Pub Recruitment: How to Hire (and Keep) Great Bar Staff

You have probably felt it already. You put out a job ad, get a handful of responses, interview two people, hire the one who seems least likely to ghost you, and three weeks later they stop turning up. Then you are back behind the bar covering their shifts, wondering why finding decent staff feels harder than running the actual business.

You are not imagining it. Hospitality recruitment in the UK is genuinely difficult right now. The sector lost hundreds of thousands of workers during the pandemic and many never came back. Those who stayed have more options than ever. If your pub is not an attractive place to work, the good people will go somewhere that is.

But here is the thing: some pubs have no trouble finding staff. They have a waiting list. The difference is not luck or location. It is how they recruit, how they onboard, and how they treat people once they are through the door.

This guide covers all of it. Where to find candidates, how to write ads that actually work, what to look for in interviews, how to run trial shifts properly, what to do in week one, and how to keep your best people for years instead of weeks.

The recruitment crisis is real, but it is not hopeless

Let us be honest about the landscape. UKHospitality estimates the sector has tens of thousands of vacancies at any given time. Pubs compete for the same talent pool as restaurants, hotels, coffee chains, and increasingly, warehouse and delivery jobs that offer comparable pay with fewer unsociable hours.

The people who remain in hospitality tend to be passionate about it. Your job is to find them and give them a reason to choose your pub over the alternatives.

That starts with understanding what candidates actually want in 2025. It is not just money, although money matters. The top factors are:

• Predictable hours and a fair rota. Nothing drives staff away faster than a rota published the night before or shifts changed without notice.
• Respect and recognition. Being thanked for good work, being listened to, being treated like a professional.
• A workplace that does not feel chaotic. Good systems, clear expectations, equipment that works.
• Flexibility. Students want term-time hours. Parents want school-run compatibility. Everyone wants some control over their schedule.
• Development. Even in a small pub, people want to learn. Cocktail making, cellar management, kitchen skills — progression matters.

If you can offer most of those things genuinely, not just in the job ad, you are already ahead of most pubs.

Where to find staff

Not all recruitment channels are equal. Here is what actually works, ranked by effectiveness for pub hiring.

Word of mouth — your best channel

Your existing team is your most powerful recruitment tool. Good people know good people. If your current staff enjoy working for you, they will recommend friends when a vacancy comes up.

Make it formal. Offer a referral bonus, even a modest one like 50 pounds after the new hire completes their first month. Mention vacancies in team meetings. Ask specifically: do you know anyone who might be interested?

The hires you get through word of mouth tend to stay longer because they already know someone on the team and have realistic expectations about the role.

Social media — free and targeted

Post vacancies on your pub's Facebook and Instagram. Be specific and honest about the role. A short video of your team in action performs better than a text post.

Ask your staff to share the post. Their networks are exactly the demographic you want — local, sociable, the right age range.

Local Facebook community groups are particularly effective for pub recruitment. Post in your village or town group, not just on your pub page. People who live nearby are more likely to stick around.

Local colleges and training providers

Contact the hospitality department at your nearest further education college. Many run Level 1 and Level 2 courses in hospitality and food service, and their students need work placements and part-time jobs.

The advantage is that these candidates are actively choosing hospitality as a career path. They may lack experience, but they have enthusiasm and current training. Offer to host a placement and you get a free trial period before committing to a hire.

Job boards — use selectively

Caterer.com is the industry standard for hospitality recruitment in the UK. It costs money but reaches people who are specifically looking for hospitality work.

Indeed has volume but lower quality for hospitality roles. You will get more applications but spend more time filtering.

Google Business Profile — if you have a well-maintained profile, you can post job listings directly. Free and hyperlocal.

Gumtree and local classifieds still work in some areas, particularly for casual or part-time roles.

Avoid spending money on premium listings until you have tried the free channels first.

Recruitment agencies — last resort for most pubs

Agencies charge 10 to 20 percent of the annual salary, which is hard to justify for bar staff roles. They can be useful for chef recruitment, where the talent pool is smaller and more specialised, but for front-of-house roles, you will almost always get better results from direct recruitment.

Writing job ads that actually work

Most pub job ads are terrible. They list duties, mention the National Living Wage, and wonder why nobody applies. Here is how to write one that stands out.

Lead with what you offer, not what you need

The candidate is choosing you as much as you are choosing them. Start with what makes your pub a good place to work.

Bad opening: "We are looking for an experienced bartender for weekend shifts."

Good opening: "Love busy, sociable Friday nights and want to work somewhere that actually values its team? The Anchor is hiring."

