What do bartenders, blackjack dealers and chefs have in common? Hotel and hospitality professionals thrive on making a customer’s hotel stay, vacation or meal an unforgettable experience. From the ticket agent to the bus boy to the maid that plumps the pillows, hotel and hospitality industry workers likely occupy the front lines of your business, which is why it is so important to find the right people to help it to flourish.
The good news is that the industry is thriving. Americans are once again dipping into their wallets to go on vacation; employment increased by 44,000 jobs in February according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. And, Indeed.com released recent information that the hospitality industry demonstrated the largest increase in hiring of any industry, growing 42 percent year-over-year. It is clear that the abundance of jobs in the $700 billion travel and tourism industry remains a powerful indicator of economic strength, but how can hiring managers ensure that they are finding top talent for these open positions?
Talent acquisition in the hotel and hospitality industry is rewarding, but also challenging. As a hiring manager, your job never stops. Much time is spent nurturing relationships, courting candidates and satisfying your current staff. Turnover is problematic no matter what organization you work for due to the high volume of both positions and candidates. Luckily there are ways to make your job easier and to help your organization in the long run.
These tips run the gamut from the pre-screening process to onboarding:
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Improve your candidate pool. Instead of relying solely on online job postings and traditional job boards to fill positions, invest in developing relationships with recruiting agencies, professional industry associations, universities and schools that can help you fill positions.
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Look for applicants in the most likely places. Place ads on professional association websites and journals. Attend conferences and networking events around town. If you hear a competitor is shutting its doors or laying off workers, reach out to these potential recruits—chances are you will find experienced, committed employees.
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Track your applicants. Managing high-volume recruiting can be a daunting task made easier by applicant tracking systems. These candidate databases enable hiring managers to store job applications, take notes during the interview, and plug candidates into spots at a moment’s notice. They are also valuable for diversity reporting purposes. Although applicant tracking systems can be expensive, there are some powerful options available at no cost to you.
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Get your employees involved in the hiring process. Employees can be a cost-effective way to get referrals and assist with interviewing and screening candidates. Since they know what it takes to succeed in your organization, their input and connections can play an important role in hiring decisions.
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Pay better than the competition. Even if it’s a small markup, an increase in pay can position you as the better choice in a highly competitive market.
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Decrease application time. Avoid being a resume “black hole” by creating pre-screening questions for candidates to respond to in writing, or via audio or video, before they come in for an interview. This will better help you to determine whether a candidate has what it takes (“soft” communication skills, positive personality, etc.) to succeed in your organization—without wasting time on in-person meetings with job seekers who you know will not work out within the first few minutes of an in-person interview.
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Recruit smarter. Take advantage of Web 2.0 tools that can speed up the recruiting process. Video interviewing, for example, will save you both time and money. Candidates can answer questions via live webcam or a pre-recorded interview.
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Create a 3-D snapshot of your candidate. By itself, the deadpan resume does little to impress, especially when stacked against a hundred others. Candidates now have access to tools that allow them to create rich, multilayered profiles, including an audio or video introduction, photos and fresh information. By accepting multi-dimensional resumes, you are helping your candidates to differentiate themselves to you—making your job easier.
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Fill spots with quality candidates. With high-volume recruiting, there comes the temptation to plug vacancies with warm bodies. Resist the urge and take the time to recruit qualified candidates. If you hire someone that isn’t the best fit, you may find yourself recruiting for the same position in a few short weeks.
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Engage your hires. The hiring process does not stop after a new person is brought on. In fact, onboarding, or employee socialization, is the most important part of recruiting because it is where the employee is most likely to disengage. Permit your new hire to ask questions, speak openly about their job and ensure they have all the tools and training necessary to move forward.
It boils down to this: For hiring managers, the days of sifting through hundreds of 8.5-by-11-inch paper resumes are over. Now, you can tap into cost-efficient Web 2.0 tools to source candidates, store applications, complete the interview process and improve onboarding. So, you as a hiring manager can recruit top talent for leisure—at your leisure!
Suki Shah is the CEO and co-founder of GetHired.com, a video-based social recruiting platform and job board. Connect with him on Blog.GetHired.com or via Twitter @GetHiredInc.