Writing a standout cafe ad in a post-covid job market
When Covid hit Australia, the obvious impact on the Hospitality industry was the closure of businesses during lockdowns. During the peak, full-time staff in hospitality were desperately trying to find more work. But now that lockdowns are over, you might find yourself in the market for new cafe staff, and realising that the recruitment landscape looks very different to how it did in 2020.
Here at Need a Barista, we regularly look at hundreds of recruitment ads, and can see clear indicators of the kind of ads that will attract the best talent.
You can check out our thoughts on the post-covid cafe scene here but if you’re looking for new cafe staff and wondering how those changes will impact your search, keep reading!
What’s changed in cafe recruitment post-covid?
Workers seeking job security
A lot of cafe workers faced financial stress and uncertainty when they lost hours or all of their work during the lockdowns. A lot of those staff moved on to other industries, or are looking for more secure roles in the hospitality industry.
Burn out
For the hospo staff who did stay working during the lockdowns, many have faced feeling burnt out and exhausted, needing to take time away from the industry to recuperate.
No new migrants or tourists
Hospitality is an incredibly popular industry for migrants and tourists, because a cafe can usually hire a barista from another country who has moved to Australia or is just here travelling, and the skillset will be relatively the same. Unfortunately, with border closures, there has been a massive drop in the number of potential applicants.
So what can you do to stand out from the crowd and secure top talent?
Competition is tough at the moment, so to secure the best cafe workers in the middle of the ‘Great Resignation’, you will need to go the extra mile in your search.
Let’s talk about you!
Gone are the days where hospo businesses had their pick of hundreds of applications - in today’s market where there is a staff shortage, you are selling yourself and your business to job-seekers! Tell them about the business, what’s it like to work at your venue, what makes you unique and why should they want to work with you? If a job seeker is reading through 10 job ads for a similar position, what about working at your business would be unique and exciting?
How do your employee benefits stack up?
Do you offer your staff regular, reliable hours? What about secure contracts? For cafe workers struggling with burn out, the offer of paid leave would be music to their ears. Don’t be afraid of offering more security or job perks - you will be more likely to retain the amazing staff you spent so long searching for!
Money, money, money
If you’re recruiting for an entry level role then it might make sense to offer minimum wage. But if you’re looking for a skilled barista, chef or waiter that you’re hoping will stick around long term, they will be expecting a reasonable wage to match their skills. With the cost of living always on the rise, a competitive pay rate is an important part of your offering.
When you go the extra mile for your staff, they will go the extra mile for your customers which is the key to creating a loyal customer base. The post-covid job market is new territory for all of us, but by focusing on seeking out the best talent possible and standing out from your recruitment competition, you’ll be setting your business up for long-term success.