Your business’ backbone is your employees. This is true for many industries, but especially in the hospitality industry. They are the ones who facilitate bookings, greet guests at your property, make sure their stay is comfortable, and make your hotel memorable. You must hire and keep quality staff.

This is a quick guide that will help you to find the right people and bring them aboard. And make sure they stay.

Recruiting

Recruitment talent is much like bookings. It is important to get your brand noticed by those you want to connect with. It must be distinctive, just like your marketing collateral. It would help if you had job descriptions that are both specific and complete (to ensure you receive applications specifically tailored to your posted position) as well as a little flair (to give potential applicants a glimpse of your company culture). It would help if you also listed on sites like LinkedIn and other job boards. If you are diligent in curating exciting social media feeds, these will be a great space to recruit new talent.

Referral program >> No one knows your property better than your employees. They are experts in determining if someone is a good fit for your company. You might consider implementing a referral program to reward employees for referring new hires. They will have done the vetting and ensured that the candidate is familiar with your job details. Referred hires remove a lot more guesswork for both parties.

Applications >>Millennials are the majority of today’s new hires. Their expectations are higher than those of other generations. You want them to apply if it is possible to complete the application process completely from a mobile device.

Hiring

What to search for >> Traditionally, the experience was a major factor in hiring. Although experience is valuable, it is not the most important thing. This is especially true in the hospitality sector. Excellent customer service requires personality and competence. You want confident and approachable people, who can work well in a team, and who have a growth mindset. You can only teach the job details. It is impossible to teach attitude.

Interviewing >> To understand better the traits you are looking for in your employee, try other interviewing methods. A sit-down Q&A is not the best way to observe how an employee handles situations and interacts with others. Instead, you might use assessment activities, either individually or in a group interview setting, to observe their communication and problem-solving skills in action.

Maintaining

Hospitality industry turnover is a major problem. American hotels experience an average 73% turnover rate every year. This is a huge deal. It is costly and time-consuming for your property to hire and onboard new employees constantly. Guest satisfaction will also suffer if you have a low staffing level and are not regularly training new staff. It is important to make employee retention a top priority.

Professional Development >> Employees will be more loyal to companies they believe they can rely on in the future. Discuss their career goals with them and map out the steps they will need to reach them. To prevent them from becoming complacent, offer staff the opportunity to receive ongoing internal and external training. Employees who feel they don’t have the potential to grow will likely view employment at your property only as a temporary arrangement.

Employee benefits >> Loyal employees make for happy employees. Make sure to show them you care and treat them well. You can offer discounts at your restaurant and flexible scheduling. These are just a few of the perks you could offer.

Team culture >> It’s crucial to make your employees feel valued and important. By sharing company goals and encouraging collaboration, you can foster a culture of teamwork at your property. Listen to your employees and take action. Staff members who feel they are part of the company’s success will be more loyal and willing to go above and beyond their duties.

Without hardworking, committed employees, a hotel cannot be successful. You must do everything possible to attract, hire, and keep the best talent to make your hotel the best it can be.