Hospitality Handbook: how do I find the right staff?

1. Take advantage of online job posting platforms and social media

Online job posting platforms are a popular and effective way to recruit staff.

Post your jobs on well-known platforms such as Indeed, LinkedIn, Glassdoor and HorecaJobs (NL).

Make sure your job posting is clear and attractive, with a good description of the position, requirements and benefits.

Also use attractive images, catchy text and relevant hashtags to attract the attention of potential candidates and be better found by potential candidates

Also, don't forget to ask your employees to share job postings with their own networks.

2. Organize a recruitment day or open application

A recruitment day or open application can be an effective way to meet and assess potential candidates.

By organizing a special day when interested parties can drop by for an introduction, you can get a first impression of their personality, motivation and skills.

This gives you the ability to make direct contact and select potential candidates who fit your company.

In summary, a public recruitment day has 5 major benefits:

1. Access to various candidates.
2. More efficient recruitment process.
3. Direct interaction and observation of your candidates
4. Opportunity for practical evaluations and testing
5. Strengthening brand awareness.

3. Offer attractive working conditions

Of course, it is important to provide attractive working conditions to attract and retain staff.

Consider a good work-life balance, fair pay, opportunities for personal growth and development, a positive work culture and appreciation for your employees' efforts.

By investing in your staff and providing a pleasant work environment, you increase the likelihood that talented people will want to work for you.

4. Collaborate with hospitality training institutions and organizations

Hospitality training institutes and organizations are valuable partners in finding qualified personnel.

Contact local training institutions, such as hotel schools and culinary academies, and inquire about partnership opportunities.

For example, you can offer internships to students or participate in job fairs and career events organized by these institutions. In this way, you can come into direct contact with motivated and well-educated candidates who are interested in a career in the hospitality industry.  

5. Make use of flexis and job students

An effective way to improve the finding the right staff for your hospitality business, is by using flexis and job students. Flexi-jobs offer flexibility for both employers and employees and allow you to quickly bring in additional staff during busy periods. They often bring experienced workers from the hospitality industry who can work flexibly based on the needs of your business.

In addition, job students are valuable temporary workers. They are motivated to gain experience in the hospitality industry and can be young and energetic employees.

Working with flexis and job students gives you the opportunity to test potential permanent employees before offering them full employment.

Be sure to make clear arrangements for their working hours and duties. Offer them guidance and training so they can contribute effectively to your hospitality business.

6. Make use of employer branding

Invest in employer branding to brand your hospitality company as an attractive employer.

Build a positive image by sharing testimonials from current employees, highlighting successes and showcasing the work culture through social media.

Provide good working conditions, such as flexible working hours, growth opportunities and a healthy work-life balance.

Use clear job postings that emphasize your company's mission and values. With strong employer branding, you attract talent that feels connected to your company culture and contributes to the success of your hospitality business.

7. Use your own website

To find good staff for your hospitality business, effective advertising on your website is essential. So create separate URL or page focused on job openings and staff recruitment. Optimize this page with relevant keywords such as "hospitality jobs" and "staff wanted in hospitality" to increase findability.

Take advantage of internal link building by placing relevant links to the job page, such as in the navigation bar or in related blog articles. By doing so, you improve SEO and make it easy for visitors and search engines to find the jobs.

Provide a user-friendly and informative jobs page with clear and attractive job postings. Include relevant information about your restaurant, job requirements and the application process. Use visual elements such as images or videos to capture the interest of potential candidates and give them a better idea of your company culture, this will increase the chances of applications from qualified staff for your restaurant!

Need help managing your own website? Let us help you!

Conclusion

With this additional tip, you now have a total of 7 valuable strategies for finding the right staff for your hospitality business.

Pay attention to the following points to find staff in the hospitality industry:

• online job posting platforms
• social media
• recruitment days
• attractive working conditions
• your own network
• the use of flexis and job students
• investing in employer branding
• enable your own website

If you apply all of these points, you increase your chances of attracting motivated, qualified and enthusiastic staff that fit your hospitality business or restaurant!

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