Travelodge targets parents in bid to fill 750 staff vacancies

Travelodge has launched a recruitment drive targeting parents in a bid to fill 750 job roles in its hotels across the UK.

The chain, which runs 578 UK hotels, is offering flexible hours around the school run, access to management training and the promise of jobs close to home.

Openings include 720 full- and part-time jobs in properties across the country, including managerial, bar café team member, receptionist and housekeeping roles. The group is also looking to fill 30 vacancies at its head office in Thame, Oxfordshire, in positions including finance, HR and PR.

Last week the Office for National Statistics (ONS) published research that revealed hospitality businesses are more than twice as likely than other industries to be experiencing challenges in filling vacancies for this time of year.

Travelodge said it wanted to "unlock the potential of Britain's mums and dads" as schools reopen and parents look to return to work.

Travelodge chief executive Craig Bonnar said: "There has never been a better time than now to join the UK hospitality sector – the career opportunities are endless and it also opens a door to the world. We need to fill 750 positions, and if you have passion, determination and a real desire to look after people then we will help you learn the rest.

"We operate a dedicated programme to help parents work around the school run by offering flexible working hours and jobs close to home so that they can raise their family and keep one foot firmly on the career ladder too."

Many hospitality businesses have been taking steps to address a nationwide shortage of staff, including raising wages and launching in-house training programmes. In the last two weeks Pret and Costa have both announced a 5% pay rise for staff from October, while Itsu is increasing wages for entry-level team members by 11% to a minimum of £10.40 an hour.

Image: chrisdorney / Shutterstock