The hotel industry, also known as the hospitality industry is an important sector of the service industry. From event management, food and beverage supply, accommodation, travel and tourism, marketing, and many others, it is invaluable to any country’s economy. It is also quite a delicate industry, due to food handling and the importance of good grooming. In this sense, good grooming refers to the value of appearance, cleanliness, design, creativity, art, and all aspects that contribute to a good look.
This means that unlike some technical industries like manufacturing and agriculture which don’t care about outward incentives, this is a huge part of the hotel industry. How the hotel looks, how the employees behave, how they dress, the general look of the food, rooms, and many other intricate details matter. This is why hotel recruitment can be an absolute nightmare. We recommend top agencies such as Maria Logan Recruitment.
You want to make sure you get the most skilled person for the job, yet at the same time, they have to be clean, courteous, well-groomed, eloquent, artsy, and many other qualities that contribute to customer service. It doesn’t matter whether you are looking for a cook, waiter, bartender, housekeeper, cleaner, or any other, the same assessment holds. That said, we have come up with top tips that will ensure your hospitality recruitment gets the best man, and woman for the job.
Having in mind that the hotel and hospitality industry has reached unprecedented global standards of hygiene, creativity, and customer service, here are the top 5 strategies that will ensure you are at the top of your game in hotel recruitment:
1. Take Advantage of Referrals
It’s the easiest trick in the book. Studies actually show that referrals give the best performing employees. Take advantage of the circle of people in your sector, and send out ads, or inform them that you are looking for a person to fill a certain position. Chances are, you will get to a person whose skills have been vetted, which increases the likelihood of employing the best employees.
Additionally, you could come up with an employee referral programme, where your current staff could recommend qualified professionals from their networks. The only tricky part about referrals is they also refer you to potential applicants. More often than not, after being referred to a job, a person will ask how the working conditions are, and how the boss’s demeanour is. This means that you also have to be quite adept, to rely on this strategy.
2. Visit Colleges and Other Apprentice Programs
College events, employment fairs, and conferences will be very important for your hotel recruitment. This way, you get the creme de la creme of students taking hospitality management and grab them before they leave and apply for a job elsewhere. You are more likely to see them in their natural element since unlike in interviews and vetting interrogations, they are not looking to impress anyone for a job.
This also has another advantage: it’s philanthropic. It shows that you are interested in rewarding the efforts of students and believe in the talents of the youth eve without a detailed resume for themselves. It, thus, creates a good name for your brand.
3. Give Peer Interviewing a Shot
Instead of setting your own standard and list where you can tick whether interviewees pass, extend this responsibility to their peers. A bartender, for example, would know what it takes to be a good bartender, so, delegate the evaluation to them. The same goes for a cook, housekeeper, and all other staff. This will guarantee you the best abilities in the lot.
Further than this, it will show that you have faith in your employees, believe that they provide high-quality services, and are willing to collaborate with them for the betterment of the business.
4. Install Situational Judgement Tests
Invite applicants for a typical day in the position they are eyeing. This should be without payment to cut off those that are halfway committed to the process. Alternatively, you could pay them at the end of the day, but do not inform them about this at the beginning of their day. The zeal of their work could show you how they are likely to perform later on.
Moreover, this also gives the employees a clear insight into the job description, hereby allowing them to settle or leave early enough. Hotel recruitment may seem hard but with realistic job preview, you are less likely to go wrong.
5. Social Media
Social Platforms like LinkedIn Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and many others have one advantage: the wide pool of resources. From referrals, unemployed job seekers, people who would like to quit their jobs, and self-made potential employees, you reach a widener audience than you would typically do. This way, chances are higher that you will get extremely talented applicants. You could actually vet them on the platforms by asking them to perform a challenge to showcase their talent. This way, you market your brand, market the applicants, and decrease the scope of work.
Hotel recruitment may not be your cup of tea. It is a tedious process and nothing hurts like having to repeat it after being shortchanged by a recruitment process. With these 5 strategies, however, you can go to bed with a smile!
If you are unsure what to do, you can always seek help from a reputable recruitment agency such as mqrecruitment.ie.
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