Katie Savage, CPC
Executive Recruiter
Division: Hospitality
Location: Georgia & South Carolina
Katie Savage
Executive Recruiter, Gecko Hospitality
Hospitality Division | Georgia & South Carolina
Phone: 678-839-8838 | Email: katie@geckohospitality.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-savage-cpc-54b21b52/
Credentials: CPC
About Katie
Katie Savage is a hospitality recruiter with Gecko Hospitality serving the Georgia, South Carolina market. Katie’s focus: hospitality recruiting (Georgia & South Carolina); team building and revenue growth.
Background & Experience
22 years in restaurant operations, working every role from hostess to Director of Operations across Georgia; a proven track record building teams, increasing revenue, and mentoring leaders; University of Georgia graduate.
Areas of Focus
Positions: General Manager and Assistant General Manager; Director of Operations and Rooms Division leaders; Food & Beverage and Sales leadership; Executive Committee and senior hotel leadership; Multi-property and regional leaders
Markets served: Georgia, South Carolina.
How Katie Evaluates Talent
You can evaluate talent in a lot of different ways depending on the job, but before speaking with a candidate, I look for retention and a progression of roles. I also look for any information that might tell me who the candidate is as a person: hobbies, education (what major they chose versus the job they have, the city they went to high school or college in, military service, and so on). When speaking with a candidate, I take a deeper dive into their level of responsibility and accomplishments during their tenure. I also find out what their current motivation is for seeking a new job.
Katie’s Market Perspective
The Southeast has always had somewhat of an appeal with candidates looking for a different pace of life, a lower cost of living, and in some cases better weather! Now that the job market has recovered from the pandemic, our clients have been more selective with hiring and even more focused on quality versus quantity. Clients are working harder to retain great talent and are demanding more than ever when it comes to the quality of talent they expect to get from us. Exceptional talent is being scooped up quickly!
Advice
For employers: Before starting a search with me, have a list of the things you’re looking for in your ideal candidate prepared, and then we’ll break that down into wants versus needs.
For candidates: Be able to show me your past success in previous roles, not just the metrics but how you achieved those goals.
In Katie’s Words
“I am truly passionate about helping others find their dream job or dream candidate within hospitality.”
Testimonials
“Katie Savage reached out to me regarding a job opportunity I never would have found otherwise. She made the entire process so pleasant and acted as a tremendous facilitator between me and the company I applied to (and ultimately accepted a position at). She was prompt and responsive in all of her communications and went above and beyond to ensure I was a good fit for the role, and that the job was a good fit for me. It was very clear that she had my best interest in mind. I cannot speak highly enough of her, or the Gecko team.”
Benjamin L. (Successfully placed candidate, September 2025)
“This was a great experience from the get go! Katie matched me with a perfect job. I have worked with other recruiters, but neither of them seem to get me quite as well as Katie did. She was very professional, easy to communicate with, responsive, and generally speaking on top of things. She was a great liaison between me and the employer. I would recommend her to anyone who doesn’t want to waste time with bad matches. Thank you.”
Julius C. (Successfully placed candidate, February 2026)
“Working with Gecko has been so easy. I’m so glad I made the decision to work with a recruiting agency instead of all on my own. Katie was available, honest, and willing to work with my crazy hours to get me the best possible experience during the usually scary and sometimes daunting hiring process.”
Elizabeth L. (Successfully placed candidate, February 2026)
“The team was extremely easy to work with and all over it with communication. Candidates brought our way were experienced and on point with what we were looking for. Easy to filter, making this process simple and quick. We are thrilled with the talent we have secured. Thank you!”
Kristen L. (Satisfied client, 2025)
Katie Savage, CPC
Executive Recruiter
Division: Hospitality
Location: Georgia & South Carolina
Katie Savage
Executive Recruiter, Gecko Hospitality
Hospitality Division | Georgia & South Carolina
Phone: 678-839-8838 | Email: katie@geckohospitality.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-savage-cpc-54b21b52/
Credentials: CPC
About Katie
Katie Savage is a hospitality recruiter with Gecko Hospitality serving the Georgia, South Carolina market. Katie’s focus: hospitality recruiting (Georgia & South Carolina); team building and revenue growth.
Background & Experience
22 years in restaurant operations, working every role from hostess to Director of Operations across Georgia; a proven track record building teams, increasing revenue, and mentoring leaders; University of Georgia graduate.
Areas of Focus
Positions: General Manager and Assistant General Manager; Director of Operations and Rooms Division leaders; Food & Beverage and Sales leadership; Executive Committee and senior hotel leadership; Multi-property and regional leaders
Markets served: Georgia, South Carolina.
How Katie Evaluates Talent
You can evaluate talent in a lot of different ways depending on the job, but before speaking with a candidate, I look for retention and a progression of roles. I also look for any information that might tell me who the candidate is as a person: hobbies, education (what major they chose versus the job they have, the city they went to high school or college in, military service, and so on). When speaking with a candidate, I take a deeper dive into their level of responsibility and accomplishments during their tenure. I also find out what their current motivation is for seeking a new job.
Katie’s Market Perspective
The Southeast has always had somewhat of an appeal with candidates looking for a different pace of life, a lower cost of living, and in some cases better weather! Now that the job market has recovered from the pandemic, our clients have been more selective with hiring and even more focused on quality versus quantity. Clients are working harder to retain great talent and are demanding more than ever when it comes to the quality of talent they expect to get from us. Exceptional talent is being scooped up quickly!
Advice
For employers: Before starting a search with me, have a list of the things you’re looking for in your ideal candidate prepared, and then we’ll break that down into wants versus needs.
For candidates: Be able to show me your past success in previous roles, not just the metrics but how you achieved those goals.
In Katie’s Words
“I am truly passionate about helping others find their dream job or dream candidate within hospitality.”
Testimonials
“Katie Savage reached out to me regarding a job opportunity I never would have found otherwise. She made the entire process so pleasant and acted as a tremendous facilitator between me and the company I applied to (and ultimately accepted a position at). She was prompt and responsive in all of her communications and went above and beyond to ensure I was a good fit for the role, and that the job was a good fit for me. It was very clear that she had my best interest in mind. I cannot speak highly enough of her, or the Gecko team.”
Benjamin L. (Successfully placed candidate, September 2025)
“This was a great experience from the get go! Katie matched me with a perfect job. I have worked with other recruiters, but neither of them seem to get me quite as well as Katie did. She was very professional, easy to communicate with, responsive, and generally speaking on top of things. She was a great liaison between me and the employer. I would recommend her to anyone who doesn’t want to waste time with bad matches. Thank you.”
Julius C. (Successfully placed candidate, February 2026)
“Working with Gecko has been so easy. I’m so glad I made the decision to work with a recruiting agency instead of all on my own. Katie was available, honest, and willing to work with my crazy hours to get me the best possible experience during the usually scary and sometimes daunting hiring process.”
Elizabeth L. (Successfully placed candidate, February 2026)
“The team was extremely easy to work with and all over it with communication. Candidates brought our way were experienced and on point with what we were looking for. Easy to filter, making this process simple and quick. We are thrilled with the talent we have secured. Thank you!”
Kristen L. (Satisfied client, 2025)