In a recent episode of the Hospitality Daily Podcast, Adam Robinson, CEO of Hireology, shared valuable insights from two significant studies: the Hireology 2024 Hospitality Applicant Survey and the Hireology-AHLA Food & Beverage Hiring Report. These reports provide critical strategies for hotel operators facing hiring challenges, allowing them to transform recruitment into a competitive edge. This article summarizes that discussion and the findings into practical steps, helping hotel managers meet candidate expectations in a challenging labor market.
The Current Landscape: Hotel Hiring Trends
The hiring landscape changed significantly in 2024. Robinson notes, “This year has been characterized by a general sluggishness following an intense period of hiring.” Hotels are primarily hiring just to replace staff rather than to grow, driven by decreased financing and limited property development. For operators, this underscores the importance of each hiring decision.
Moreover, there’s been a fundamental shift in how candidates evaluate job offers. Robinson states, “Candidates are now more confident in their prospects and increasingly selective, asking themselves if this job truly serves their interests and improves their lives.” Aspects such as stability, flexibility, and opportunities for growth have risen in priority, overtaking mere salary considerations.
Implications for Hotel Operators:
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Higher Stakes for Each Hire: With reduced hiring budgets and an emphasis on replacement over expansion, every hire is critical. Hotel managers must prioritize creating supportive and stable work environments to remain competitive.
- Increased Candidate Selectivity: Modern job seekers seek more than competitive pay; they desire jobs that offer flexibility and contribute to their overall well-being. Hotels that align their offerings with these values will be better positioned in the market.
Key Findings from Hotel Hiring Research
Robinson shared insights from his company’s research, identifying significant trends regarding what job seekers now prioritize and how hotels can refine their recruiting strategies. Some key takeaways include:
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Flexibility is Crucial: While compensation remains essential, job seekers increasingly value flexibility, offering hotels an opportunity to mitigate turnover and curb wage inflation.
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Growth and Well-Being Matter: Candidates prefer employers who emphasize employee well-being and career advancement. By showcasing clear growth opportunities and fostering a positive workplace culture, hotels can attract long-term talent.
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The Strength of Referrals: Approximately 88.5% of hospitality job seekers would recommend their previous employer if they had a positive experience, making referrals a powerful recruiting tool. According to Robinson, “Around 40% of hotel hires can come from referrals.”
- High Application Abandonment Rates: Up to 73% of candidates abandon applications deemed too lengthy or complex, particularly on mobile devices. Streamlining the application process is crucial to retain interested candidates.
Streamlining the Job Application Process
Robinson emphasizes the importance of simplifying the application process, as nearly 80% of job seekers do their searches on mobile devices, where complicated applications are particularly off-putting. Here are steps to simplify:
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Limit Required Fields: Keep applications to essential information—name, contact info, and crucial qualifications. Applications with 5-7 fields or fewer are the most likely to be completed.
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Enhance Mobile Optimization: Robinson advises against requiring applicants to log in to apply, as this can deter about 70% of potential candidates. Ensure applications are mobile-friendly with easy navigation.
- Evaluate Your Own Application System: Attempt to apply to your own hotel via mobile to identify bottlenecks and areas for enhancement.
Action Step: Test your hotel’s application process on a mobile device, streamline fields, and remove unnecessary steps such as logins to ensure a seamless candidate experience.
Enhancing Referral Programs
Referrals provide hotel employers with an economical way to find high-quality candidates. Robinson advocates for a straightforward, transparent, and rewarding referral program. “Hotel management can drive 40% of their hires through referrals,” he states, highlighting the effectiveness of this strategy for attracting committed talent.
Strategies to Boost Referrals:
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Simplify the Referral Process: Allow employees to easily submit referrals using QR codes, text links, or dedicated mobile pages, avoiding complicated procedures.
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Provide Transparent Updates: Enable employees to track the status of their referrals. Transparency increases engagement as employees become aware of bonuses and progress.
- Automate Referral Bonuses: Integrate the referral system with payroll to automatically process bonuses, freeing up employees from following up manually.
Action Step: Implement a user-friendly, tech-enabled referral program across your team, equipped with regular updates and incentives to encourage participation.
Action Items for Hotel General Managers and Hiring Managers
Robinson recommends that property-level hiring managers prioritize quick responses and communications. Here are two key metrics to maintain efficiency in hiring:
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Respond to Applications Within 24-48 Hours: Rapid communication is essential to keep candidates engaged and minimize drop-off. Aim for responses within 24-48 hours.
- Quickly Schedule Interviews: Candidates desire a swift hiring process, with 88% wanting interviews scheduled within a week of applying. Moving quickly helps prevent candidates from considering other offers.
Action Step: Make application review speed and time-to-interview core performance indicators for property managers. Use reminders or automated messages to ensure candidate updates are timely.
Action Items for Corporate Hotel Leaders
Corporate leaders are positioned to create a data-driven, efficient hiring process across their properties. Robinson suggests focusing on data transparency and support for property-level hiring.
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Establish Centralized Tracking: Leaders require insights into property-level hiring metrics to understand efficiency across locations. Robinson advises corporate leaders to “manage by exception,” identifying which sites excel and which need assistance.
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Standardize Referral Programs: Invest in an organization-wide referral program and educate property managers on its advantages. Understanding which hiring managers take the longest to review applicants can enable the sharing of effective strategies across properties.
- Cultivate an Alumni Network: Research from Hireology indicates that 77% of former employees would consider returning if they had a good experience. Maintain connections with former employees by regularly informing them of new job openings.
Action Step: Invest in tracking tools for property-level insights and provide resources to support referral programs and alumni engagement initiatives.
Summary Recap
The current hospitality hiring landscape presents complexities, with job seekers seeking flexibility, streamlined applications, and proactive communication. Insights from Adam Robinson and data from Hireology’s studies point to effective strategies for hotels to remain competitive:
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Emphasize Flexibility and Well-Being: Candidates today value work-life balance, professional growth, and company culture on par with salary.
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Simplify the Application Process: Optimize mobile applications with minimal fields and eliminate unnecessary steps to prevent candidate drop-off.
- Strengthen Referral Programs: A streamlined and incentivized referral process can account for almost 40% of hires.
By implementing these strategies, hotel operators can effectively attract and retain top talent, aligning their hiring practices with the values that today’s workforce prioritizes, thereby turning recruitment into a sustainable competitive advantage.
Resources:
- Survey of Hospitality Job Seekers by Hireology
- Hotel Food & Beverage Hiring Research by Hireology
- The Hospitality Hiring Best Practices Checklist by Hireology
You can view the full conversation on YouTube [here].
The post "The 2024-2025 Hotel Hiring Playbook: Insights and Strategies from Adam Robinson, CEO of Hireology" first appeared on Hotel Operations.
