Across Northern Ireland’s tourism and hospitality sector, employers are increasingly recognising that widening the talent pipeline is essential to long-term sustainability. With labour pressures intensifying, many businesses are rethinking traditional approaches and taking practical steps to make roles more accessible. The question is shifting from ‘Where do we find staff?’ to ‘How do we make it easier for people to join us?’

This momentum is reflected in the EPIC Futures NI collaborative research project, delivered by People 1st International in partnership with Tourism Northern Ireland, Ulster University, NI Hotels Federation, NI Tourism Alliance and the HATS Network. While the research examined the barriers employers face, it also revealed a growing set of inclusive practices already reshaping how recruitment happens on the ground.

Employers highlighted the value of making recruitment feel more inclusive from the very first interaction. Many are reshaping how they advertise opportunities, emphasising flexibility, hourly pay and work–life balance to signal that roles can suit a wider range of people. They ae also adopting more personal and community-based recruitment approaches – walk-in interviews, open days, and working with trusted local intermediaries – which help reach candidates who may not engage with formal online processes. Flexibility is also becoming a key lever for inclusion: redesigned shift patterns, predictable rotas and reconfigured roles are opening opportunities for people balancing caring responsibilities, studying or managing health conditions. These changes are delivering real business benefits, including improved retention, stronger team culture and better candidate flow.

At the same time, employers recognise that progressing inclusive recruitment cannot rest on individual effort alone. The policy recommendations emerging from the research highlight several consistent challenges. Employers repeatedly emphasised the difficulty of knowing where and how to connect with underrepresented groups, calling for a simpler, integrated system and a single point of access for information and support. They also identified the need for greater confidence and capability in engaging with economically inactive individuals, noting the value of shared tools, training and employer-to-employer learning.

Financial barriers also remain a constraint. Employers spoke about the costs of onboarding and the importance of incentives that make participation viable for both businesses and individuals, including reforms to the benefits system so that work is consistently financially worthwhile. Structural issues, such as transport and childcare availability, continue to limit who can realistically take up jobs in the sector.

Despite these challenges, the direction of travel is positive. The sector is demonstrating that inclusive recruitment is not a distant ambition but a set of practical actions already taking root. What employers are achieving, often with limited resources, shows the potential for even greater progress with the right policy environment and coordinated support.

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