Majority of hospitality staff prioritise work over social life

The majority of hospitality professionals (71.8%) feel work is the most important thing in their life right now, with only 17.9% prioritising their social life and 10.3% their love life, according to new research .

The research from CV-Library, which surveyed 1,200 working professionals, found that only family (76.9%) trumped a job as the top priority, also beating health (61.5%). It also found despite sacrificing a social and love life for their career, only 32.3% of those in hospitality claim to be in their dream job.

Lee Biggins, founder and CEO of CV-Library, said: “These results from the hospitality industry are worrying, as they indicate a poor work-life balance. Achieving a reasonable balance nowadays is certainly challenging, and even more so if your employer is piling on the pressure for you to work extra shifts, as is common in this industry.

“While it’s commendable that so many hospitality workers are invested in their careers, it’s not necessary to sacrifice your entire personal life in pursuit of success. Of course, a desire to move forward at work may require more commitment and alterations to your lifestyle, but don’t lose everything else which brings you joy along the way. Work with your boss to create a sensible work schedule.”

The study sought to further understand what hospitality workers’ priorities in life are, with the majority (71.8%) stating that they hadn’t achieved everything that they wanted to so far in life. When asked what they wanted to achieve next the most common answers were:

• 66.7% would like to be in their dream job
• 48.1% would like to earn over £50k
• 29.6% would like to travel for an extended period of time
• 22.2% would like to buy a house
• 7.4% would like to retire

Biggins concludes: “It’s interesting to see that hospitality professionals would rather be in their dream job than in a role that comes with a high income. It just goes to show how important job satisfaction really is, especially in terms of pursuing your interests outside of work, such as the ability to travel. If it’s something you’ve been dreaming of doing for ages, be sure to have that conversation with your employer. They may be able to make your dream a reality.”