Employers - sorry to tell you but post pandemic the ball has very much been in the employee's court. What we mean by this is that there is an abundance of jobs within our industry as we are well & truly excelling after the tough pandemic period & there is a lack of quality ''top talent'' as many took the opportunity to leave the industry during this time, many started their own businesses instead & many hospitality professionals have gone oversees to earn in dollars.
So, how can you as a hospitality business attract top talent?
- Being transparent about salary packages is becoming a big ask from job seekers, they are telling us that they are tired of seeing ‘’market related’’ or ‘’neg doe’’ or their worst ‘’include your salary expectations’’! So, allow recruiters to advertise these on vacancies to attract highly qualified talent.
- Salaries must be market related at the very least, but ideally highly competitive so you need to check if you are offering what is market related for your positions. Don't just think about the income offer but the remuneration package as a whole, what else can you include? Meals, medical, pension, 13th cheque etc?
- If you offer something unique for your staff; bed nights, staff pool, performance bonuses, etc make sure you communicate this. This makes your positions more attractive.
- Make sure your accommodation is more than just ''liveable''. In order to settle long term, employees want accommodation that they can create a home in. Share photos of this with your recruiter.
- Remote or hybrid work doesn't operationally work for many roles within our industry, we understand a chef can't cook your meal from the comfort of his own home but if you can make this work for your office-based roles it is very important that this is an option as your options of talent can be countrywide. Think: admin assistants, reservationists, human resources, travel agents, marketing, sales, finance roles etc
- It's becoming even more important to find employees who are aligned to your company's values, mission & brand so it's a good idea to communicate these to recruiters & refer to these during your interview process.
- When you have a new employee start, look at unique and fun onboarding practices to make them feel welcome and excited. We have all been there, starting a new job can be overwhelming for even the most experienced of us.
- Consider days off a ''wellness'' day. Africa is still a bit behind the times with this, but it is a standard in many countries. These would be above & beyond annual leave or sick leave.
- Communicate what growth opportunities you can provide to employees, including external staff training that is offered.
- Work with preferred recruiters who get to know you, understand your needs & your brand. It isn't ideal to have your vacancy advertised 10 times but 10 different recruitment companies, so be very selective about who you partner with.
With your team being your most valuable asset, now is the time to reevaluate what you are offering to new hires, especially if you feel you aren't getting quality candidates apply.
Employers - To contact us for assistance with your recruitment needs, email Marie-Louise on [email protected] you can book a chat with her so that she knows everything about your brand, your requirements & let us help you find your unicorn!
Job seekers - apply HERE.
