Three in four NI venues struggling with staff shortages

Three quarters of Northern Ireland’s hospitality sector continue to struggle with staffing issues, as the impact of Covid-19 has further intensified recruitment concerns across the industry, a new study has revealed.

The BDO NI & Hospitality Ulster Sentiment Survey found the pandemic heightened the existing skills shortage and seen many move away from the industry permanently, leaving a shortfall that businesses are unable to deal with.

Of those polled only 42% indicated they were confident about their future despite the fact 71% of those surveyed indicated plans to invest in the next six months.

There is also no doubt that the uncertainty around future restrictions or lockdowns has prevented many businesses from investing in their offering and this continues to be a substantial issue with 77% stating that this uncertainty is a serious risk to their future.

Key findings included:

• 71% plan to recruit over the next six months but significant issues with attracting and retaining staff remain (74%)
• 80% of businesses across the industry see rising business costs as a significant risk
• 42% of hospitality businesses confident about their future prospects
• 45% plan to invest in their business over the next six months
• 77% feel the uncertainty around Covid-19 and possible future restrictions is a serious risk

Brian Murphy, below, managing partner of BDO NI and Chair of the Hospitality Industry Group said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has had a dramatic impact on us all, both socially and economically. It is only through great sacrifices that we have been able to progress to the point now where there is the potential of getting back to a new normal.

“Faced with the challenges of the last 16 months, it is heartening to see that businesses, employees, suppliers, banks and Government have all come together to work in partnership to plot a course through the pandemic. With so much investment of time, money, and effort to get to this point, it would be a further tragedy if we were to allow businesses to fall at this final hurdle.

“The hospitality industry in particular has such an important role to play in both the economic recovery and also for us all to find our way back to a new way of living and working. The hospitality sector in Northern Ireland is a strong and resilient sector and with continued support from stakeholders over the coming months, I have every confidence that it will bounce back even stronger and better than before.”

Commenting on the survey findings, Colin Neill, Chief Executive, Hospitality Ulster added: “The analysis of the survey information by Brian Murphy and his team at BDO clearly shows that an accelerated pathway out of the pandemic is now imperative, as the hospitality sector is far too important to our local economy to not be given the attention it requires by the NI Executive. These results speak for themselves, and we now urgently need a dedicated hospitality recovery strategy, developed and delivered in a partnership of the industry and the NI Executive.”