Author: Katherine Wyles

Payroll Manager, London – Position Filled

Posted on by Katherine Wyles

This position has now been filled. Please check our latest job opportunities here

We have a great opportunity for a Payroll Manager to join the finance team at a luxury hotel company.

Superbly situated in Central London our client occupies one of the city’s most prestigious addresses. Newly built and impeccably designed to harmonise with the surrounding heritage buildings, the hotel is just steps away from Kensington Gardens, and other iconic attractions. Offering 190 exquisitely styled guest rooms and suites this hotel is focused on excellence and its guest can be assured of warm hospitality, luxury and elegance.

Reporting to the Assistant Director of Finance the position will be responsible for the processing of Payroll for the Company’s team and for maintaining overall control of the management payroll system.

Other responsibilities include but not limited to:

  • Ensuring a proper month-end payroll closing with timely preparation of accurate payslips and payments for all contractual obligations, with all internal controls being respected
  • Preparation of  the relevant tax returns and ensure payment is processed in a timely manner
  • Preparation all month-end entries, completion of  accurate financial statements and month-end reporting
  • Generate accurate daily, weekly and monthly reporting for labour management analysis
  • Assist in the preparation of statistical reports as required by local management, government authorities and area office
  • Ensure that an organised, up-to-date filing system is maintained for all pertinent payroll records in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Liaise with regulator, internal and external auditors to provide them with required documentations and backups

Offering a competitive salary and other fantastic benefits which include:

  • Generous service charge distributed equitably to all colleagues
  • Life Insurance
  • Pension
  • Tronc
  • Medical cash plans including optical and dental coverage
  • Enhanced maternity and paternity leave plan
  • Workplace nursery salary exchange program
  • State of the art heart of house facilities including a gym, fitness classes, relaxation room
  • On-site occupational health and safety nurse and wellbeing education sessions
  • High street and online shopping discounts
  • Rewards and recognition initiatives
  • Dry cleaning

For more information or to apply, please contact Tairona at fm@fmrecruitment.co.uk or call on +44 20 8600 1164

Cluster Financial Controller, London – Position Filled

Posted on by Katherine Wyles

This position has now been filled. Please check our latest job opportunities here

Our client is a hotel operator with hotels situated across the UK and Ireland. They now have an opportunity for a Cluster Financial Controller to be based in London.

Position Summary:
The Cluster Financial Controller is expected to ensure the efficient running of the finance function within their hotels with responsibilities including:

  • Clear and consistent management of controls and compliance
  • Ensuring that the high level of reporting standards are being maintained
  • Provide business acumen to parties both within and outside the finance function to ensure that risk is mitigated and opportunity taken
  • Partner with the GM’s and other non-finance related disciplines to deliver on the overall objectives of the business

The successful candidate will also need to set out clear and concise instruction as to the role of their resources having a communication plan that sets out the objectives, goals and progress being made.  This should include the business plans and strategy in the following areas:

  • Commercial Focus
  • Controls & Compliance
  • Month End
  • Weekly Tasks
  • People Focus

Additional Responsibilities:

  • Co-ordinate the Year End and Interim Audit processes of the portfolio including the review and sign-off of information being submitted to External Auditors
  • Budgeting / Interim Presentations – detailed reviews before submission. Ensure that the numbers make sense and reflect the strategy of the property.
  • Assist with the capital expenditure process, work with GM’s and senior team members to ensure accuracy of applications and submissions of requests.
  • ESG responsibility to include the monitoring of energy, gas, water & waste. To effectively communicate consumption and to fully support the ESG committee.

For more information or to apply, please contact Andrea at fm@fmrecruitment.co.uk or call on +44 20 8600 1161

Divisional Learning & Development Manager – Position Filled

Posted on by Katherine Wyles

This position has now been filled. Please check our latest job opportunities here

Our client is a hospitality and leisure company that operates luxury hotels, train services and river cruises worldwide.

They now have a opportunity for a Divisional Learning & Development Manager to join the Human Resources team at their office in London. This position offers a Hybrid working system- three days in the office and two days working from home.

