Festive season hiring set to surge this year, says Axonify

Over half (53%) of retail hospitality and food service managers are hiring more new workers for the festive seasons this year due to the need for additional support.

According to data from Axonify, some 29% of hospitality businesses and 30% of food service businesses will be hiring more seasonal staff.

Furthermore, 20% of hospitality venues and 26% of food service venues believe their current workforce lack the specific skills needed to meet seasonal demand.

Furthermore, 65% of managers said they had revised job descriptions to entice more people to apply while 64% said they had offered flexible work schedules.

Nearly half (49%) of hospitality and food service managers said they had seen an increase in the number of retired workers looking for employment.

Carol Leaman, CEO and co-founder at Axonify, said: “This is a critical time of the year for middle management as they’re typically focused on hiring seasonal workers in anticipation of a busy holiday shopping and travel season. With an expected increase in seasonal hiring this year and a tight labour market due to Brexit, we know these industries will be challenged to find the right workers to support their business.”