute roles to over 25,000 job boards through its JobTarget integration, saving you the time of posting to each one individually. It also includes AI-assisted job description tools, so you can create clear, compelling adverts without starting from a blank page.

Leverage social media and employee referrals

Gen Z candidates aren't browsing traditional job boards the way older workers did. Short, engaging posts on TikTok and Instagram can reach them where they already spend time. Show off your workplace culture, feature current team members, and make it easy to apply directly from a social post.

Don't overlook employee referrals, either. Research shows that 45% of referred employees stay for over four years, making referrals one of the most cost-effective recruitment channels available. A simple referral bonus or recognition programme can turn your existing team into your best recruiters.

The government's Sector-based Work Academy Programme (SWAP) is another option worth exploring. It connects employers with jobseekers who receive pre-employment training, giving you access to motivated candidates with relevant preparation.

How to assess skills and spot potential

Why personality matters more than experience

In hospitality and retail, attitude often matters more than a polished CV. You can teach someone how to use a till or carry three plates, but you can't teach warmth, reliability, or a genuine desire to help people. When you're reviewing applications, look beyond previous job titles and focus on the qualities that predict success in your environment.

Consider what your strongest current team members have in common. Chances are it's not years of experience; it's traits like adaptability, communication skills, and a willingness to learn.

Identifying transferable skills from other industries

Some of the best hospitality and retail hires come from completely different backgrounds. A candidate who worked in a call centre already knows how to handle difficult conversations. Someone with childcare experience understands patience, multitasking, and thinking on their feet.

When you're assessing transferable skills, look for evidence of:

• Customer-facing communication in any setting

• Working under pressure or to tight deadlines

• Teamwork and collaboration

• Problem-solving without close supervision

• Cash handling, stock management, or basic admin

Skills-based hiring widens your talent pool and helps you find people who might not have applied if you'd insisted on hospitality experience.

How to interview hospitality candidates effectively

Situational and behavioural questions that work

The best interview questions for hospitality and retail roles put candidates in real scenarios. Instead of asking 'Tell me about yourself,' try questions that reveal how they'd handle the situations your team faces every day.

Strong situational questions include:

• 'A customer complains that their order is wrong during a busy service. How would you handle it?'

• 'You notice a colleague is struggling to keep up. What would you do?'

• 'A group of customers arrive just before closing time. How do you approach the situation?'

• 'You've been asked to cover a shift at short notice. What factors would you consider?'

These questions don't have a single right answer, but they show you how candidates think, communicate, and prioritise under pressure.

Keeping interviews fair and legally compliant

Structured interviews, where you ask every candidate the same core questions, help you compare people fairly and reduce the risk of unconscious bias. They can help support fair and consistent recruitment processes and may help reduce recruitment-related risk under the Equality Act 2010.

Avoid questions about age, marital status, religion, health conditions, or plans to have children. Focus on the candidate's ability to do the job, their availability, and their right to work in the UK. If you're unsure what you can and can't ask, ACAS provides clear guidance on fair recruitment practices.

Competing on compensation and benefits

Pay matters, and pretending otherwise won't help you attract good people. Deputy's UK Big Shift Report 2026 found that average hourly wages in hospitality sit at approximately £13.08 per hour for men and £12.77 per hour for women. If you're offering below market rate, candidates will simply go elsewhere.

But salary alone isn't the full picture. Deputy research found that 94% of UK shift workers want more benefits, and over 60% say their employers have already started offering extras like free mental health programmes, financial education, same-day pay, and free meals.

If you can't compete on hourly rate alone, think about what else you can offer:

• Flexible rotas that respect workers' availability and preferences

• Earned wage access so staff aren't waiting weeks to get paid

• Free or discounted meals during shifts

• Development and training opportunities

• Wellbeing support, including mental health resources

• Staff discounts or perks partnerships

When you use Deputy's AI Auto-Scheduling, you can build smart staff rotas that factor in team preferences and availability, making flexibility a genuine part of your offer rather than just a talking point.

Communicating clearly throughout the process

One of the simplest ways to lose a good candidate is to go quiet on them. In a fast-moving market, people won't wait around for a response. If someone applies for a role with you and hears nothing for two weeks, they've already accepted a job somewhere else.