Be specific about the role

Vague ads attract vague candidates. State clearly:

• Exact hours and shift patterns (not "flexible hours," which means nothing).
• Pay rate — not "competitive," an actual number. If you are embarrassed by the number, that is a different problem.
• Whether tips are pooled or individual.
• What training you provide.
• Start date.

Be honest about the hard parts

Hospitality is physically demanding. You are on your feet for hours, you work when everyone else is relaxing, and some customers are difficult. Saying so in the ad filters out people who would quit in week two anyway.

Include a clear call to action

Tell candidates exactly how to apply. "Drop your CV into the pub" works if you want casual applications. "Email your CV and a paragraph about why you want this job" works if you want to filter for effort.

Interview red flags and green lights

Interviews in hospitality should be practical and conversational, not corporate. You are assessing personality, reliability, and attitude — skills can be taught.

Red flags

• They badmouth their last employer. Every pub they have worked in was awful? The common factor is them.
• They cannot explain why they left their last role. Vagueness here usually means they were let go or walked out.
• They show zero curiosity about your pub. If they have not looked at your menu, checked your social media, or even driven past, they are not interested — they just need a job.
• They are inflexible on hours from the outset. Some flexibility is fair, but if they cannot work any evenings or weekends, they cannot work in a pub.
• Late to the interview without contacting you. If they cannot manage timekeeping for an interview, they will not manage it for a shift.

Green lights

• They ask questions. About the team, the busiest nights, what training looks like. Curiosity is a predictor of engagement.
• They have relevant life experience even without hospitality experience. Someone who has worked in retail, customer service, or even organised events at university may be a brilliant hire.
• They are honest about what they do not know. "I have not used a till system before but I am a quick learner" is far better than bluffing.
• They mention your pub specifically. They came in for a drink, they follow you on Instagram, their friend recommended it. Genuine interest beats a generic CV every time.

Trial shifts: do them properly

A trial shift is the single most valuable step in your hiring process. It tells you more in three hours than an interview ever will.

The rules

• Always pay for trial shifts. This is a legal and ethical requirement. Pay the candidate at your standard hourly rate for every hour they work. Unpaid trial shifts are exploitative and increasingly challenged by employment tribunals.
• Keep it to three or four hours. Long enough to see them work through a service period. Short enough that it does not feel like free labour.
• Brief your team. Tell your existing staff that someone is on trial and ask them to observe. After the shift, ask your team what they thought. They spotted things you missed.
• Give the candidate a clear brief. Tell them what to wear, when to arrive, who to ask for, and what they will be doing. Reducing their anxiety lets you see the real person.

What to watch for

• How do they interact with customers? Natural warmth cannot be taught. Watch whether they make eye contact, smile, and engage.
• How do they handle being busy? Do they stay calm or panic? Do they prioritise or freeze?
• Do they ask questions? Someone who asks where things are kept, how the till works, or what the specials are is engaged and coachable.
• How do they fit with the existing team? Chemistry matters in a small team. If your staff warm to them quickly, that is a strong signal.

Onboarding: the first week matters most

The biggest mistake pubs make is throwing new staff straight into a busy shift with no preparation. You would not do it with a new chef and you should not do it with bar staff.

Day one

• Introduce them to every team member by name. This sounds obvious but it rarely happens properly.
• Walk them through the building. Fire exits, stock rooms, cellar, staff area, toilets, cleaning supplies. Remove the anxiety of not knowing where things are.
• Give them their contract and employee handbook. If you do not have a handbook, create a one-page document covering the basics: dress code, shift procedures, sickness reporting, who to contact in an emergency.
• Pair them with your best team member. Not your busiest or most senior — your best at explaining things patiently.

Days two to five

• Shadow shifts before independent work. Let them observe and assist for at least two shifts before putting them on the rota independently.
• Teach the till system thoroughly. Most mistakes and most stress in the first week come from not knowing how to process transactions.
• Cover the basics: pouring, stock rotation, cleaning standards, customer greeting. Do not assume they know. Even experienced staff do things differently in different venues.
• Check in at the end of every shift. Five minutes asking "how did that feel?" and "what questions do you have?" prevents problems from compounding.

End of week one

• Informal review. Tell them what they are doing well and one thing to focus on improving. Be specific and encouraging.
• Confirm their rota for the next two weeks. Certainty reduces anxiety and builds commitment.

Retention: why good people leave and how to stop it

Hiring is expensive and disruptive. Every time someone leaves, you lose their training investment, their customer relationships, and your team's stability. Retention is cheaper than recruitment, every time.

