Duke of Normandie finds new approach to recruiting
HOSPITALITY businesses have taken an outside-the-box approach to solving the industry’s employee shortfall by recruiting from further afield, with the help of the Jersey Hospitality Association.
After processing more than 150 non-EU work permits for Jersey businesses, the non-profit JHA is now offering to help Guernsey business do the same.
Duke of Normandie general manager Alan Sillett, who is among the first to utilise the JHA’s service, said a number of factors had complicated recruitment in recent years.
‘It’s been very tough, really tough,’ he said.
‘Candidate numbers from the EU and UK have dropped in recent years.
‘The pound weakening against the euro had an effect, that’s for sure, as did the population laws introduced in 2017.’
The Duke of Normandie Hotel is currently in the process of recruiting three staff from Kenya, two in housekeeping and one chef de partie.
The recruitment process depends on new permits introduced last year, which allow non-EU residents to work in Guernsey for nine months before being required to leave for three.
Mr Sillett sourced the candidates through specialist recruitment firm GR8, although the JHA also has recruitment partners that specialise in recruiting from Rwanda, the Philippines and other countries.
GR8 said it had more than 100 Kenyan candidates on its books including specialist sous chefs, mixologists and front-of-house staff, as the result of a rigorous selection.
All are graduates of a top three hospitality college in Africa and fluent in English. Some 95% of Kenyans had returned after the mandatory three-month absence to continue working.
This appealed to Mr Sillett, who said: ‘If you can find reliable staff for nine months that’s a plus. With EU staff, we’ve had quite a bit of churn.
‘These individuals have chosen hospitality as a career.’
Mr Sillett, who has been introduced to his new employees via video call, added: ‘They all have excellent English and all their qualifications are backed up by certificates and references, so it looks promising.’
GR8 CEO Lee Madden said he was confident the candidates would perform.
‘By linking into a proven and trusted source of professional career driven hospitality specialists from the Utalii College Alumni in Kenya, we are able to provide industry with the resource that is so desperately needed,’ he added.
