Finding a job that fits in with nursery and school can be a real challenge, with many stating they offer flexible hours, when in reality they still don’t quite fit with school runs etc.
Travelodge, the UK’s first budget hotel chain, has just launched the next phase of its parents recruitment programme, targeting mums and dads looking to get back into work – as school’s reopen. The hotel chain which operates 567 hotels across the UK is looking to fill 1,500 jobs with flexible hours that fit around the school run, a supporting work buddy and access to management training.
Travelodge launched its bespoke parents recruitment programme in January 2019, in a bid to help the UK’s 2 million plus unemployed parents into hospitality with the pledge of 3,000 jobs.
The company received a record 45,000 job applications for this initial phase and was overwhelmed by parents welcoming reaction to its new recruitment programme. All positions have been filled.
As schools around the country reopen for the new academic year, Travelodge has kick starting the next phase of its parents recruitment programme and is seeking parents who want to return to work. The company is looking to fill 1,500 jobs across its UK hotels, head office and at its forthcoming new hotel openings this year in: Edinburgh,London Beckton, London Dagenham, Rochester and Sittingbourne.
Positions include: Hotel Manager, Assistant Hotel Manager, Receptionist, Bar Café Team Member, Supervisor, and Housekeeping Team Member, as well as support roles at head office.
All jobs offer guaranteed hours and comprehensive benefits including 50% discounts on hotel stays – great for those family staycations! New colleagues will also be eligible to join the company’s in-house management programme called ‘Aspire’ which offers comprehensive training on hotel management. This can help new entry-level team members get into a management role at Travelodge within a year of joining the company, offering significant salary and development progression.
To help design its parents recruitment programme Travelodge consulted its 11,000 strong workforce as over 50% are parents. In addition the company commissioned a study with YouGov to gain further insight into the challenges unemployed mums and dads are facing.
Key findings revealed that 86% of unemployed parents would like to return to work. However 59% of parents reported that the scarcity of jobs with flexibility around the school run was the biggest challenge to finding work.
Six out of ten (61%) unemployed parents reported that they have lost their confidence whilst staying at home to raise a family and are apprehensive of returning to work.
Further findings revealed that 41% of parents are eager to work in order to regain their personal identity and not be labelled just a parent. In addition 31% of unemployed parents reported that they are bored at home and want to work in order to exercise their mind and learn new skills.
More than a quarter (26%) of adults reported that they want to work because they miss adult conversation.
Nearly seven out of ten (67%) unemployed parents reported that they would appreciate the opportunity to climb the career ladder whilst raising their family.
Rebecca Baker, Travelodge, Director of Talent & People Proposition said: “We have been astoundedby the tremendous feedback we have received from mums and dads in all corners of the UK for our new parents recruitment programme. This response reinforces the YouGov research and highlights that Britain has a vast untapped pool of parents who want to work but want to avoid the costs of school wraparound care. We have made it our mission to help unemployed parents return to work in the hospitality sector. With a growing network of over 560 hotels across the country, we have a strong established workforce of working parents, offering jobs close to home, flexible hours that can work around the school run, benefits that suit families and a career path into management specifically for mums and dads.”
“This week as children return to school we are offering 1,500 jobs across the UK to help unemployed parents return to work. Our parents recruitment programme offers all the tools to make it easier than ever for mums and dads to work around the school run and climb the career ladder whilst raising their family.”
Detailed below is an outline of Travelodge’s five step path to help parents back to work:
1. Careers advice on its website to help mums and dads return to work
2. Flexible working hours to suit family life
3. Full range of company benefits including 50% discount on hotel stays and food
4. Comprehensive training and a work buddy to help get up to speed
5. Opportunity to join the Travelodge Aspire management programme
For further details on all positions at Travelodge and to apply, please visit: https://www.travelodge.co.uk/careers/working-parents/