Hospitality recruiters have been urged to be positive in their approach, in spite of the economic downturn.

Following a declaration by Rupert Clevely, founder of the Geronimo pubs chain, who told The Independent that he had banned the use of the words ‘credit’ and ‘crunch’ among his workforce, Alan Hogg, director at hospitality recruiter Kerry Robert Associates, told Recruiter that using negative words always marks the start of a downward cycle. “There is nothing worse than talking ourselves into recession. If you are dealing with people, if you work into a restaurant or bar and the staff are not smiling, it soon spreads and it is infectious. You want to relax in a warm and friendly environment and not a negative one.”

Andrew Vicos, managing director at Scattergoods Agency, adds: “We are not using the term ‘credit crunch’. We call it a downturn. I think it is an overquoted phrase that instills panic in people.

“Although the financial situtation is not  brilliant, a lot of it is media driven. It is a natural cycle. We have been through recessions before and we are going through one now. We say to staff it is not a downturn, it is an opportunity.”