Set clear timelines from the start. Let candidates know when they can expect to hear back, and stick to that commitment. Even a quick message saying 'We're still reviewing applications and will be in touch by Friday' keeps them engaged.

After interviews, follow up promptly with every candidate, whether or not they've been successful. The people you turn down today might be the perfect fit for a future role, and how you treat them shapes your reputation as an employer. Deputy's applicant tracking tools can help you automate status updates via SMS, so no candidate falls through the cracks.

Building a memorable onboarding experience

The first few days in a new job set the tone for everything that follows. A well-structured onboarding process reduces early turnover and gets new starters productive faster. A chaotic, paperwork-heavy start tells your new hire that you're disorganised. A smooth, welcoming onboarding experience tells them they made the right choice.

A strong onboarding process should cover:

1. Pre-arrival admin: contracts, right-to-work checks, tax forms, and emergency contact details, all completed before day one

2. A structured first day: introductions, a tour of the workplace, an overview of their role, and access to rotas and communication tools

3. A buddy or mentor: pairing your new starter with an experienced team member who can answer questions and help them settle in

4. Check-ins during the first month: regular catch-ups to address questions, gather feedback, and make sure they feel supported

Onboarding used to take us at least a week for each new starter, which could delay them getting paid. With Deputy, you can get through all the onboarding paperwork on Tuesday and include them on the pay run the next day.

Simon Fox, General Manager, Operations, The Boathouse Group

Deputy's paperless onboarding helps you collect contracts, employee data, and compliance-related documents digitally, so your new hire can complete everything from their phone before they even walk through the door. That means less admin for you and a faster, smoother start for them.

How to retain the staff you hire

Hiring is expensive, and poor employee retention makes it worse. According to the CIPD, the average cost of replacing an employee in the UK is £30,000 when you factor in recruitment, training, and lost productivity. If you're losing staff every few months, those costs add up fast. The smartest hiring strategy is one that also keeps people.

Invest in training and career development

Deputy research found that 89% of UK shift workers want their employer to offer personal or professional development opportunities. That's not surprising. People want to feel like they're going somewhere, not just filling shifts.

You don't need a huge training budget to make a difference. Cross-training across different stations, mentoring from senior team members, and clear pathways to promotion all show your team that you're invested in their growth. Even informal development, like letting a team member take the lead on a project or shadow a manager for a day, can make a real impact.

Create flexibility and recognise your team

Deputy research also found that 46% of UK shift workers believe being valued and recognised creates a more positive work environment. Recognition doesn't have to be elaborate. A genuine thank-you after a tough shift, a shout-out in a team meeting, or a small reward for going above and beyond can go a long way.

Flexibility is just as important. When you use Deputy to manage your rotas, your team can set their availability, swap shifts with colleagues, and request holiday through the app. That kind of control over their own time builds trust and loyalty.

Consider the alternative: CIPD research found that 72% of employees who left their jobs cited their manager as a reason. Your relationship with your team is the single biggest factor in whether they stay or go.

Building an inclusive and diverse team

A diverse team brings fresh perspectives, better problem-solving, and a richer experience for your customers. But building one takes deliberate effort, not just good intentions.

Start with your job adverts. Use inclusive language and avoid unnecessary requirements that could put off qualified candidates. Do you really need someone with five years of experience, or would two years and the right attitude do the job just as well?

Review your interview process for potential bias. Structured interviews with consistent scoring help you evaluate candidates on their merits. If your interview panel is made up of people who all look and think the same way, you're more likely to hire people who look and think like them.

Under the Equality Act 2010, you have a legal obligation not to discriminate during recruitment on the basis of protected characteristics, including age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion, sex, and sexual orientation. Beyond legal compliance, genuine inclusion helps you tap into a wider talent pool and creates a workplace where everyone can do their best work.

