Barcats 2025 Industry Report

Dec 11, 2025

Why Your Best Hospo Staff Keep Leaving (And What They Actually Want)

If you run a venue, you already know: keeping good staff is harder than ever. We surveyed our network of hospitality staff to find out what's actually driving turnover — and what workers want that they're not getting.

The workforce is in constant motion

Only 13% of hospo workers stay in a role for more than two years. But here's the thing: it's not that workers are disengaged. They're under pressure. 81% say cost of living is driving them to seek more hours, and nearly a third are already juggling two or more jobs.

What workers actually want

When we asked what they wanted more of, the answers were clear: one-off high-value shifts (30%), training and upskilling (27%), and everyday perks (21%). Workers aren't just chasing hours — they want flexibility, growth, and recognition. Venues that offer these things have a real edge in attracting talent.

Hiring is stuck in the past

Word-of-mouth still dominates how workers find jobs — by a huge margin. That means you're only seeing candidates who already know someone at your venue, missing the vast majority of available talent who simply haven't heard of you.

The opportunity

Venues that modernise their approach, making it easier for workers to discover them and investing in flexibility and growth, will win the talent war.

[Download the Full Report] to see all the data and insights.