Today’s economy is definitely a buyer’s market, with more job seekers looking to sell employers on their skills than positions available to be filled. In fact, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 10.5 million Americans remained unemployed in February 2014—a figure that has changed little since the end of 2013. Despite this abundance of potential employees, securing the best workers for your hotel or restaurant is not a sure thing. Professionals at the top of their fields tend to have more options and may be particularly choosy about the jobs for which they apply.
Whether you’re recruiting a sales manager for a large hotel chain or hiring a cook for your family-owned restaurant, consider the following ways you can attract the best candidates to your establishment.
1. Keep job descriptions simple.
While it’s important to use keywords—especially if you’re advertising an available job position online—don’t include jargon, acronyms, abbreviations, or creative “fluff” in your job description. Shift supervisors and sous chefs alike consider a little more than the job title, duties the position entails, skills required or preferred, schedule, pay range, and location when determining if they should apply. Make these details difficult to find or understand and you’ll lose the best candidates.
2. Make it easy for candidates to apply.
If you want to attract the best candidates, allow them to submit a resume in a manner that is convenient for them—whether that means attaching it to an email or dropping it off at your establishment. While most online application systems improve the hiring process on the back end, many are difficult for job applicants to use. A highly regarded general manager or front office supervisor isn’t going to spend an hour fighting with a website just to get it to accept his or her information; they will move on to the next job option on their list instead.
3. Keep the process transparent.
From salary and benefits to a timeline for the next steps, a transparent hiring process is attractive to the best hospitality job candidates. If you refuse to discuss pay until you make an offer, avoid laying out the downsides of the position, or leave candidates hanging for weeks after a job interview, you will lose the interest—and respect—of most top-notch professionals. Whenever possible, be honest and forthcoming rather than secretive and withholding.
4. Build a good reputation.
What’s the best way to attract hospitality job candidates? The answer is simple: be the type of company they all want to work for and they will come to you. Plus, when you combine competitive salaries with professional development opportunities, employee recognition, and a positive work environment, you’ll find it easier to retain great workers once you’ve hired them.
5. Advertise in the right place.
Improve your chances of attracting the best candidates by posting your open hotel and restaurant positions where the top professionals in the industry tend to go. For example, Hcareers is an online resource utilized by thousands of employers and hospitality workers across North America. Whether you post jobs on a niche job board or search for the largest database in the hospitality industry, you’re certain to connect with both active and passive job seekers that have the skills and experience your establishment requires.