Even before the pandemic which brought the entire sector to a halt, the hotel and catering industry were already areas of activity that were constantly recruiting.
"Before the Covid-19, we were still looking for staff," confirms Gérard de Porteer, president of the Union of Trades and Hospitality Industry (UMIH) of Hauts-de-France, which brings together 70 000 employees in the region.
When it comes time to restart activities that have been almost completely stopped for months, this research remains more relevant than ever. Because forced inactivity has not discouraged more than one. "We do not have precise data on the question but we can estimate between 10 and 20% the proportion of employees who have left our trades", underlines the boss of restaurateurs of Hauts-de-France.
In view of this long-awaited recovery, Pôle emploi and UMIH are joining forces to offer from May 17 a week dedicated to employment in this ready-to-hire sector.
The Pôle Emploi agencies have already carried out an initial identification of job seekers who might be interested in these positions to be seized immediately.
In the Oise, 515 advertisements are already online, nearly half of which are permanent.
"The needs are more accentuated in the south of the Oise", specifies Estelle Charles, regional director of Pôle emploi Oise.
Waiter, bartender, maitre d ', cook, clerk, receptionist or maid, all these jobs offer opportunities but sometimes suffer from a lack of exposure.
The most sought after: room managers, waiters, clerk and kitchen assistant
During this week of mobilization, several actions will highlight the possibilities of hiring. “On May 17 in Beauvais, we will support the opening of a restaurant with 10 new positions,” explains Estelle Charles. The next day, in Compiègne, we will promote room service professions in priority areas of the city. And on the same day, in Creillois, we will put forward apprenticeship contract offers with the CFA de Gouvieux. Finally, we are setting up an online recruitment fair from May 17, which will run until mid-June. "
A spotlight that will continue in the weeks and months to come because professionals in the sector are aware that all their needs will not be met in such a short period of time.
"This is a long-term movement, notably with training mechanisms for people with no experience in these professions, and who could not be operational on May 19," adds Charles-Edouard Barbier, president. of the UMIH Oise.
The jobs most in tension are those of room managers, waiters, clerk and kitchen assistant.
"Job offers through social networks work quite well"
Positions that were already in demand before the health crisis. A period during which some chose to reorient themselves, because they had had enough of this "stop-and-go". Others took the opportunity to explore a passion that has become a profession. I know someone who has started brewing their own beer. "
More than half of establishments in the region's hotel and catering sector are considering recruiting, regardless of their size. In Senlis, Laurent Cresta, owner of the Bistrot de Senlis with a workforce of six, will replace half of his staff. “I'm looking for a person in the dining room and, in the kitchen, a second and a clerk. For the clerk position, it can be done alternately through apprenticeship, but for the other two positions, I am looking more for people with experience. My advantage is that I am closed on Sundays, which allows me to maintain a family life. "
To find rare gems, employers never hesitate to broaden their field of research. “I often pass job offers through social networks and it works quite well,” says Christophe Duprez, owner of several establishments. To convince any undecided, professionals in the sector want to point out that times have changed and that the human relations aspect has become essential in their professions, where people come to work with a smile. "I have been working in the restaurant business for over twenty years and for me, it has never been a constraint, even when I was just starting out," says Charles-Edouard Barbier.