With the opportunity to travel to European locations such as France, Italy, Switzerland and Scotland, this is a fantastic opportunity to ensure that the service and quality that their clients have come to expect continues on into the future.

Position Overview:

  • Be responsible for helping the various teams to advance their skills and knowledge
  • Devise an organisational learning and development strategy, oversee its implementation, and assess its outcomes.
  • Enhance teams’ skills, performance, productivity and quality of work through creating and delivering personalised and relevant training material and courses
  • Identify training and developmental needs and drive suitable training initiatives

Key Responsibilities:

  • Create and execute learning strategies and courses and create, update and implement departmental standard operating procedures
  • Implement various learning methods for the Division (e.g. coaching, job-shadowing, online training).
  • Design and deliver e-learning and in-person courses, workshops, and other trainings.
  • Assess the success of development plans and help employees make the most of learning opportunities.
  • Implement measures and systems to improve cost efficiency and the internal and external customer experience.
  • Work towards ensuring high levels of Employee engagement, as well as positively contribute to the Employee engagement levels of the Company overall
  • To maintain the Company’s training equipment and training library of resources
  • To co-ordinate and manage interns and hotel school trainees; act as a liaison between the Company and the schools, compile practical training schedules and handle any matters relating to the trainees and interns as and when required.

Candidate Requirements:

  • Ideally from a hotel background preferably with luxury experience
  • Previous experience within a learning & development environment

Benefits:

  • Competitive salary
    Private healthcare, Employer contribution pension
  • Hybrid working
  • Enhanced maternity and paternity pay

For more information or to apply, please contact Tairona at fm@fmrecruitment.co.uk or call on +44 208 600 1164

Will AI replace human hospitality recruiters?

Posted on by Katherine Wyles

Last year, the Metaverse was touted as the future of business. While that might certainly be the case at some point in the future, it feels that the enthusiasm for this project has waned.  

The technology needed to experience Web 3.0 is still unfamiliar to many, but more importantly, there has been a huge backtrack in recent months from innovators such as Meta and Disney, as they have dramatically reduced their workforces dedicated to this sector. 

On the other hand, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is growing in influence. We are familiar with AI through popular culture, and Hollywood movies have often highlighted the advantages and disadvantages very clearly, and often, dramatically!  

Since Chat GPT was launched in November 2022, we have seen a sudden deluge of AI add-ons and features added to familiar websites, search engines, and productivity programmes. Devices we already own, suddenly have the ability to leverage the power of advanced AI…. for free. 

There is no doubt that AI is disrupting the way we work, live and interact. Like all advancements, it has the potential to create both new opportunities and challenges for various sectors, and the hospitality industry is no different.  

But what impact is this technology likely to have on recruitment in the hospitality industry? 

Hospitality Skills
Before we look at how AI could affect recruitment, it is important to ask if AI might make a difference in the type of roles or skills that may become more sought after in future.  

AI can enhance the efficiency and accuracy of many jobs across the sector by automating repetitive and routine tasks, such as data entry, reconciliation, invoicing and payments.  

This can free up time and resources for employees to focus on more strategic and innovative activities. This could help hospitality professionals to generate new insights and recommendations, identify new opportunities and trends, and create new products and services. 

While the reduction of manual tasks may certainly affect the number of employees required, it may also help augment the skills and capabilities of employees to help them to deliver more value for their businesses and guests. This would require the industry to continue to adapt and evolve roles and responsibilities and acquire new skills and competencies to leverage the power of these technological advancements. 

Recruitment
We know that finding and hiring perfect candidates for hospitality roles is a challenging and time-consuming process. AI will certainly be able to help streamline and improve certain recruitment processes including: 

  • The screening and shortlisting of candidates based on their resumes, skills, qualifications and experience. AI could help save recruiters time and effort and reduce human bias and errors 
  • Providing personalised and timely communication, feedback and guidance throughout the recruitment journey. This can increase candidate engagement and satisfaction, and improve the employer brand 
  • Providing insights and recommendations for recruiters and hiring managers. This can help them make better and faster decisions, optimise their strategies, and identify talent gaps and opportunities. 
  • Helping candidates find and apply for roles that match their preferences, goals and potential. This can increase the quality and diversity of the talent pool, and reduce the turnover rate. 

