How to Source and Attract Top Talent in the Hospitality Industry
- By Harri Insider Team | March 2, 2023
The success of a hospitality industry business is largely dependent on priming a talent pipeline. Pumping talent through the pipeline in the form of new additions and eventual promotions requires talent attraction and retention. However, attracting hardworking talent and keeping those contributors in the fold is easier said than done.
Building a talent acquisition pipeline while simultaneously managing your business and generating revenue requires exemplary multitasking and considerable diligence, but it is accomplishable. Here’s how to do it.
What is Talent Attraction?
Talent attraction revolves around identifying, analyzing, and connecting with those who have a genuine interest in filling roles within your hospitality industry business. The aim of talent attraction is to develop a pipeline of talented and disciplined employees who are willing to earn their keep as contributors to the hospitality industry. Ideally, talent attraction will reinforce the overarching strategy of the business including its values and company culture.
Above all, talent attraction requires persistence. Keeping your talent pipeline primed with an influx of new candidates and promoting those deserving of new opportunities will quickly have your organization reaping the benefits. Continue to modify your talent pipeline as your business grows and evolves, to reflect those changes accordingly.
Below, we provide a quick look at the essential steps for identifying the best talent that has a sincere interest in working for hospitality businesses. Follow these tips and you’ll succeed in attracting top-notch candidates while continuing to incentivize them to remain in your pipeline for promotions in the future. If everything goes as planned, your talent pipeline will even set the stage for new hires to refer additional qualified job-seekers in the hospitality industry to your organization.
Understand What Makes the Hospitality Industry Unique
The hospitality industry is highly idiosyncratic in terms of workplace culture, schedules, and employer expectations. Mix in the fact that the dynamic economy and generational nuances meshed together in the workplace complicate the industry all the more and the challenge of keeping your talent pipeline primed becomes that much more intimidating. However, hiring managers and business owners willing to invest in the best talent attraction tools will reap the benefits in due time.
Modify your talent acquisition strategy as new challenges inevitably arise with the implementation of the optimal processes and tools. Recognize that the industry is dynamic as opposed to static and you’ll succeed in bolstering the ranks of your hospitality business. In particular, scheduling challenges are highly unique to the hospitality industry.
Hospitality businesses tend to have an influx of customers at night, on the weekends, and on holidays. Employees willing to work seasonally, take on irregular shifts, and work part-time and on the holidays are especially valuable to hospitality industry businesses. Above all, zero in on those willing to work non-traditional hours throughout the entirety of the year.
Though those who moonlight in the hospitality industry while working full-time during the day do not always make the best employees, although their willingness to be flexible in the context of work hours can give them extra value.
To expand your pipeline it might make sense in some contexts to hire “untraditional” candidates, like senior citizens and high school or college students who are willing to work part-time, on the weekends and on holidays. When in doubt, prioritize the hiring and promotion of flexible candidates with elite soft skills.
Examples of such soft skills include:
- Amicability
- Grace under fire
- Emotional intelligence
- Conflict management
Friendly, people-oriented employees are that much more likely to thrive in this highly social industry.
Identify Your Ideal Candidate
Businesses that successfully identify the optimal buyer personas are that much more likely to succeed in selling their value proposition to coveted customers. The same is true in the context of hiring in the hospitality industry. Invest the time necessary to identify the optimal candidate for open positions, continue to refine the characteristics and qualifications of the ideal candidate, and proceed accordingly. While this seems simple, the challenge lies in clearly defining the attributes and requirements your hospitality business needs in contributors.
Start by considering the skills necessary to thrive in the open role. View the business from the perspective of a customer to get a sense of what is expected from the business and the unique roles played by specific personnel. Write down the characteristics and requirements that are essential to those open role(s).
Zero in on candidates who demonstrate those qualities in interviews, cover letters, resumes and other application materials. Talent acquisition tools can help you filter and sort among thousands of candidates that might fit your hiring criteria, and allow you to engage with the most active and qualified among them.
