Operator Q&A: Promoting a positive workplace culture

Pub & Bar (P&B): How can businesses strive to attract and retain top talent?
Tracy Bickerdike (TB): Adopting traditional recruitment methods, like asking candidates to submit CVs and come in for interviews, can act as a barrier. To improve responses and speed of recruitment, consider online interviews via Teams or Zoom instead, and ask for an introduction letter or video application tailored to the job.

You should advertise salaries if you want to attract top talent; a recent survey by KAM revealed that 46% of people wouldn't apply for a job if the salary wasn't mentioned.

Scrutinise your approach to ensure you aren't unwittingly biased. For example, only 10% of the workforce is over 50. It's important to recruit older people to provide diversity and depth of experience and outlook. 

P&B: How have staff training requirements evolved in recent years?
TB: Pubs that thrive offer fantastic service. To deliver great service, whether dealing with complaints or serving the perfect pint, staff need to feel empowered. This requires more granular training on what great service looks like.

P&B: Are there any new innovations in training processes that managers should be aware of?
TB: Staff and customer wellbeing are becoming more centre stage. Pubs need to look after their teams and train management to do so. This involves putting in place systems for staff to report any issues either they or their customers may have – such as Ask For Angela, for instance – and training your team on these. 

P&B: What are the key components of building a positive, supportive and fun working environment that encourages learning and development?
TB: Awareness of staff members' mental health is important when creating a supportive working environment. Managers and licensees need to encourage staff to talk about their wellbeing by putting in place touchpoints that allow them to do this. Make it the norm to have a coffee at the start of the day and ask individuals how they feel on a scale from one to 10. This gives an opening for further discussion and shows that you care. The end result is happier staff and increased retention. 

"Make it the norm to have a coffee at the start of the day and ask individuals how they feel"

Managers need to flag up career routes and show recruits how working in a pub or bar can lead to other opportunities. Look at the jobs that previous bar staff have gone on to do and ask suppliers what roles there are in their businesses so that teams can see the value of various positions in hospitality.  

P&B: What advice would you offer operators and managers looking to get the best from their staff?
TB: A major concern for many is financial wellbeing, so think about what you can do to contribute to staff members' financial security. Chat to them about putting a percentage of tips into a pension scheme. Look at income protection deals. Share with them that they can get free financial advice from the LTA.

Be flexible with work hours – show that you think about their lives outside of work, such as swapping shifts for family events. Knowing that their boss values their personal life will lead to employees giving back more. 

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