Understanding Bias in AI  
A 2021 Forbes article, Understanding Bias in AI Enabled Hiring, it was highlighted how AI objectively assesses the data points and reduces assumptions, mental fatigue and bias that humans often succumb to.  

While there is a risk of human bias being subconsciously programmed into the AI algorithm, there are still clear advantages to relying on AI to screen candidates on a large scale.  

In 2019, a Harvard Business Review article, Will AI reduce Gender Bias in Hiring, it highlighted that AI does not need to engage in unconscious biases to penalise based on gender or other under-represented groups in order to get a self-esteem boost. 

Reducing human bias is undoubtedly a fairer solution, but this lack of bias could also be a significant drawback to AI-based recruitment.  If a business wanted to diversify its workforce or business culture, recruitment without any human judgement may not serve the purpose.  

There are candidates out there with atypical work experiences that fail to meet the AI algorithm standards, who could potentially be the best fit in terms of their individual personality, interests, character and work ethics. 

Our Conclusion
As specialists in people strategy, we recognise that our view comes from a position of bias, but we strongly feel that AI will never replace our consultants. It will likely become a powerful tool that can augment our capabilities and performance, by helping reduce mundane tasks. This will allow us to focus on the human aspects of people and performance strategies, such as building relationships, focussing on retention and culture, and providing added value to businesses and candidates. 

If you would like to have a chat about your people strategy, please get in touch and we can chat – human to human – on Tel: +44 20 8600 1166. 

 

Financial Controller, London – Position Filled

Posted on by Katherine Wyles

This position has now been filled. Please check our latest job opportunities here

Our client is a hospitality and leisure company that operates luxury hotels, train services and river cruises worldwide.

They now have a opportunity for a Financial Controller to join the Finance team at their office in London. This position offers a Hybrid working system- three days in the office and two days working from home.

The role of Financial Controller is responsible for the management of all finance functions, including General Ledger, Revenue Accounting, Inventory, Cash Management,  Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable and Taxation (TOMS), and preparing information that will assist management in making educated decisions.

Key Responsibilities

  • Working with the Head of Departments (HODs), the GM, Divisional Director of Finance and the VP Trains and Cruises to ensure the business operates effectively and efficiently.
  • Manage Capital Expenditure Approval Process and Fixed Asset Register.
  • Preparation of comprehensive monthly reports of the entire financial results of the business in   established corporate formats and in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (local and as established by Corporate Office).
  • Prepare forecasts and budgets as required either locally or by the corporate office and to report any deviation of over-expenditure, under-budgeting or non-compliance to the approved budget to the General Manager, Divisional Director of Finance and VP, Trains and Cruises.
  • Preparation of Cashflow and Balance Sheet forecasts in Adaptive as and when required.
  • Assist the FC, Central Accounting Services in the preparation and control of statutory accounts of VSOE Ltd
  • Work with the HODs and GM to identify EBITDA enhancing projects;
  • Evaluate the performance of Finance personnel with a view towards development and an emphasis on those individuals qualifying for future advancement.
  • Assist the Divisional Director of Finance in implementing policies, rules, internal controls and safeguards that ensure profitability and control of operations.

A full job description will be shared upon application

Candidate Requirements

  • A minimum of 4 years’ experience working as a Financial Controller or in a similar role
  • A degree or diploma in accounting from a recognised tertiary educational institution
  • Experience in managing a team
  • Hospitality experience advantageous, preferably in a 5-star environment
  • An ability to communicate with all levels of staff and service providers
  • VAT and Income Tax knowledge advantageous
  • Ability to work under pressure, multitask and prioritise
  • Accurate data entry & advanced Microsoft Excel skills
  • Experience in balance sheets and familiarity of accounting systems

Benefits

  • Group Income Protection – Group Life Insurance – Employer contribution pension
  • Hybrid working
  • Enhanced maternity and paternity pay

For more information or to apply, please contact Tairona at fm@fmrecruitment.co.uk or call on +44 20 8600 1164

Financial Controller, Paris Airport – Position Filled

Posted on by Katherine Wyles

This position has now been filled. Please check our latest job opportunities here

Our client is an upscale/lifestyle branded property which offers a sleek contemporary design and modern interior. Along with over 100 rooms they offer meeting facilities, contemporary French restaurant, wellness area with a magnificent swimming pool and a panoramic bar which gives a breath-taking view of Paris and the runways of the private international airport of Le Bourget.

