Hiring the right people can be hard at any time. Throw in a skills shortage and a tough labour market and you’re facing more pressure than ever.
The hospitality industry in the UK is facing a major recruitment and retention crisis. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), there are currently 132,000 unfilled roles in the sector, 48% above pre-pandemic levels. The job vacancy rate in hospitality is also 11%, which is higher than the national average of 4.7%. Staff shortages due to Brexit, wage increases and competition from rival businesses are among the primary causes, leaving many without the essential workforce they need.
So, how can you ensure you have an effective hiring strategy?
Here are seven tips to supercharge your hiring process and win over the best talent:
1. Understand what your business needs
The key to a successful hiring process is before you post the first job ad.
Be sure you take the time to understand what type of person your workplace needs. Speak to employees to understand where there’s a gap and what skills are required to fill it. Don’t rely on previous job ad postings, as what you need may have changed.
2. Set clear expectations from the get-go
Too often, hiring managers make the mistake of overcomplicating job ads.
Make sure you lay out expectations clearly. Include the responsibilities of the role you’re hiring for and outline any essential skills or qualifications the candidate needs to have as a bare minimum.
Avoid using vague or generic language, such as: “Exciting new opportunity available at [insert business]”. As a job seeker, there’s nothing more annoying than being unclear about what a position with a business is and what it’ll involve.
3. Consider your interview process – and the people doing the interviewing
A structured interview process is integral in hiring, no matter the size of your business or industry. Ensure you develop one that involves a specific evaluation criterion. This allows you to compare candidates objectively and without bias.
Make sure the interviewer is someone who can speak about what the role will involve and what the business’ key goals are. Ensure the interviewer is fit to answer any questions that will likely arise in the interview, particularly those involving hours and pay.
4. Leverage tech where you can
To hire candidates faster — before your competitors can snap them up — it’s essential to streamline the hiring process with modern technology, including an applicant tracking system (ATS).
Deputy’s new hire software makes tracking and managing applicants through the whole recruitment process easy, allowing businesses to secure talent in a fraction of the usual time — and giving managers more hours back in the day.
5. Research award rates and benefits
Always research benefits to ensure you’re staying compliant, making attractive offers and reducing the chance of losing staff to a competitor.
Keep a close eye on changes to pay rates and stay on top of your competitors' benefits, like better schedule flexibility.
6. Don’t skip on references!
References remain key in the hiring process. Ensure you do at least one on each prospective candidate.
Consider questions like: What is their work style? What are their strengths? What are their areas for development? Would you hire them again? How would the average customer describe them?
The answers to these questions will help you to determine whether they’d be an ideal fit for your workplace.
7. Continuously improve the process
Regularly collect feedback from the hiring team, candidates and new hires.
Use this feedback to identify areas for improvement in the hiring process and refine it over time.
Final thoughts
By following these tips, businesses can set themselves up for a more effective and successful hiring process, leading to better decisions and a stronger workforce.
To learn more about how you can improve and streamline your hiring process, contact the Deputy team today.