The real reasons pub staff leave

It is almost never just about pay. Exit conversations and industry research consistently point to the same factors:

• Unpredictable or unfair rotas. Published late, changed without notice, favouring certain staff over others.
• Feeling undervalued. No feedback, no recognition, no thank you after a hard shift.
• Poor management. Shouting, blaming, micromanaging, or simply being absent when needed.
• No progression. If someone has been doing the same thing for a year with no development, they will look elsewhere.
• Toxic colleagues. One difficult team member left unchecked will drive out three good ones.

What keeps people

• Publish the rota at least two weeks in advance. Non-negotiable. This single change reduces staff turnover more than any pay rise.
• Recognise good work publicly and specifically. Not "good job tonight" but "the way you handled that complaint was brilliant, the customer left smiling."
• Invest in development. Send someone on a barista course. Teach cocktail making. Let a keen team member help plan events. People stay where they grow.
• Be consistent and fair. Apply rules equally. If lateness has consequences, it has consequences for everyone — including your favourites.
• Create team moments. A staff drink after a big night, a group chat that is actually fun, a team outing once a quarter. People stay for the people as much as the job.
• Offer flexibility where you can. A student who needs exam week off, a parent who cannot do school holidays — accommodate where possible and they will go the extra mile when you need them to.

For more ideas on keeping your team motivated when budgets are tight, read our guide on pub staff motivation without pay rises.

Chef recruitment: a special case

Finding and keeping chefs deserves its own section because the talent shortage is even more acute in kitchens than behind the bar.

Where to find chefs

• Chef-specific job boards like Caterer.com and Brigade (a newer platform focused on chef recruitment).
• Industry contacts and word of mouth. Chefs talk to chefs. If your kitchen has a good reputation, candidates will hear about it.
• College catering courses. Commis chef and apprentice roles filled through local colleges can develop into long-term team members.
• Social media. Post about your food, your kitchen team, and your culture. Chefs follow pubs that take food seriously.

What chefs want

Beyond pay, chefs care about:

• Kitchen condition and equipment. A well-maintained kitchen with decent kit signals that you take food seriously.
• Creative freedom. Even within a set menu framework, chefs want some input into specials and seasonal changes.
• Work-life balance. The industry is slowly moving away from the 60-hour kitchen week. If you can offer sensible hours, say so loudly.
• Respect from front of house. The kitchen-versus-floor dynamic destroys teams. Build a culture where both sides respect each other.

Building a recruitment pipeline

The best time to recruit is before you need to. If you only start looking when someone hands in their notice, you are already behind.

Keep a shortlist

When good candidates apply at the wrong time, keep their details on file with their permission. When a vacancy opens, contact them first.

Stay visible as an employer

Your social media should occasionally show what it is like to work at your pub, not just what it is like to drink there. Team photos, behind-the-scenes content, staff achievements — this attracts future applicants passively.

Build college relationships

Visit your local college once a term. Offer to speak to hospitality students about careers in pubs. Host a visit. The pub that builds these relationships gets first pick of the best students.

Review and improve continuously

After every hire, ask yourself: where did this person come from, what worked in the process, and what would I do differently? After every departure, conduct an honest exit conversation. Patterns in the data tell you exactly what to fix.

Your action plan

This week

• Audit your current team situation. Who is solid, who is at risk of leaving, where are your gaps?
• Write one honest, specific job ad using the principles above. Post it on your social media and ask staff to share.
• Contact your nearest college hospitality department and introduce yourself.

This month

• Implement a staff referral bonus scheme.
• Review your onboarding process. If you do not have one, create a simple first-week checklist.
• Publish your rota at least two weeks in advance from now on.

This quarter

• Run your first exit conversation with anyone who leaves. Document the feedback.
• Schedule informal one-to-one check-ins with each team member. Ten minutes, once a month.
• Review your pay rates against local competitors. You do not need to be the highest, but you need to be fair.

The bottom line

The pubs that consistently find and keep great staff are not paying double the market rate or offering fancy perks. They are doing the basics brilliantly: honest recruitment, proper onboarding, fair management, and genuine recognition.

Your team is the single biggest factor in whether customers come back. A warm welcome, a well-pulled pint, and a smile that feels real — that is what turns a first visit into a regular habit. And that starts with hiring the right people and giving them every reason to stay.

If you are struggling with recruitment, retention, or building a team culture that works, a pub health check can help identify exactly where the gaps are. And if you want hands-on support building systems that attract and keep great people, talk to Orange Jelly about a Growth Partnership. We have built a team at The Anchor that delivers 60-70K monthly social media views and keeps our quiz night at 25-35 regulars — and it starts with the people behind the bar.