Dinner Lady' for Relay Hospitality

Relay Recruitmentís growth programme has continued with the appointment of HR specialist, Debbie Miller, as head of its new Hospitality Division.

Debbie has worked in the sector for 23 years, undertaking every role from kitchen work to hotel management, and achieving note as the UKís youngest ever female licensee. Former employers include Trust House Forte, Grand Met and the Tara Group.

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Her arrival is in line with Yorkshire-based Relayís policy of making senior appointments for relevant experience rather than agency years ñ and the distinction is a crucial one to Miller. She said: ìI still consider myself to be in the hospitality sector, rather than recruitment, and aim to be the personal agent of some of its top players throughout their careers.î

The attraction and retention of good staff is the industryís biggest problem and Debbie Miller celebrates the fact that top hospitality workers are increasingly aware of their scarcity and value in an ever more predatory labour market for employers. ìAll my candidates are in demand with upscale restaurants and hotels and are never desperate for work or a job move. Proud of what they do, they want to drive up standards and regard hospitality as a profession ñ as it is seen in the US and southern Europe.

ìThey work for employers who realise their business is only as good as its staff and have tangible reward and development packages in place to attract and retain the best.î

She has wasted no time in attracting a pool of high calibre staff, which is already servicing prestigious establishments across the north of England. Among these are the Michelin-starred Yorke Arms at Pateley Bridge, Wetherbyís Wood Hall and Swinton Park in Masham.

Debbie chose Relay as she felt it offered her the best platform to promote peerless standards and cultivate renewed respect for the sector she is passionate about. She was particularly impressed with the companyís pioneering Career Coaching Approach, which is at odds with the short-term attitudes of some agencies, who ìtake their fee and disappear.î

Like her, Relay regards itself as the personal representative of each candidate, tracking them throughout their career and conducting regular reviews. These take stock of skills, qualifications and experience, as well personal circumstances (are they planning to relocate, start a family, take a sabbatical?) and establish what guidance, training and development may be required. The objective is to place individuals in the roles that suit them best - and to best prepare them for those positions.

According to Debbie Miller, this is key. ìAs somebody who has specified temporary and permanent personnel requirements with recruiters for over two decades, I know well the problems caused when agencies cannot source decent staff.

ìRelay Hospitality is definitely about quality, not quantity. I would rather forward the details of two or three people who are perfect for any given post, than dozens of resumes that are only a partial fit.î