Why skills-based hiring is reshaping hospitality recruitment
Hospitality hiring continues to change and employers are being challenged to rethink how they attract, assess and retain talent. Rising costs, evolving roles and shifting employee expectations mean that traditional recruitment approaches are no longer enough. Skills now sit at the heart of building productive, engaged and resilient teams.
That’s why Caterer.com has released the second report in its Salary, Skills and Benefits series, focusing on skills-based hiring and getting pay right in hospitality. The report combines large-scale job market data with expert insight to give employers practical guidance they can apply immediately.
Why skills matter more than ever
Our latest research shows that 19% of hospitality employers plan to increase recruitment in 2026, yet hiring remains challenging. 41% of employers now rank soft skills as the most important skills they’re hiring for, while 70% say finding candidates with the right skills is difficult.
At the same time, hospitality roles are evolving. Teams are leaner, responsibilities are broader and expectations of entry-level roles have shifted. Salaries for many entry-level positions now sit around £25k–£27k, increasing the importance of getting every hire right. With each headcount carrying a higher cost, employers are under pressure to build teams that perform well, stay longer and grow with the business.
What is skills-based hiring?
Skills-based hiring focuses on what candidates can do – and what they could develop – rather than relying solely on experience, qualifications or job titles. It starts with understanding the skills your business truly needs and runs through every stage of recruitment, from job ads and interviews to onboarding, development and progression.
While hospitality has always valued qualities like communication, teamwork and calmness under pressure, what’s changed is how deliberately employers are assessing and developing these skills, and the benefits they’re seeing as a result.
What you’ll learn in the report
This report breaks down skills-based hiring in a clear, practical way. Inside, you’ll find:
- Insight into the most in-demand roles and skills in hospitality today, based on analysis of 865,000 job ads
- Current salary benchmarks and how pay expectations are shifting across the sector
- A clear framework for embedding skills-based hiring into job ads, interviews and progression pathways
- The four key skills pillars every hospitality business should consider when hiring
- Guidance on how skills-based hiring supports retention, performance and equitable hiring
You’ll also hear directly from industry leaders and employers, including The Ivy Collection, Collins King, Umbrella Training and Be Inclusive Hospitality, who share how a skills-first approach is helping them build stronger cultures, improve retention and unlock talent that might otherwise be overlooked.
Build stronger teams for the future
Skills-based hiring isn’t just about filling vacancies. It’s about creating teams that work well together, deliver consistently and feel supported to grow. It strengthens employer brand, supports diversity and inclusion, and helps hospitality businesses adapt to ongoing change.
If you want to attract the skills your business needs most, make your recruitment budget go further and build high-performing teams for the future, this report is essential reading.Download the Caterer.com “Adopting Skills-Based Hiring & Getting Pay Right in Hospitality” report today and take a practical step towards smarter, more effective hospitality hiring.