Long, unsocial hours, demanding working environments and at times less-than-impressive wages … attracting great staff to the hospitality sector has never been more challenging.
Finding and retaining experienced staff – especially in the throes of a skills shortage – takes time, money and effort, so to make the process less painful and more productive, we’ve come up with a number of take-home tips to consider when searching for your next star recruit.
- Sell your strengths
Does your business provide a more attractive workplace environment than the competition? Does your restaurant or caf have a good social media presence? If so, sell it! You don’t have to have a state-of-the-art kitchen set-up and a stellar restaurant fit-out to attract a great team. A good workplace culture speaks volumes when it comes to workplace satisfaction so if that is one of the areas that your business excels at, make it known. A recent survey of New Zealand employees by Hudson Australia found that 69 percent of respondents believe that a good cultural fit was the number one priority for job seekers, after work-life balance and salary.
- Communicate opportunities for career progression
Will your business offer an attractive career path for applicants? High turnover in the hospitality industry has much to do with workers viewing the sector as a ‘stepping stone’ to another career. Whether it’s for a front of house position or a role behind the pass, if your business can provide an attractive career path for employees, shout it from the rooftops.
- Be realistic with what you can offer
According to a study by Recruitment Solutions, 47 percent of employee turnover occurs within the first 90 days. Another study from recruitment agency Chandler Macleod came to the same conclusion with 47 percent of employee turnover occurring within the first 90 days of employment. First impressions speak volumes. If you want to retain your new recruits, make sure that your business follows through with any promises, or provides a pathway to achieve them in a timely manner. Otherwise you might find yourself on the hunt again, sooner than you’d like.
Great staff is the lifeblood of the hospitality industry and without the right team, it’s impossible to run a successful operation. Recruitment companies that specialise in the hospitality sector, such as Frontline Recruitment, can help you save time and money by finding the perfect applicants for your business, leaving you to direct your precious time where it’s needed: on the running of your business.
Frontline Recruitment has a database of active and passive interviewed candidates across all levels of experience and can successfully match these candidates to the right job, fast. Contact your local Frontline Hospitality agency to find out more.
