IoH and industry leaders launch new hiring toolkit to support the hospitality sector with Better Hiring

The Institute of Hospitality in collaboration with the Better Hiring Institute (BHI), Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA), Disclosure Scotland, Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), Reed Screening and the UK government through the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Modernising Employment, has launched an industry best practice Better Hiring Toolkit for the hospitality sector.

With hospitality a key UK industry, employing 3.5m people and generating nearly £100bn for the UK economy, the new Toolkit is free to use and provides practical, simplified guidance to support hospitality businesses with hiring new employees by utilising UK best practice. It provides advice on vetting potential new recruits including checking and verifying their qualifications, as well as information for employers on their obligations when it comes to issues like modern slavery, which is sadly still rife across the hospitality sector.

Keith Rosser, Chair of the Better Hiring Institute said: “I am delighted to have worked collaboratively with key bodies to provide the hospitality industry with this best practice guide to help hard working organisations who are facing multiple challenges on a daily basis. The hospitality industry is vital to the UK economy and I hope that the Toolkit will assist organisations to hire to the best possible standard. My thanks go to the Institute of Hospitality and our Hospitality subcommittee for their valuable insights and feedback to create this industry standard.”

Robert Richardson FIH MI, Chief Executive of the Institute of Hospitality, said: “As proud members of the steering body for the UK Government’s Modernising Employment All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), the Institute of Hospitality is delivering on its commitment to building a more equitable and progressive employment landscape for hospitality professionals. Our collaboration with colleagues and Reed Screening to develop the Better Hiring Toolkit for Hospitality is a meaningful step towards consistent, high-quality hiring practices that recognise the value of people across our sector. Hospitality is more than just a job — it’s a profession with real prospects, and this toolkit helps lay the groundwork for a more inclusive, respected, and sustainable future. As the strong voice for hospitality professional development, not just in the UK but globally, we will continue to champion the professional development changes needed to ensure everyone in our industry has the opportunity to thrive.”

Helen Chandler, Acting Associate Director of Strategy and Business Development for the Disclosure and Barring Service, said: "The Disclosure and Barring Service helps employers make safer recruitment decisions, and our collaboration with Better Hiring Institute represents important steps forward in supporting the hospitality industry in safeguarding best practice. The toolkit provides guidance for employers and highlights how incorporating Basic checks into recruitment practices can be a tool to build trust, safety and reliability across the workforce.”

Corinne Peart, Head of Engagement, Reed Screening said: “I am delighted to have collaborated with industry leading partners on the Better Hiring Toolkit for Hospitality which is a great step change in hiring for the sector. In the hospitality industry, where customer trust and service quality are paramount, thorough employee screening is essential. Here at Reed Screening, we look forward to seeing the positive impact this guidance has on the sector.”

Elysia McCaffrey, CEO at the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority, said: “Our mission is to stop the exploitation of workers in the UK and to ensure employers treat them fairly. The Hospitality Better Hiring Toolkit, produced by The Better Hiring Institute, is an intuitive product designed to prevent worker abuse in the sector.

"This guidance to benchmark industry onboarding and recruitment processes which ensure fairer and safer recruitment will reassure workers that they will be treated equally and fairly. It is a fantastic demonstration of how partnerships can contribute to the identification of risk, including the additional vulnerability that women and girls are often exposed to because of labour exploitation, and prevent worker abuse.”

Gerard Hart, Chief Executive at Disclosure Scotland, said: “We fully support the Better Hiring Institute’s ambition to encourage more employers to recruit more fairly, enabling more people, including those from underrepresented groups or who have past involvement with the justice system, to gain successful employment in hospitality.

"Across Scotland, we are committed to helping employers make safe and fair recruitment decisions. This toolkit is an excellent resource for organisations when considering their recruitment options and hiring capable staff who are keen to learn new skills or build on their existing experience.” 

Among the key ambitions of the Better Hiring Toolkit include: Making UK Hiring the fastest globally, the fairest in the world, and the safest it can be

• A strong desire to raise standards
• To offer a one-stop shop for industry best practice

The BHI mission is to make UK hiring faster, fairer, and safer, and exists to transform the labour market by bringing in a revolution in the way the UK hires staff. Working with UK Government the BHI has developed Better Hiring Toolkits to cover 80% of the UK workforce, a Better Hiring Charter to transform fairness in UK Hiring and the Modernising Employment All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) in Parliament.  

Access the Better Hiring Toolkit here.