Whether you’re a restaurant recruiter searching for a director of dining services or a hotel manager on the hunt for a maintenance engineer, salary and benefits are not the only keys to hiring the right professional, though they will always play a role. Equally—and sometimes even more—important considerations are the generational characteristics that may lead your chosen candidate to accept or decline the offer. Learning more about the attitudes, values, and motivations of the three major generations in today’s workforce should make securing your next hospitality hire a little easier.
Baby Boomers
Born between 1946 and 1964, the Baby Boomer generation is a hard-working one. Throughout their careers, these hospitality professionals have put in long hours—working overtime, forgoing vacations, and otherwise putting their jobs before almost everything else. Their restaurant or hotel work is central to their sense of self-worth and accomplishment. And while they can be loyal to a fault, Baby Boomer professionals want to feel as though their employer appreciates their dedication as well as the knowledge and experience that they’ve amassed over the years.
Whether you advertise hospitality job openings on job boards like Hcareers or through employee referrals, you’re likely to encounter Baby Boomer job seekers. If you want to land one—be it a front office manager or a host/hostess—it may be beneficial to emphasize the stability and financial security your hotel or restaurant can offer. This generation finds benefits such as 401(k), stock, and pension plans particularly attractive in addition to a culture in which they can mentor younger professionals. Post-retirement work arrangements—with flexible and/or reduced hours—are also of value.
Generation X
Born between 1965 and 1980, Generation X puts family first. They want work-life balance now, not after retirement. They want a hospitality career that will challenge them while providing the flexibility necessary when raising children and caring for elderly parents. Employer stability is important—they grew up during an uncertain time when layoffs were rampant—as well as regular feedback on their performance. This generation is not blindly loyal—they appreciate the opportunity to exercise independent judgment in the workplace.
Whether you’re advertising for an executive chef, a guest services representative, or another hotel or restaurant job, you’re likely to find Generation X on job boards and employee referral programs. If your chosen candidate is from this generation, it may be beneficial to emphasize your establishment’s history, philosophy, and plans for the future as well as benefits that will allow them to achieve work-life balance. Gen X finds a range of traditional benefits attractive as well as child and eldercare programs.
Generation Y
Born between 1980 and 2000, Generation Y is idealistic and socially conscious. They want work that is meaningful on both the small and large scale—and they also want it to be fun. Regional sales coordinators and bartenders from Generation Y enjoy collaborating with other hospitality professionals and working in teams. However, they also want their employers to acknowledge their individual contributions—and to do so frequently. Energetic and outspoken, this generation wants to make an immediate contribution. They don’t enjoy “paying dues” or “working up the ladder,” and they expect to change hotel or restaurant employers numerous times during their careers.
While a recent study by the Indeed Hiring Lab found that all three generations are increasingly turning to mobile devices for job search, cutting-edge technology is extremely important to hospitality professionals from Gen Y. You’ll find them through mobile-optimized job boards (like Hcareers). Employee referral programs can also be great sources for Generation Y candidates; they love to work with their friends. To recruit one successfully, emphasize the flexibility your hotel or restaurant offers—from scheduling to dress code and how tasks are completed—as well as the ways in which working for you will benefit their career.