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Does Your Recruiting Process Need to be Re-Evaluated?

We know how challenging the current recruiting environment is in every industry, not just hospitality. Challenging times require that we dig a little deeper and look for new processes to revitalize “business as usual.” In the case of recruiting, it’s highly possible the methods you’re using to source candidates aren’t working anymore. This means it’s time to get creative and revamp how you find talent.

Here are some ways to change things up in our tight labor market.

#1 – Look at your candidate screening process

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) says your online candidate process is probably broken. Their research says you lose about 60 percent of your candidates to a frustrating online experience that causes candidates to drop the application process before completion. Here’s the truth: Good candidates know that in this job market there are plenty of opportunities. If your online application process is too unwieldy, it’s likely they’ll move on.

Something else to consider? If your application process isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re probably dead in the water. You already know your candidate pool is addicted to their smartphones, but even the stats back up the fact that mobile recruitment is hot:

  • 90 percent of job candidates use their phones to search for their next job.
  • 89 percent of job candidates say their smartphones are crucial tools for job hunting.
  • 45 percent use their phones to look at jobs almost every day.

Revamp your candidate search process by checking the crossover between your careers page and how it interacts with digital devices to improve your candidate search.

#2 – Look beyond the resume to understand employee skills

The resume is a blunt tool for assessing candidate potential and it’s a shame we still seem to value them so highly. But it’s what’s between the lines of the candidate resume that will help you determine their worth. For example, how many times have you discarded an older employee as being “too qualified”? Have you discarded recent college grads because they didn’t have the one to two years’ experience from your job description? Consider these potential employees for what they could mean to your organization, not what they are today. Could a little more training make the employee perfect for the role? What crossover skills do they bring from other jobs, and could those skills prove valuable to your team?

#3 – Increase the perks to attract the best talent

What are the perks that make your organization stand out from the competition? Are there additional incentives beyond the salary that could make your organization stand out? Some of the best non-financial add-ons for candidate enticement could include:

  • Offer to pay for training classes to ensure the candidate moves up the ladder.
  • Let employees use flexible work arrangements, which could include additional PTO, flexible work hours or even an occasional work-from-home option.
  • Improve your company culture as a selling point for candidates. Sponsor employee giveback days where teams volunteer for a cause. Hold quarterly staff fun days where good work is rewarded.

While these are just a few suggestions, one tip for improving your recruiting process is to partner with Gecko Hospitality to double your efforts to find more candidates. Contact leading hospitality recruiters today.

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