Sydney pubs and clubs in war for hospitality workers

Special investigation: Sydney pubs and bars are in a war for staff with job-hunters picking up dozens of offers in a matter of hours – as two Telegraph young journalists found out.

Sydney pubs and bars are in a war for staff with young job-hunters picking up dozens of offers in a matter of hours – while some venues are going as far as posing as patrons to steal employees.

Rookie workers with little experience have a shot at working at the state’s finest venues thanks to a labour-starved economy.

Daily Telegraph reporter Mitchell Morri at Bar Cleveland in Surry Hills in one of his hospitality jobs. Picture: Richard Dobson

And jobseekers don’t have to jump through hoops to secure offers, with some venues sending their staff disguised as patrons to nab workers from competitors amid the workforce crisis.

Venues are luring staff with previously unheard of incentives such as flexible rosters, immediate starts, generous wages, and even free accommodation.

One Telegraph reporter sent to test the market received a dozen job offers in just one hour. A second reporter was offered three jobs while working behind a bar at a Sydney venue.

Industry insiders believe almost two years of border closures had punched a major hole in the critical pipeline of workers, while the NSW unemployment rate remained at 4.6 per cent.

Restaurants and Catering Association boss Wes Lambert said backpackers and spouses of skilled migrants had been the go-to demographic to fill hospitality vacancies. While the government’s plan to bring these cohorts back to Sydney would alleviate the stresses, Mr Lambert said the industry would struggle with shortages well into 2022.

“(Nationally) there were 90,231 jobs vacant as of Wednesday of which over 50,000 are wait staff, baristas, bartenders and reception staff,” he said. “Nearly 6000 jobs have been posted in 10 days as the states open up.”

Mr Lambert said the labour crunch had pushed competitors to try underhanded techniques in securing staff.

“We had a member that reported that a rival restaurant owner walked directly into the business and into the kitchen and hired four kitchen staff,” he said.

“Cafes are offering $40 and $50 an hour to baristas. That equates to a nearly $100,000 salary.

“You’re talking about $2000 a week for working Thursday to Sunday.”

Reporter Mitchell Morri was offered three jobs while working his part-time job behind the bar of a Sydney pub.

“One offer was for fine dining, the other two were for bar work,” he said.

“One of those offered $30-an-hour cash-in-hand to come in as a supervisor for a nightclub on Saturdays.”

A publican said the Sydney restaurant scene had transformed into a hospitality version of the Hunger Games with the scramble for staff getting ugly in the lead-up to Christmas.

“It’s getting to a point where major players are incentivising their staff to go and pinch people from other venues,” the spokesman said.

“We just can’t keep up with what we need to do.”

Jobs Minister Stuart Ayres said: “There’s never been a better time to make a start in a vibrant, sociable and dynamic industry.”

ONE POST SPARKS A FLOOD OF OFFERS

By Madeleine Damo
Gone are the days of walking into a bar and asking to hand your resume to the manager — these days landing a hospo job is just a Facebook post away.

As a 20-something looking to make some extra money for a long-awaited European trip next year, I wanted to see just how easy it really was to land a job behind a bar in Sydney.

I soon learnt all you need is to be double-vaxxed with a Responsible Service of Alcohol certificate and positive attitude — experience not required.

Telegraph journalist Madeleine Damo received 12 responses to jobs within one hour of posting that she was looking for work and had no experience. Picture: Richard Dobson

By posting in the popular Facebook group Sydney Bartender Exchange expressing my interest for work, I received 12 responses in under an hour from venues all over Sydney such as Cruise Bar, Babylon Rooftop and Billy Barry’s Hotel, with flexible rosters, immediate start and generous hourly rates listed as very tempting incentives.

One venue was even offering up a one-off “rock star shift” at an hourly rate of $30 cash-in-hand for just seven hours, with no commitment to a weekly roster.

No background check or interview were required, with most places offering trial shifts that very night, with social media and job search websites inundated with managers desperately trying to fill rosters.

Another job offer from Settlers Arms Inn in the picturesque Forgotten Valley even offered up free accommodation as a perk — and staff can bring their dogs!

Having zero industry experience was not a deal-breaker for many — when I mentioned I was a “hospo newbie” I was offered free training, development and even mentorship.

It’s very different from a few years ago when a simple waitressing role required five years’ relevant experience.