With summer here, many hospitality businesses are taking their recruitment up a notch.
The unemployment rate in Ireland is at an all-time low, with more people in jobs than ever before. While the employment industry continues with this trend, the number of vacancies across the job market still remains higher than before the pandemic. As a result, employers across all sectors are facing a competitive hiring environment.
Hospitality recruiters are being forced to compete with other sectors, such as retail and customer service, with all businesses chasing a limited supply of talent. In this hiring environment, hospitality employers must adapt quickly to the changing nature of the recruitment process and remain responsive to the needs of the jobseeker. It’s important to attract talent not only in terms of salary but also by offering job flexibility, competitive benefits, and a positive employee experience. Clear, consistent, and timely communication throughout the hiring journey will help with candidate engagement and reduce drop-offs.
Provide a seamless candidate experience
Successful hiring in hospitality involves providing a positive candidate experience, from the initial job posting to the final offer. Businesses of all sizes need a seamless recruitment process that includes:
- Flexible role requisites that consider candidate potential rather than
experience alone - A clear and accurate job description
- A signposted recruitment process where the employer commits to deadlines
- Timely communication with candidates
- A transparent and fair hiring process
- Candidate feedback throughout each recruitment stage
- Accurate representation of the business and its work culture
Build a strong employer brand
Whether you’ve actively created one or not, your business has an employer brand. You are already signalling to candidates what they can expect, gain, and learn from working with you. Effective employer branding is about defining and effectively communicating the qualities that will make your organisation the first choice for the talent you want to attract.
With the current age of digital transformation, jobseekers can access information about your employer brand through a variety of communication channels, including your job postings on Jobs.ie, social media accounts, and company website.
Once you have identified your employment offerings, leverage these channels to tell a compelling narrative about why a candidate should choose to work with you rather than your competitor. Showcase your work culture, employment offerings, training opportunities and shine a spotlight on your staff and their achievements.
Nurture training and development
Over two-fifths of hospitality staff looking to leave the sector would change their mind if there were more opportunities for career progression, according to research carried out by Fáilte Ireland in partnership with Jobs.ie. This is why so many leading employers in the industry stress the range of career paths that they can offer.
The Doyle Collection highlights its range of learning and development programmes as part of its candidate attraction strategy, including leadership development and mentorship training. Meanwhile, Compass Ireland has been working with Michelin-starred chef Danni Barry to create a training programme tailored to kitchen staff, in a bid to tackle skills shortages.
Regardless of the size of your business, think about how you can help develop your team and make sure more people, particularly the younger generation, understand what progression and training you offer.
Offer competitive benefits
With hospitality employers now in competition for talent with other sectors, in particular retail, there is a renewed focus on employee benefits.
Research from Jobs.ie and Fáilte Ireland highlights that current staff and jobseekers expect employers to take action to improve opportunities in the sector. While higher pay would encourage 62% of jobseekers to consider a role in hospitality (or current staff to stay in the industry), there are other factors that candidates hold in high regard too. Over half (56%) of people would want similar entitlements to other jobs and a similar percentage (54%) want perks and benefits beyond pay.
While hospitality employers should look to competitors outside of their industry to inspire them to develop creative benefits packages, there is also ample opportunity to take advantage of the perks and benefits unique to the sector. In a cost of living crisis free meals, discounted breaks, subsidised transport can make a real difference to the bottom line for many jobseekers.
This is why Jobs.ie’s Customer Service team encourage employers to highlight their perks and benefits to ensure their job postings are optimise to attract candidates.
Focus on flexible work
The flexibility hospitality offers can be a real asset to attract candidates. Whether you are hiring career builders, mature workers, first jobbers or students, the flexible shift patterns can allow people to construct a work life balance that meets their needs.
While unsociable hours are to be expected in hospitality, employers can counteract this by cultivating a culture that rewards dedication, cares for staff well-being, and encourages positive workplace relationships.
Thinking creatively about workplace flexibility can also help employers tap into new talent pools. Job shares for example, could allow multiple members of staff to work part time within the same role, balancing out shifts in a way that suits them. This type of flexibility could appeal to parents, carers, and mature jobseekers.
Prioritise employee retention
Low employee retention rates can feed into the hiring challenges faced by hospitality employers. It’s important to take steps to improve this. Staff who have a positive experience at work are more likely to advocate for your business. Understanding their experience begins with supportive management teams who lead with transparency and actively listen to feedback.
Business owners, Managers or HR professionals need to be clear on the reasons why people stay with their business, as well as why they leave. This significantly helps employers build a positive sentiments into their recruitment plans and employment offerings.
When recruiting fresh talent, transparency during the interview process is key to ensure a candidate’s expectations of the role align with the reality of the working day. However, at the other end of the process, thorough and well-executed exit interviews can offer valuable insights into your work culture and shine a light on areas that need your attention.
Champion employee well-being
Well-being is a cornerstone of success at work. Businesses that champion this will be able to better compete in today’s market by continuing the great health and wellness-focused work many hospitality employers began in response to Covid-19. In fact, research by Economist Impact suggests that almost three-fifths (59%) of workers would consider accepting a new job if it offered better well-being benefits than their current employer. Happy and supported employees are also more likely to stick around for the long run.
Marriott Hotels has a strong focus on staff well-being as part of their employee benefits offering and have developed a wellness-based gamification app which encourages staff (and guests) to practice healthy habits and prioritise their wellness.
Businesses can successfully invest in well-being initiatives which can include providing healthy snacks regularly, encouraging fitness activities, and organising informative talks regarding mental health and wellness. The regular spotlight on your companies wellbeing activities and offerings will significantly improve how your job posting is received.
Engage with talent of the future
Creating and sustaining a pipeline of talent relies on successfully engaging with the younger generation. With roles such as waiting or bar staff often performed by young people taking their first steps into the working world, hospitality employers have a fantastic opportunity to positively influence these young people by giving them a great experience.
Young candidates working in summer jobs and part-time roles offer hospitality employers a recurring pool of highly accessible talent. Developing relationships with local schools and colleges opens up a clear path to employment for talented and motivated people, while also shining a light on the rewarding careers available in the hospitality sector.
Overcoming talent challenges in the hospitality industry
The hospitality industry plays a role which has been given more limelight in recent years, partly due to the demand after the pandemic enforced global shutdown.
With Ireland at full employment, the current competitive hiring environment looks set to continue. Hospitality businesses can be confident that by incorporating some of these recommendations as part of their ongoing recruitment strategy, their talent challenges can be overcome.
