RECRUITMENT

When the going gets tough…

The concept of a job for life is essentially dead. Long-timers in the industry are to be respected and their contribution to both the business and the wider industry is inestimable. Unfortunately, they are a breed in decline. Over the next decade or so, millennials will make up over 75% of the workforce and their outlook on job security and company loyalty is very dierent to that of generations gone by. Unemployment has been steadily decreasing, which has created an applicant-driven economy. Now more than ever, employers need to sell job seekers on their open roles, rather than the other way around. This piece does not intend to present more of the same doom and gloom or haughty HR concepts but to look at how employers in the trade can capitalise by understanding what candidates are looking for and get the best people in the business. As recruiters, we will identify the benefits and selling points of the company for whom we are recruiting and present these in a way that the candidate can understand. More often than not, the company may not be engaging in this activity themselves. Why do we think that brand image, company culture and benefits would be of more concern to an IT cloud engineer than a bar supervisor?

A good base salary is as important in any package as it ever was, but even we were surprised to find a monetary performance bonus has slipped down the pecking order in terms of benefits people most want. Candidates want to feel valued, not bought! This is good news for companies who want to create a loyal, collaborative work environment where sta and management focus on the emotional and psychological benefits of work rather than cold, hard cash. We are seeing businesses think outside the box and strive to look after the health and well-being of sta in what we all know can be a very challenging work environment.

An employee value proposition is the unique set of benefits a company oers employees in exchange for their time, skills and experience. People want to join companies where they can see a definitive growth path, were Right now, it’s an employee’s market. To get and more importantly, to keep the right staff, you need to understand what’s most important to hospitality candidates. Brian Nixon outlines what employers should keep in mind when recruiting for new talent

they to take the job. We can set out a timeline for ambitious candidates of where they could be and what they could achieve in the business over time. Of course, not all candidates are necessarily looking to progress into management and not all small businesses can oer the growth potential of the large groups or international brands. These candidates want to know about the work environment, company culture and other benefits. Given the nature of our industry, the first question that comes through is often in regard to shift patterns. Candidates understand the necessity of working traditionally unsocial hours but will favour an employer who can oer as much consistency in shift scheduling as possible. Although this can be challenging in hospitality, a commitment to fairness in the practice of rostering goes a long way. Also make sure to highlight any standard benefits that you oer, including holidays, Taxsaver Commuter tickets, employee discounts, bike to work scheme, sta recognition and parties. These are all things that are probably already in place but be sure to make prospective candidates aware of them as they can be more important in presenting an overall image than you think.

We know that 72% of candidates seek out a company’s sites and social media to learn more about an employer before applying for a job so it is important that your online presence presents a positive image of the company. Reviews, content and functionality of the site itself quickly form an image of the brand in the mind of the employee. Why not create an opportunity here – create a careers link to showcase any live jobs that you might have and add in some employee bios, testimonials or videos and of course, the information on benefits and company culture which I’ve discussed above. This is a cheap and achievable step that you can take to boost applications and believe me, the large branded groups are already doing this.

I understand that employers can become frustrated with the idea of selling the opportunity to the candidate. Within the industry we are often recruiting sta in a market that works on similar pay scales from property to property, with similar responsibilities and conditions. We see, time and time again, employers losing good candidates because the recruitment process is too slow or the

interview itself is inconsistent. I had a candidate who interviewed for a junior role in a hotel through our agency and during the interview, she met three managers along with a couple of colleagues with whom she would be working. She was also given a tour of the hotel and invited to have tea in the lobby after the interview so that she could get a feel for the property. She was made to feel valued and given a very positive overall experience of the company. She went on to take the job over another oer that was also on the table.

Doing interviews well will naturally attract the right candidates from the market. They should believe you are a professional company who knows what it wants and where it’s going. Doing the opposite will mean candidates may have already built up a negative impression and don’t even want to be considered for the role. Tell people about your current team members and why you appreciate them. Tell them about the characteristics that make them excellent employees. This way, job seekers will be able to identify if they are a good fit or not. By doing this, you are basically letting them decide if they are a good fit for your business.

Employees who are proud of their organisations are three times more likely to be happy at work, according to the Workforce Institute. This goes beyond pride in your actual output, but pride in your company and what it stands for which makes sense, given that “cultural fit” is a top priority for millennial jobseekers. In our industry, we can look at ways that we can give back to the local community through charity or social initiatives. Environmental stewardship is a particularly hot topic at the moment and should be viewed as an opportunity to attract more than just new patrons. There’s no doubt that it’s getting tougher and tougher as we are all competing for a depleting pool of candidates and we do need to be more proactive in our approach to accessing the right people. There are small changes that can be made over time in order to boost your profile as an employer and save on recruitment costs in the long term.

Brian Nixon is a Recruitment Consultant at Excel Recruitment, www.excelrecruitment.ie

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