They are now seeking to hire a Financial Controller to join the hotel. Under the direction of the General Manager and member of the Executive Committee, the successful candidate will be responsible for achieving the quantitative and qualitative objectives of the finance department and in particular, they will be responsible for monitoring the accounts of all departments and complying with the company’s administrative and tax regulations.

Duties include:

  • Accounting Management
  • Cost control and forecast management
  • Cash management and bank relations
  • Responsible for internal controls, legal security (administrative and tax), cash and assets
  • Management of the Accounting Team

A full job description will be shared upon application.

Candidate Requirements:

  • Graduated from Accounting/Management school or Business school
  • Experience as a Financial Controller in a smaller property or Deputy Director of Finance for at least 3 to 5 years
  • Responsive, organised, rigorous, analytical, available and attentive, with hands-on management approach with active involvement in daily business
  • A master of financial analysis and be familiar with Opera, Oracle, Micros Symphony and Birchstreet software
  • Fluent in both French and English

For more information or to apply, please contact Tairona at fm@fmrecruitment.co.uk or call on +44 20 8600 1164

Director of Finance, New York – Position Filled

Posted on by Katherine Wyles

This position has now been filled. Please check our latest job opportunities here

Located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, our client taken over a luxury boutique hotel that is currently undergoing a refurbishment and rebranding. Scheduled to open at the end of 2023 / early January 2024, they are seeking to hire a Director of Finance to join the team.

Reporting into the General Manager as well as Corporate Office including CFO and owners of the group, the Director of Finance will be responsible for overseeing all accounting and financial aspects of the company in line with strategic objectives. They represent the financial authority in the company, upholding the integrity of fiscal data, ensuring transparency and accountability. They collaborate closely with the General Manager and the hotel team, providing financial information and advice with the aim of maximizing value. They work proactively with the GM and management to shape the overall strategy of the company. Their main responsibilities include managing the accounting records and financial reports, providing an effective control, developing best practice financial accounting and control procedures, as well as advising and developing their team. They coordinate activities with external parties and financial services hired or contracted by the company.

Direct reports in to this position include Accounts, Cost control, Purchasing, They will also  work closely with other departments on issues relating to costs, revenues and cash flow, particularly Sales & Marketing, Food & Beverage, Housekeeping, Front Office and HR.

This role would suit someone who has excellent leadership skills, is analytical and has excellent problem solving skills

Candidate Experience:

  • Significant experience in finance with at least 5 years at senior management level
  • Excellent finance, accounting and analytical skills, including experience with cash management, forecasting, revenue management strategies, capital expenditure planning, budgeting and project management
  • Experience in managing professional staff
  • Previous experience working in finance and accounting within the hospitality, hotel or service industry
  • Previously held position as Director of Finance or Assistant Director of Finance

 Education/Qualifications:

  • Degree-level education in a relevant discipline
  • Certified member of an accountancy body or holder of an equivalent qualification
  • Postgraduate qualification/ MBA in a relevant field

 Additional Requirements:

  • Technical savvy with strong Microsoft Office skills, in particular Excel
  • Excellent verbal, writing and presentation skills
  • Firm knowledge of internal controls that are in line with the group
  • Excellent project management skills
  • Experience with accounting system software (desirable)
  • Willingness to travel (desirable)

For more information or to apply, please contact Andrea at fm@fmrecruitment.co.uk or call on +44 20 8600 1161

Is Hospitality really the most stressful industry in the UK?

