Neat Burger believes opportunity remains to innovate amidst recruitment crisis

Gemma De Vyea, the brand’s people and culture coach, is joining the QSR Media UK Conference & Awards this June.

Neat Burger people and culture coach Gemma De Vyea believes there’s opportunity to innovate and improve amidst the ongoing recruitment crisis.

She is joining the QSR Media UK Conference & Awards this June as part of the event’s People and Culture Panel, which aims to dissect key values for brands to succeed with a more vibrant and efficient workforce. Register here to join the event.

Editor’s Note: The Q&A portion has been lightly edited for clarity.
 
QSR Media: What is the state of the QSR/fast casual restaurant industry from your point of view?
De Vyea: The industry as a whole is hurting, the impact of Covid-19 and the ongoing recruitment crisis have left an indelible stain on the industry. However, out of the chaos we can extract positives: an opportunity to innovate, to bring positive disruption and to understand why our industry has had such a bad reputation for so long and what we can do collectively to make improvements.

What are some key lessons/insights/trends that brands have learned/further understood/need to know as we navigate current challenges? 
The industry still holds a stigma of being underpaid, low skilled and undesirable — we have an opportunity to change this. It is no longer a desirable change; it is now a necessary change, a change towards a better working environment, better diversity, better practices [and] work/life balance.

One of the most valuable lessons from the past two years is how loved hospitality as an industry is and how much, in the thick of the chaos, in every iteration — whether it is the meal on the go, a drink with friends, a celebration dinner, were missed. 

What can we expect from your panel discussion at this year's QSR Media Conference & Awards? 
How do we become better ambassadors for our industry, how do we become an industry of choice, how do we be better.