Hotel Talent Acquisition: Weathering and Prevailing the Covid Storm

Originally featured on HotelExecutive - https://www.hotelexecutive.com/feature_focus/6898/hotel-talent-acquisition-weathering-and-prevailing-the-covid-storm

We are all in the same storm, but navigating with different boats… The hospitality industry has changed dramatically since early last year. No one would or could have accurately predicted a pandemic or how it would affect our industry. With the vaccine starting to become available and a better understanding of how to stay safe, states and countries are starting to loosen guidelines around travel.

This is giving people the ability to start to travel again and for hotels to start reopening. Business and leisure travel are finally picking back up, albeit slower in big city markets. It's time to adjust to the current state of the industry and focus on recruiting, reopening, and moving forward.

Facing a new normal means doing more with less or in the case of talent acquisition, looking for new colleagues with expanded skillsets and mindsets. The following is how to get it all done efficiently and safely.

Internal Recruiting

You find yourself with a handful of open positions due to reopening or more business. While some of these roles may be newly updated, where you may have combined duties, some of the roles may be the same but may have new procedures related to the pandemic added. The easiest place to start is your database of past employees. You may have access to this information or you may need to connect with HR. Regardless of who holds this information, review your rockstar past employees. You can look at those that were furloughed, as well as past employees that left in good standing.

If a past employee is in good standing, find out why they left. If they left for growth or money then more than likely, they have gained new experience in the roles they took on after leaving your organization. Even if it's been some time since your employee or employees were furloughed, still reach out. They may still be unemployed or know of friends in the industry that may also be unemployed and interested. While friends of colleagues will not have all the knowledge of the brand, they will have the internal information from their friends that will help them jump into the role quicker or make the decision faster.

Especially look at and focus on employees that pulled double duty and helped out when the pandemic first started or those employees that always went the extra mile. These are the types of employees every business needs right now. Reinterview each employee, even if they are coming back for the same job. Keep in mind that it saves you time and money to bring back a previous qualified employee. They already know the brand and will need less time to ramp up.

These candidates/employees don't require 2 or 3 interviews and weeks of considering if it's a good fit for them. You won't need to spend a lot of time weeding through resumes or posting. While there will still be a need for some training, these employees won't require the full deep dive. They will need to be trained on how they should behave in our new normal. While some parts of the country may be divided on what they should be doing, this shouldn't happen in your property.

Make sure to cover when and where masks are required, both for them and guests. They will also need to be knowledgeable of cleaning procedures and how to share them with guests. Make sure to cover new responsibilities and a quick refresher on the old responsibilities will also be helpful. Another thing to keep in mind when training is how your business has changed. Be ready to discuss the reasons behind a pivot or change of your model. Is the focus now leisure when it was previously business? If so, cover any new details that may be affected by the changes. By reconnecting with your past team members, you are showing them you valued them and their work. It also brings with it a sense of community and togetherness. This is something we will all need right now. A good team is always seen and felt by your guests.

Promote

Reward your colleagues. This is a perfect time to promote an employee that has been working hard through this difficult time. Is there an employee that helped out whenever and wherever they were needed? Employees that were furloughed or even past employees can fall into this category, as well. If someone comes to mind, promote them even if they'll need training in a new department.

Their first task can be to help hire and train their replacement. Promoting a hard-working employee will always build loyalty. Right now, more than ever employees need to feel like they are valued and a part of a team. A newly promoted employee will feel a sense of pride in their work and hopefully go the extra mile for their guests because of it.

Job Fair Re-Imagined...Virtual or In-Person

With about 40% of all employees in hospitality currently unemployed, you would think recruiting would be easier. The abundance of candidates means more time and energy will be required to make the right choice for new team members. Job fairs usually alleviate the required time to recruit since the candidates come to you. While job fairs of tons of people crowded in a room are a big "No-No" right now they can still be reimagined and utilized to shorten the process.

Start by having all your requisitions updated and posted. Announce the job fair along with the new job postings. You can also wait for candidates to apply and contact those that fit the requirements as well as your past employees and invite them directly. Try starting with a virtual job fair. Set it up on a night the hotel tends to be slow and have all team members ready to play a role in the interviews. Include the following via zoom:

• A tour - have an employee assigned to virtually provide a tour of the hotel. This can be just as easy as having another employee follow them around with a camera phone.
• Informative call with q&a - this call will provide details of the job openings and respond to any questions.
• One on one - this call can be with the direct manager.

The first two steps can be done with a group or individually. Zoom does really give you the opportunity to share information a lot quicker and it will feel more like a real job fair.

You can also hold a smaller "in-person" job fair if you have a well-ventilated room or a large outdoor area. Start by posting your open positions. You can even mention the small "invite-only" job fair. Connect and invite candidates that meet the minimum requirements. With the job fair invitation, provide details about the precautions being taken. Make sure to have signs that say masks are required as well as sanitizer stations. Not only will it be safer but it also shows you care about your employees well being. This is a big one right now.

Regardless of which type of job fair you pick, make sure that the team is covering the same questions and providing the same information to each candidate. Keeping notes of responses is extremely important in properly betting each candidate, You will be able to speak accurately about each candidate in your job fair debriefing.

Roll Them Up

This is the right time to focus on finding candidates that roll up their sleeves. This ideal future employee will go above and beyond for their guests and have the mindset of no job being beneath them. This candidate will be a true team player. With a thinner crew and an uncertain future due to Covid, all hands must be on deck. Look for candidates that have done side projects or have worked in multiple departments. They will be more versatile when needed.

Survey

Send out a survey to your past employees. Ask about their past experiences with the property, management and if they would return. This will provide you with the opportunity to really find out information on your current team and if there are any problem members that may also need to be replaced or any other issues that may exist. It will also give you the ability to share current openings so, include a link to your job postings. Also include information about what has changed with the property, management, and new procedures. Include any news that might help sell your positions.

Main Takeaways

• Recruiting basics don't change. Bring in candidates that fit the requirements and then focus on fit.
• Internal recruiting builds loyalty and saves money.
• Virtual and in-person job fairs are still possible.
• Hire those that can roll up their sleeves.
• Add covid measures to job descriptions.
• Provide training to all employees.
• Execute a past employee survey.

The waters will be choppy for hotels over the next 12 to 24 months. Where there is volatility, there is opportunity… Make sure you are capitalizing and standing out when opportunities present themselves. As the industry recovers it is important to continue to also highlight the company and the culture. Sharing benefits information, perks, and continuing to work on things that challenge your employees.

Being transparent isn't just a catchphrase it's what is really needed to get the right employees on board and keep turnover low. Stick to the basics and your team and property will flourish.

More at www.HospitalitySpotlight.com ■ Instagram: @hospitalityspotlight ■ Twitter: @hospitalityspot / @RecruiterZoe ■ Facebook: @hospitalityspotlight ■ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKA2KV4-h-e4lMMz7ET9rmw

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