Posted on by Katherine Wyles

April is Stress Awareness Month, and after a number of publications last year reported that 57% of hospitality employees regularly experience high levels of stress, we want to ask if hospitality really is the most stressful industry in the UK? 

The most stressful industry in the UK? 

In July last year, a report from addiction and rehab specialist Delamere, on the toxicity of the hustle culture, gave a breakdown on stress in various industries. This report was picked up in a number of other articles at the time, and presented hospitality as the most stressful industry in the UK. According to the report, 57.1% of “Accommodation and Food Service” workers reported poor mental health, more than Health and Social Care and Manufacturing which rounded out the top three places. The data to back this up were attributed to Lifeworks’ monthly Mental Health Index. These figures tend to vary by month and while Hospitality is no longer considered the worst offender in terms of workplace stress, it still rates consistently low in areas such as Average Hours Worked and Work-Life Balance.  

The impact of stress on retention rates 

Long Hours and Work-Life Balance, contribute highly towards levels of stress, which can eventually lead to burnout, especially if the level of commitment to the business and its culture begins to wane. Inevitable this can lead to reduced productivity and employee retention levels.  

Last year, we published The Battle for Retention which looked at a number of other factors that can affect employee turnover. 

Advice on how to tackle stress in the workplace consistently revolves around how to spot it in yourself, and in your employees. As individuals, we all have a responsibility to ourselves to recognise when we are working too hard or neglecting our personal commitments. Hospitality Action is a charity that supports hospitality employees both inside and outside of the workplace. In their Advice Hub, they share expert advice and information on how to get further support on a range of issues, including Stress.  

Signs of stress can include:  

  • Difficulty sleeping 
  • Feeling irritated with family, friends or co-workers 
  • Drinking more than usual 
  • Struggling with work deadlines 
  • Feeling isolated and lonely 
  • Physical symptoms such as: panic attacks, headaches, chest pains, indigestion, dizziness, nausea, sweating, breathing problems

Mental health charity Mind recommends some ways to manage it including:  

  • Identify your triggers – Try to prepare for stress by recognising what sets it off 
  • Organise your time – Make a list of your tasks and approach them in order of urgency 
  • Be clear about your limits – While it isn’t always possible to say no to things, let people know if you don’t have the capacity to fulfil their demands 
  • Try to take a short break – it may seem counter-intuitive to take a break when you are stressed but if you can allow yourself one, this can help how you feel 
  • Develop interests and hobbies – Outside of work, try to make time for what you enjoy to take you away from stress 
  • Get enough sleep 
  • Stay physically active 
  • Eat a balanced diet 
  • Spend time in nature 
  • Build a support network – having friends and family, or finding support at work to talk through why you feel stressed can make a big difference 

Employers also have a duty to instill a workplace culture that can help spot the signs of stress and empower them to engage with employees on a more personal level, especially if they are seeing symptoms of stress in the team or in individuals. According to the Health and Safety Executive, signs of stress in a team can include: 

  •  Increase in arguments amongst staff 
  • Higher staff turnover 
  • More reports of stress 
  • More sickness absence 
  • Decreased performance 
  • More complaints and grievances   

 In individuals, leaders may notice a change in the way people act or feel, such as: 

  •  Taking more time off 
  • Arriving for work later 
  • Being more twitchy or nervous 
  • Mood swings 
  • Being withdrawn 
  • A loss of motivation, commitment and confidence 
  • Increased emotional reactions – being more tearful, sensitive or aggressive 

In addition to the free support for hospitality employees, Hospitality Action also offers a number of support packages including Stress and Resilience Training, designed to bolster the resilience and wellbeing of your employees. 

If you would like support with your people strategy in 2023, FM Recruitment are here for you. With a superb track record in finding the right people for the right role, we have long standing relationships with clients and candidates and we can help guide you through challenging and sometimes stressful times.  

 If you would like to chat about your people strategy, please contact us on +44 20 8600 1160.  

 

Assistant Financial Controller, London – Position Filled

Posted on by Katherine Wyles

This position has now been filled. Please check our latest job opportunities here

Our client is a hospitality and leisure company that operates luxury hotels, train services and river cruises worldwide.

