To think some people think working in the catering industry, particularly higher up, is an easy option

Could some of this be due to job centres forcing people to apply for a certain number of jobs regardless of how suitable they are for them?

I think the reality is that many of the applications for most jobs are completely unsuitable, which I find bizarre because you'd have to be totally delusional to think you have a chance of getting a job that you're not qualified for, have no experience in and don't want to do the hours, tasks etc. Plus the effort required to send in the application, although I understand that some people are happy to make up any old shit.

We see it all the time where I work, even though the adverts are very clear about the qualifications required and what the job involves.

I applied for a specialist role elsewhere that I didn't get (which I'm fine about) but I later found out they had a couple of dozen applications but I was one of fewer than five who they thought worth interviewing.

DP used to work in a shop that was open 7 days a week and like most shops needed all hands on deck at the weekend. This was made clear at all stages of the process that you had to work every Saturday and Sunday but your rota'd hours would include one weekend day off a month (separate to booked holidays where this was subject to cover) and they were quite flexible, eg could do fixed NWDs on weekdays (was a good PT job for students to work around lectures) but they still had people saying they 'can't work' during several weekend days a month.

I work in Hospitality and some of the customers are the worst! They want everything for nothing, bigger portions, extras and changes to the advertised items without paying for it!

Also surprised as I thought it was widely acknowledged hospitality is really, really hard work.

I think catering is hard, and I feel your frustration.

But in my experience every job I have ever advertised has had loads of applications from barely qualified chancers. This has been true at all points on the pay spectrum.

The way I think of it is that if you are a good job candidate, you find a job relatively quickly (not always, of course, but on average). If you are a bad candidate, you stay unemployed for a lot longer. That means that the pool of applicants is disproportionately terrible candidates.

If you want good candidates, and your place pays well, can you do proactive outreach to try to poach the best people from your worst-paying competitors?

I own a cafe, I definitely think people who apply for our front of house jobs think it involves a lot of standing around drinking coffee, whereas the reality is it's non stop, and when there isn't a customer to serve things need cleaning, restocking etc

But I think my customers realise how hard we all work, I easily do 10/11 hour days on my feet, we make everything ourselves and they see that and appreciate what goes into it, and that's without them thinking about everything that happens in the background!

Why don't you take an apprentice and train them up?

When I was young there was a thing called catering college, does that still exist? Not that you come out of that as a chef, but you at least know how to work your way through the ranks.

I specifically wrote on a job in childcare not to apply if you have no childcare qualifications. 70% of applications had non. Some babysat, some had kids…. Like yeah, I get it, you like kids…. But you need a qualification for this role. Many are desperate so I do feel bad but it really makes my recruitment process a pain in the arse

With no experience there's no understanding of what the role actually involves. I see this with a lot of my clients at a non UK jobcenter - new graduates are really guilty of this.

I completely agree! I’ve got someone who applied for the job because ‘she can cook’! Never mind she has no qualifications or real experience!

I’ve been working in the industry for 40 years so have loads of experience but so many people think they know how to cook and try to tell me how to do it! Well, have a go if you know better than me!

Also the amount of people who think our job is easy is just unbelievable!

I was once told that I make the job look easy so everyone thinks they can do it! It must be true for both of us! 😀

Why do people do it - I’ve always wondered that - it seems such an in pleasurable job

I can't imagine anyone thinks it easy. But presumably you are paying little over minimum wage so what are you hoping for

I voted YABU simply because I think the catering industry is incredibly hard work. I’m not sure who would think otherwise but the responses to the job ad have me flummoxed!

How are these people getting through to interview stage?

I wouldn’t even attempt to apply for a chef role because I’d expect to need qualifications.

Im genuinely surprised by this as catering to me is in the really hard work with antisocial hours category

Is it job centres making unsuitable people apply?