New plan to find global staff for 2022 tourism season

The island’s hospitality businesses have faced an uphill challenge with recruitment, due to a shortage of locals entering the industry and challenges around Brexit.

The Guernsey Hospitality Association has teamed up with recruitment company Caterquest, which is led by Deputy Chris Blin, to source overseas staff for hotels and restaurants.

GHA president Alan Sillett estimated that some 250 vacancies needed to be filled for this summer.

‘This new agreement will provide the impetus needed to get professional staff to Guernsey in time for the 2022 season,’ he said.

‘If the new initiative works well, a significant number of these job vacancies will be filled.’

Deputy Blin has links with the hospitality recruitment sector for more than a decade.

‘I’ve never seen such a shortage of staff in Guernsey,’ he said.

‘Brexit and the pandemic have proved to be the perfect storm. But I’m confident our drive to recruit staff from further afield, coupled with our agreement with the GHA, will help turn around this problem.’

Overseas recruitment can be costly, with travel, work permits and visas to be arranged.

Caterquest will help the GHA to find staff through partnerships with a number of global organisations, including one with an international agency in Dubai.

Mr Sillett said that there would be a mixture of nationalities recruited for hotels and restaurants.

‘Quite a number will be coming from Dubai, Thailand, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Africa,’ he said.

The staff will be English speaking and will have hospitality backgrounds.

‘The type of people we are bringing in are committed to working in the hospitality industry.

‘Businesses will have peace of mind and security as the staff have strong and stable CVs. They are the type of candidates needed in Guernsey.’

Caterquest will support GHA members through the process of applying for visas, work permits and other paperwork.

Deputy Blin added: ‘We are already sourcing staff and beginning the complex and costly visa process to ensure the 2022 season is a success.

‘Recruiting career professionals who are dedicated to the hospitality industry will reap benefits for the local establishments that employ them and Guernsey’s wider reputation for food and tourism excellence.’

Mr Sillett said he was confident this recruitment campaign would prove to be an asset to Guernsey as it deals with the effects of both Brexit and the pandemic.

‘It will enable the hospitality sector to thrive once again.

‘There is always going to be a need to recruit staff from the UK, closer to the island.

‘It won’t totally solve all of the problems in the industry, but it will hopefully go a certain way towards it.

‘The process can take up to three months, so we are urging businesses to plan ahead and push the button now in time for the upcoming season.'

Mr Sillett added that the GHA had arrangements with three recruitment agencies that will attract staff to the island.

It is not clear how the new arrangement impacts a States-run campaign launched late last year to attract overseas workers to join the local tourism industry for 2022.