Continue to prime your talent pipeline by attracting new talent through online job ads, hiring boards, and recruiters. Assume that there will be inevitable turnover, and never stop looking for new contributors.
Some hospitality industry business owners and hiring managers even go as far as creating “evergreen positions” that are always available. Such ongoing availability makes it easier to pinpoint the optimal candidates at all times, keeping them in the fold for posterity’s sake. The best applicant tracking systems can help you keep candidates informed as new opportunities arise, even if the timing isn’t quite right when they first apply.
Build a Talent Pipeline
The construction of a talent pipeline is central to your company’s success. Recognize the fact that the hospitality industry has a high turnover rate, enhance your talent pipeline accordingly and your business will enjoy a steady stream of new candidates with a strong work ethic and the ability to thrive in hospitality roles.
Constructing an effective talent pipeline requires the identification of your business’s long-term needs and goals. The best pipelines are primed with prospects accessed through a litany of channels. Recruitment through the following channels helps to prime your talent pipeline all the more:
- The interpersonal network of colleagues
- Referrals from current employees
- Hiring events
- Advertise open positions on web-based job boards
Be patient as your business continues to attract new candidates and gradually guide them through your pipeline with the overarching aim of commitment that leads to long-term contributions.
Harri’s recruitment technology is here to help your hospitality business build and maintain an effective talent pipeline. We provide the tools hospitality businesses need to identify legitimate difference-makers. Try out our candidate discovery tools for yourself with a demo and it won’t take long to prime your talent pipeline.
From job broadcasting across multiple channels to career branding, referral systems and candidate identification solutions optimized for your unique hospitality business, we’ve got all the bases covered. This is your organization’s opportunity to efficiently connect with candidates who will thrive in your unique business culture, reinforce your collective values and make meaningful contributions for mutual benefit.
Harri makes it easy to develop sourcing strategies to highlight the best candidates for the priming of your talent pipeline.
Invest in Talent Attraction
The nuances of your recruiting strategies determine whether you can attract elite talent. Even the subtleties of your job postings shape prospect responses and hiring outcomes. Invest the time necessary to brand your business. Take full advantage of social media to develop connections with prospective hires. It won’t take long for your pipeline to elevate your business to the next level.
In terms of recruiting strategies, focus on developing a plan of action that your business uses as an overarching compass to direct you toward the best candidates. Implement your company’s unique mission statement and business model within the plan of action. Develop a comprehensive recruiting strategy consisting of detailed and accurate job descriptions along with a multipronged approach to prospect recruitment through diverse channels.
Weave in Harri Talent Acquisition tools for efficient talent pipeline souring combined with candidate attraction tools and it won’t take long to fill your ranks with effective contributors. In today’s marketplace, put your business in the best position to stay competitive with streamlined screening and interview management, AI-powered chat technology and more.
Managing and Engaging Employees
Talent attraction to maintain a well-primed talent pipeline is only half the battle in scaling a hospitality business to meet demand. Make strides to keep your team engaged with customer service, and provide opportunities for advancement and you’ll reap a mutual reward.
Engaged employees who feel as though their contributions are rewarded through additional compensation, promotions or even non-financial reinforcement such as positive evaluations are that much more likely to remain with the business. Satisfied employees are also inclined to help their employer in the ongoing challenge of talent attraction, especially in the context of filling those all-important roles at the frontline of customer service.
Harri facilitates the challenge of engaging and managing employees. Our Workforce Engagement solutions streamline your team’s communication to heighten efficiency. We consolidate team communications for efficiency, optimal organization, and collaboration that advances the collective interest.
This is your opportunity to invite team members through group messaging capabilities for effective teamwork. Harri’s communications tools even provide the ability to organize messages according to unique employee roles, locations, and duties.
Source and Attract Amazing Candidates with Harri
We make it easy for hospitality businesses to connect with new candidates. Be proactive in your search to connect with new candidates by tapping into the power of our industry-best recruiting technology. Request a demo today to learn more about how our suite of human resources tools will elevate your business.
