Interview from Hospitality Events North with us!!

Darryn Wright, Director of hospitality management and catering recruitment agency Peapod Recruitment, talks to H&E North about attracting candidates to the right role.

What is Peapod Recruitment?

Sascha Rawlinson, my fellow Director, and I launched Peapod Recruitment in March of this year. After we both spent 12 years each in recruitment and operations for the hospitality and catering sectors, we decided to set up Peapod. As Director, I oversee recruitment within the events, hotels and catering sectors.  

We use our experience in the industry, offering a personable service and providing candidates with the essential information and advice to help them prepare for their meetings.  We have a wide network that we use to help us find the right candidate, matching the briefs that clients give us.

What type of roles do you cover and are you a nationwide service?

We cover all managerial levels, from Assistant Manager and Sous Chef up to Operations Director and above. We are based in the north of England; however we have experience of recruiting nationally and since we opened have been looking at roles as far afield as the Home Counties, South West and Scotland.  

What was your role prior to becoming Director and have you always been involved in the hospitality industry?

Prior to setting up Peapod Recruitment, I graduated from Lancaster University in 2000 with a degree in hospitality management. After 18 months in operations I went into recruitment, initially with Chess Partnership for nine years where I oversaw the northern office before moving on to another company where I worked in a similar role for two years.

What are the benefits of going through a recruitment service for those on the hunt for a new role?

By going through a recruitment company, candidates are getting knowledge and information to help their application. This information can be anything from CV advice and interview guidance to research assistance, depending on the level of role that they are going for. Recruitment companies also get roles that aren't necessarily openly advertised and so it is good to keep in touch with recruiters as sometimes there are jobs that they are working on that candidates could be suitable for.

Since the recession first hit, have you noticed any changes in the roles you are providing? Has the number of applicants altered or have there been any other changes?

When the recession first hit, the roles that were being recruited for obviously moved to just essential positions. Also, candidates who were in roles stopped looking and held on to their positions due to insecurities in the job market. Over the past two years I have seen a huge change, with a big increase in numbers applying for roles now compared to 2010. Overall, the market has become healthier in the past year. Only time will tell if that will change again.

What advice would you give to people trying to break into the catering and hospitality industries in the current climate?

Get your CV right. There are high numbers of candidates applying per job at the moment, so the clients can be a little more picky in who they shortlist to meet. Also, make sure your skills are relevant to the role that you are applying for and that these skills are mentioned on your CV. This is crucial in catching the eye of either the recruiter or client making the selection. Register with a couple of recruitment consultancies as one is never enough, but don't register with too many. Build a relationship with the consultant as they are key to you finding a role. Candidates that made an impression with me even a few years ago are sometimes the first people I speak to when I pick up a role.

What is the future for Peapod Recruitment?

It’s still early days for Peapod Recruitment. We are building on the great start we have had and want to continue this, developing more relationships with potential clients and candidates. It’s been a great first few months for us and hopefully word will spread about how we operate through providing a knowledgeable, personable service at good value and ultimately finding the right candidates for the client.