Covid-19: Auckland restaurants struggling to recruit staff post-lockdown

Tuesday, 21 December 2021

Restaurant and bar owner Tony Crosbie talks about how lockdowns have affected his businesses. Video first published in September 2021.

Restaurants across Auckland are experiencing a substantial decline in people applying for jobs, after a slow return in the wake of the city’s four-month lockdown.

Data from Student Job Search (SJS) showed a “huge” 52 per cent decrease in applicants for hospitality work in Auckland, since October - large figure when compared with the 34 per cent drop nationally.

Restaurant owners said the challenge of finding new workers had been “unprecedented”, with many food-related businesses in Auckland having already closed their doors over lockdown.

Restaurant owners have said the challenge of finding new workers has been “unprecedented”. Ima Cuisine’s owner, Yael Sochat spoke of her challenges in finding new staff members during the city’s worker shortage.

Ima Cuisine’s owner, Yael Sochat spoke of her challenges in finding new staff members during the city’s worker shortage.

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Data from Student Job Search reveals the hospitality industry in general has taken a hit when it comes to hiring staff, but Auckland has felt the brunt. (File photo)

“I've had an advertisement up for three weeks. I’ve had one applicant, who ended up not even wanting to interview,” said Sochat.

“No emails, nothing. It's never been easy to find a good person, but I used to put [an] advertisement up and within an hour I'd have emails flooding in. I'd sit down with 30 of them, weed out 25, then get down to the five to contact.

“But now I've got none. Zero. This is going to kill us more than anything else.”

Student Job Search chief executive Suzanne Boyd said the border closure was heavily affecting hiring chances for the industry.

Kiro Gurhsin, who has owned the Viaduct Grill for 40 years, said he's never seen anything like it. He's lost upwards of 40 per cent revenue over the four-month lockdown.

“No dishwashers, no chefs, nothing. Nobody,” said Gurshin.

“Advertising we've had for months and months, but they just aren't applying. No staff, everybody is struggling - every restaurant I know is looking for staff.”

The Restaurant Association of New Zealand has found, on average, Auckland restaurants are understaffed by 20 per cent.

Ninety-four per cent of association members recruiting for mid-to-high skill level positions indicated it was difficult or extremely difficult.

SJS chief executive Suzanne Boyd believes the stats are a reflection of a nationwide skill shortage, where students and graduates are being offered work in industries with more work certainty, as well as higher hourly rates than what restaurants can offer.

“[Hospitality] employers are thinking laterally about who they bring on board,” said Boyd.

“We had a 176 per cent increase in job listings this year - so the quality of work has made minimum wage work far less desirable. [Graduates] want more guaranteed hours, higher hourly rates - which is what the hospitality industry sadly doesn't often offer.”

Boyd also mentioned the border closure was heavily affecting hiring chances for the industry, which includes chefs and cooks, front office guests, waiters and reservation hands.

With international travellers no longer coming in for two or three months working these jobs, Boyd said employers are turning to local workers instead – often relying on students and graduates to apply.

Boyd believes the industry is going to have to adapt.

“They have to start thinking along lines of changing hourly rates and the certainty of hours,” she said.

“Wage pressure we see all over the place. [Students and graduates] want to know they have ‘x number of hours per week’, but in hospitality they just don't know.”