Hospitality recruitment is under real pressure right now. Many teams are seeing fewer suitable applicants, rising drop-off, and longer time-to-hire. At the same time, rising employment costs are making it harder to compete on pay alone, and international hiring is no longer the safety net it once was. The question most hiring teams are asking is simple: how do we keep hiring moving when it’s harder than it used to be?
In this session, Reach ATS will explore what’s working in hospitality recruitment right now, through a recruiter-led conversation focused on three themes: labour shortages, pay pressure and rising employment costs, and the reality that international hiring has become harder. This isn’t a negative session. The angle is practical and grounded: what’s working, what’s been learned, and what hiring teams can try next week.
We’ll be joined by Kye Lovelace, Founder at Badger The Recruiters and Group Talent Acquisition Manager at KERB, who will share real-world insight from hiring in fast-moving hospitality environments. Kye will talk through where candidates drop off, how to keep momentum from first conversation to signed offer, and how teams can stay competitive even when budgets are tight.
Whether you work in hospitality recruitment, HR, talent acquisition, or you’re hiring at volume in a fast-moving environment, this session will give you practical ideas you can apply immediately.
When
Date: March 17th | When: 2:00pm -2:45pm (GMT) | Where: Online (Zoom)
What We’ll Cover
Agenda Snapshot (45 minutes + Q&A)
1. Welcome & Intros – Reach ATS
Quick introductions and a scene-set on what’s changed most in hospitality hiring.
2. Theme 1: Labour Shortages – Kye & Hector
Where candidates drop off, how to keep momentum, and what speeds up hiring without lowering the bar.
3. Theme 2: Pay Pressure & Rising Employment Costs – Kye & Hector
How to compete without relying only on pay, what candidates value beyond salary, and how to reduce offer fall-through.
4. Theme 3: International Hiring Is Harder – Kye & Hector
How teams are building local pipelines, hiring for potential, and linking progression and retention to recruitment success.
5. Audience Q&A + Closing Takeaways – Kye & Hector
Live questions, plus one practical action to take into next week.