After an initial road block, Australian Venue Co’s (AVC) job seekers’ incentive is starting to pay dividends.
AVC launched the program last year to help tackle hospitality staff shortages throughout the industry.
Applications saw a quick spike but were soon scarce in late 2020, but GM of Human Resources Rachel Checinksi said that while the incentive scheme finished at the end of the year, interest in hospitality jobs still remains.
“While we didn’t see a significant uplift in applications for roles during December, there has certainly been an increased interest in our advertised positions this year,” she said.
“December is a challenging time for recruitment, so we’re really pleased to see the flow-on effect from the incentive campaign have a positive impact on the interest in roles advertised during January.”
Nearly 180 AVC establishments across Australian and New Zealand had vacancies that need to be filled towards the end of last year. Areas of hospitality from front-of-house duties and in the kitchen were in dire need of bolstering.
AVC started the incentive to offer new employees cash offerings that range from $200 – $3000, depending on the position filled. The group noticed the shortages across the two nations after months of varied COVID lockdowns and restrictions.
In the early stages of the program, AVC welcomed 90 newcomers through the initiative, and after the slow recruiting in December AVC’s hospitality venues are well on their way to recovery.
“We are now in the fortunate position of having a relatively stable workforce, and really impressed with the new entrants to our workforce,” stated Checinksi.
“Their enthusiasm and passion towards offering great hospitality have been a great fit for our venue teams.
AVC also offered a three days paid intensive training course for the new hires in addition to being allocated a mentor within the venue.
Image: Daniele Massacci