Improving the Candidate Experience in Hospitality: How to hire better in 2026

Speakers: 
Host: Darryl Bate, Director of Global Client Strategy, Hire Intelligence
Paul Walsh, Senior Talent Acquisition Partner, Burger King UK
Tom Dawson, Head of Talent Acquisition, Imperial Hotels
Kim Antoljak, Head of Talent, Aqua Restaurant Group Global
Katie Hulley, Head of Talent, Brunning & Price

Candidate experience has become one of the biggest pressure points in hospitality recruitment. Volumes are high, teams are stretched and candidate expectations continue to rise. Small issues now have a big impact on drop-off, acceptance rates and employer reputation.

This webinar brings together senior talent leaders from Burger King UK, Imperial Hotels, Aqua Restaurant Group and Brunning & Price to share how they are actively improving candidate experience in 2026, not in theory, but in practice.

Where candidate experience is currently breaking down across high-volume and multi-site hiring

How candidate expectations are changing and what now really matters to applicants

The trade-offs talent teams are making between speed, quality and experience

What processes, behaviours and tools are being prioritised this year

How AI and automation are supporting better candidate experience without removing the human touch

What senior talent leaders would fix first if they were starting again

Heads of Talent and Talent Acquisition Leaders

In-house recruitment teams in hospitality and multi-site businesses

People and HR leaders responsible for hiring strategy and employer reputation

Improving the candidate experience in hospitality; how to hire better 2026