seven years on and here’s what matters more than ever….

You've heard of the "seven-year itch"? The point where enthusiasm fades. 

The phrase was first used in a play of the same name and became part of popular culture through the iconic Marilyn Monroe film in 1955. 

More than seven decades later, the world looks very different. 

Our attention spans are more momentary, choice is vast, and trends and endless reinvention are the norm…let’s face it we’re lucky if loyalty and patience last 7 months. 

But it was seven years ago that I launched mum, committed to human-centred hiring. And I can hand on heart say, I feel more committed to its core purpose than ever.  

In fact, the work feels more relevant now than it did when I started. 

The industry continues to face economic challenges, changing workforce expectations, skills shortages, evolving guest demands and the rapid emergence of AI and new technologies. Every leadership team I speak to is considering how to embrace innovation while continuing to deliver exceptional experiences to both their guests and their people.  

The opportunities technology presents are exciting, and of course organisations must consider and embrace them. But people are what matter most in hospitality. 

I’m not being sentimental here. The people you hire really are essential to business success. Because they're essential to guest experience. 

Every guest experience, every memorable interaction, every successful team and every high-performing culture in hospitality starts with human connection. 

Hospitality has always been built on relationships, trust, empathy and emotional intelligence. Those qualities remain just as important today as they were 7 or even 70 years ago. In fact, they're becoming more important in an increasingly automated world. 

Guests now expect personalised experiences. Teams need leaders to communicate with clarity, build trust and create environments where people can be seen, understood and develop. Businesses need senior leaders who can move through complexity, make considered decisions, inspire others and bring a culture to life. 

These aren't qualities that can be fully automated. They're human qualities. And that's why human-centric hiring matters so very much, particularly for key roles in hospitality. 

The most successful appointments don’t happen because a profile or CV matches a job description. They happen because there is careful and clear alignment between the candidate and the business, the values and the culture, the leadership style and the business need. 

That's how I've always approached recruitment, and it remains the foundation of mum today. Seven years on, my focus sits exactly where it began. Human-centred hiring. 

Thank you to every client, candidate and industry friend who has trusted me and mum over the last seven years. You've made my work incredibly rewarding. 

Here's to the next seven years and beyond – with hospitality humans at the heart of things.