Practical steps to build a more inclusive hiring process:

• Use blind CV screening to reduce unconscious bias

• Offer flexible interview formats, including video calls, for candidates with accessibility needs

• Train hiring managers on recognising and addressing bias

• Consider reviewing recruitment outcomes and workforce diversity indicators, where appropriate and lawful

• Seek feedback from new hires about their recruitment experience

Hiring smarter with technology

Good time and attendance practices start with getting the right people in the door. If you're still managing recruitment through spreadsheets, email chains, and paper applications, you're spending time on admin that could go towards finding the right people. Modern hiring tools streamline the process and help you move faster.

On Deputy you can cap people's work to 40 hours a week and make sure everybody gets at least some sort of a break during the week. But with the previous process it was all manual and time consuming.

Wasib Awan, Box Office Manager, Winter Wonderland Hyde Park

Deputy's HR Management module brings your hiring, onboarding, and workforce management together in one platform. Here's what that looks like in practice:

• AI-assisted tools help generate draft job descriptions for review and editing

• One-click distribution to over 25,000 job boards through JobTarget saves you from posting individually

• Applicant tracking with automated SMS keeps candidates informed at every stage

• Paperless onboarding helps you collect contracts, supporting documents, and employee data digitally

• AI Auto-Scheduling helps generate draft rotas using workforce and demand information for manager review

Technology won't replace your judgement as a manager, but it will free you up to focus on the human side of hiring: meeting candidates, building relationships, and creating the kind of workplace people want to join.

Deputy's UK Shift Pulse Report 2026 found that hospitality leads all sectors for positive worker sentiment, with a score of 78.37%. That's encouraging. It suggests that when hospitality workplaces get the fundamentals right, workers genuinely enjoy the industry.

Build your strongest team

Hiring well in hospitality and retail isn't about finding the perfect candidate. It's about building a process that consistently attracts the right people, gives them a great start, and makes them want to stay.

Here's what to remember:

• Cast a wide net with hospitality-specific job boards, social media, and referral programmes

• Hire for attitude and transferable skills, not just experience

• Use structured interviews to keep the process fair and effective

• Compete on more than pay by offering flexibility, development, and genuine recognition

• Invest in onboarding and retention, because the cost of getting it wrong is far higher than the cost of getting it right

The tools and strategies in this guide can help you build a stronger, more stable team. If you're ready to streamline your hiring, onboarding, and rota management, try Deputy for free and see the difference it makes.

FAQs

How can Deputy help me hire hospitality staff faster?

Deputy's hiring module lets you create AI-powered job descriptions and distribute them to over 25,000 job boards with a single click. Built-in applicant tracking with automated SMS keeps candidates engaged throughout the process, so you can move from advert to offer faster than competitors who rely on manual methods.

What's the best way to reduce staff turnover in hospitality?

Focus on three areas: flexible rotas, genuine recognition, and clear development pathways. Deputy research found that 89% of UK shift workers want development opportunities and 46% say being valued creates a more positive workplace. Use Deputy to give your team control over their availability and shift preferences, and pair that with regular check-ins and training.

How do I onboard new hires in hospitality?

Start by completing contracts, right-to-work checks, and admin before their first day. Deputy's paperless onboarding handles this digitally, so new starters can complete everything from their phone. On day one, pair them with a buddy, walk them through the rota, and schedule check-ins during their first month to make sure they're settling in.

What should I look for when interviewing hospitality candidates?

Prioritise attitude, communication skills, and the ability to think on their feet. Use situational questions that mirror real scenarios in your workplace, such as handling a customer complaint during a busy service. Structured interviews with consistent questions help you compare candidates fairly and reduce bias.

How much does it cost to replace an employee in the UK?

The CIPD estimates the average cost at £30,000 per employee when you account for recruitment, training, and lost productivity. For hospitality businesses with high turnover, those costs can quickly become unsustainable. Investing in retention through better onboarding, flexible rotas, and development opportunities is almost always more cost-effective than constant rehiring.

What is skills-based hiring in hospitality?

Skills-based hiring means evaluating candidates on their abilities and potential rather than requiring specific hospitality experience. You assess transferable skills like customer communication, teamwork, and problem-solving from any industry background. Deputy's applicant tracking helps you manage a larger, more diverse candidate pool by keeping applications organised and communication automated.