Hospitality attracts diverse talent at entry level, but too often struggles to retain and progress it into leadership. Drawing on Caterer.com’s latest Salary Benchmarking and Benefits research, this interview with Paul Rogers, Enterprise Manager at Caterer.com explores how skills-based hiring, pay transparency and clearer career pathways can help employers build more equitable and future-ready teams.
Hospitality has long struggled with representation at leadership level. What practical steps can employers take to build more equitable career pathways from entry-level roles through to senior management?
Hospitality doesn’t struggle to attract diverse talent at entry level – it struggles to progress and retain it. Our 2026 Caterer.com Salary Benchmarking research shows that while entry‑level hospitality pay has risen significantly, management and supervisory salaries (£30k–£45k) have not kept pace, leading to compressed structures that can unintentionally stall progression.
One of the most practical steps employers can take is to move towards skills‑based hiring and progression. Our research shows 41% of hospitality employers now prioritise soft skills over experience, which opens up leadership pathways to people who may not follow traditional career routes. When leadership capability, communication and people management are valued alongside tenure, progression becomes fairer and more accessible.
Visibility is just as important. Despite 29% of candidates actively looking for career development, only 5% of hospitality job ads mention progression opportunities. Employers that clearly map skills to roles, outline what progression looks like and invest in development are far more likely to retain diverse talent and build leadership from within.
Recruitment in hospitality is often fast-paced and high-volume. How can businesses ensure inclusion and diversity remain a priority during hiring, rather than becoming a ‘nice to have’ under operational pressure?
High‑volume recruitment is a reality in hospitality, but inclusion can’t be treated as a ‘nice to have’ when pressure is on. Our research shows that 87% of hospitality candidates are less likely to accept an offer from an employer with poor or unclear hiring processes, highlighting how damaging rushed or inconsistent recruitment can be.
Pay transparency is a key example. Only 61% of hospitality job ads include salary information, yet 81% of candidates actively avoid applying for roles without it. Removing salary details might feel like a shortcut, but it disproportionately excludes candidates who can’t afford uncertainty and ultimately reduces diversity in the pipeline.
Inclusive recruitment works best when it’s embedded into systems, not left to individual judgement. Skills‑based hiring plays a critical role here, helping employers assess capability and potential rather than background alone. With 70% of employers saying they struggle to find candidates with the right skills, inclusive approaches are not just ethical – they are commercially necessary.
What does truly inclusive recruitment look like in 2026, and where do you still see the hotel sector falling short when it comes to attracting and retaining diverse talent?
In 2026, inclusive recruitment is transparent, skills‑led and focused on the whole employment proposition, not just salary. While 76% of hospitality employees say they are satisfied with their salary, only 68% are satisfied with their benefits, lagging behind the wider workforce. That gap has a direct impact on attraction and retention.
Caterer.com’s Benefits Report shows a persistent mismatch between what candidates want and what employers showcase. For example, 34% of candidates want flexible working hours, but only 4% of job ads mention them, and 54% would not apply for a role without clear development opportunities. Inclusive recruitment fails when diverse talent is attracted but not supported to stay and progress.
Where the hotel sector still falls short is consistency beyond hiring. Many employers successfully attract diverse candidates, but lose them due to inflexible working patterns, unclear progression and limited representation at senior levels. Inclusive recruitment doesn’t end at appointment – it must extend into pay transparency, development, benefits and leadership culture. The hotels that recognise this are the ones building resilient, future‑ready teams.