They now have a fantastic  opportunity for an Assistant Financial Controller to join the Finance team at their Head Office in London. This position offers a  Hybrid working system- three days in the office and two days working from home.

Reporting to the Financial Controller, the successful candidate will be responsible for assisting with the management of all Central functions for the Trains and Cruises business units, including, General Ledger, Revenue Accounting, Accounts Receivables, Accounts Payable, Taxation, Cash Management and the preparation of information that will assist management in making educated decisions.

Key Responsibilities

  • Balancing of the passenger ticket revenue, deferred revenue, credit card refunds, discounts, cancellation revenue, rate discrepancy report and miscellaneous charges and staff charges to Travel Studio.
  • Overseeing the completion of daily banking tasks to ensure that all receipts recorded in Travel Studio posted by the Revenue and Central Accountant have been correctly reflected in the bank/credit card accounts.
  • Communicating the monthly revenues and ensure that all revenues are reviewed and approved by the Financial Controller (FC) and General Manager (GM) of the business units.
  • Supervising and managing the Central and Revenue Accounts Assistant and Credit Controller and Central Accountant including providing effective performance feedback in yearly reviews.
  • Assisting the FC with the preparation of the monthly reporting of the entire financial results of the business in established corporate formats and in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (locally and as established by Corporate Office).

A full job description will be shared upon application

Candidate Requirements

  • A minimum of 4 years’ experience working as an assistant to the financial controller or in a similar role
  • A degree or diploma in accounting from a recognised tertiary educational institution
  • Experience in managing a team
  • Hospitality experience advantageous, preferably in a 5-star environment
  • An ability to communicate with all levels of staff and service providers
  • VAT and Income Tax knowledge advantageous
  • Ability to work under pressure, multitask and prioritise
  • Accurate data entry & advanced Microsoft Excel skills
  • Experience in balance sheets and familiarity of accounting systems

Benefits

  • Group Income Protection – Group Life Insurance – Employer contribution pension
  • Hybrid working
  • Enhanced maternity and paternity pay

For more information or to apply, please contact Tairona at fm@fmrecruitment.co.uk or call on +44 20 8600 1164

 

 

Director of Information Technology, London – Position Filled

Posted on by Katherine Wyles

This position has now been filled. Please check our latest job opportunities here

We are working with a very exciting and established London based start-up in the care industry who are placing technology at the core or their business practice, enabling them to deliver a first class service to their residents and employees.

The role of Director of IT will be responsible for leading the proactive and continuous improvement to the IT systems and processes as part of the group technology strategy, ensuring compliance, governance, and IT controls are in place and adhered to.

This is a hands-on role that will continue to grow as the company grows.  Excellent package and hybrid working on offer.

Main Responsibilities: 

  • Developing and delivering the technology strategy and ensuring that it is aligned with business objectives.
  • Overseeing all IT infrastructure including equipment, software, networks, systems, and hardware.
  • Responsible for managing IT systems infrastructure, management information and hardware.
  • Develop the business strategy on data security and ensure technical resilience and security across technology/internal communication platforms and resident/transactional databases.
  • Fully accountable for change management and project delivery aligned to the strategic roadmap and business operating plans.
  • Develop and support the team to respond to current and future demands of a constantly changing technological landscape.
  • Develop a partnership between IT and the business, by developing relationships, managing expectations, and facilitating two-way communication.
  • Develop and maintain relationship with suppliers, contractors, and our third-party IT support

Candidate Specification: 

  • 5+ years of hands-on technical IT roles
  • Infrastructure and networking experience
  • Ability to work both in a management capacity- and in a detailed, hands-on system capacity.
  • Ability to manage business systems
  • Experience managing third party suppliers
  • Project Management experience

Desirable:

  • ITIL qualifications
  • Data analytics with Power BI knowledge
  • Prince2 Practitioner or Agile qualifications
  • Business analysis experience
  • Care sector system experience
  • Change management experience

For more information or to apply, please contact Andrea Shaw at fm@fmrecruitment.co.uk or call on +44 7714 236469

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