The U.S. hospitality industry is facing a labor shortage. Business leaders are doing whatever it takes to fill available vacancies, including using technology to enhance the recruiting process. Here are some of the most important hospitality recruitment trends.
Technology Is Lowering the Demand for Recruiting
With so many vacancies, hotel and restaurant owners are making do with less. One of the biggest hospitality trends is using automated systems to diminish the need for hands-on personnel.
For example, automated kiosks and online tools make it easier for guests to reserve hotel and restaurant reservations. Fast-food restaurants are using digital ordering systems to improve efficiency. While these are not forms of recruiting technology, they have produced a dramatic shift in the demand to hire front-of-house employees.
Using Technology in Recruitment Marketing
Many companies are using staffing technology to enhance their recruitment marketing efforts. Rather than simply posting a job opportunity and waiting for resumes to roll in, hiring managers are taking a more proactive approach through:
- Social media advertising to promote job openings
- Employee referral programs
- Job postings with videos and dynamic content
Hiring managers use this technology to build a talent community, seeking to nurture relationships with candidates before they even apply.
Improving Talent Sourcing
Companies can now use data analytics and AI-powered tools to screen employee applications and match candidates to vacant positions. As a result, hiring managers can choose from a pool of qualified candidates who more closely match the skills and experience needed for each position.
These sourcing strategies dovetail with your recruitment marketing efforts, allowing you to connect with a broad pool of candidates while also narrowing the field to the best selections. This can save time for small companies that may lack the personnel to conduct thorough job searches.
Fostering Diversity and Inclusion
Representation matters in the hospitality industry. Hospitality recruiting technology can be used to eliminate human bias in the decision-making process. Instead, your system will make recommendations and decisions based on data and the candidate’s prior work history.
In other words, recruiting technology promotes a more equitable hiring process by minimizing the human element that can carry unconscious bias. The end result is greater equality for all candidates, which can promote greater diversity and inclusion.
Enhancing the Candidate Experience
How is technology in hospitality recruitment changing the experience of candidates? First, by building candidate landing pages that are intuitive and mobile-friendly, hospitality businesses can put their best foot forward in keeping candidates engaged throughout the application process.
Technology can also be used during the hiring and onboarding process. Virtual interviews are easier to schedule, and video technology allows interviewers to literally “screen” candidates’ communication skills. Additionally, video interviews will allow you to vet more candidates in less time.
Streamlining Training and Onboarding
Don’t neglect the onboarding portion of the hiring process. This stage is where many business owners see no-shows and dropoffs. Use technology to streamline the process. You can even offer web-based training resources that new hires can complete prior to their first official day.
Additionally, creating digital training resources (such as your employee handbook) will allow you to standardize the onboarding process. You’ll find it easier to handle future hires and can even train others to handle employee training for you.
Leveraging Hospitality Recruitment Trends
How can you leverage these and other hospitality recruitment trends? Business leaders can turn to third-party recruitment services. The right partner will have the resources, time, and expertise to conduct an effective search. Want to get started? Contact One Haus to discover how we can help you with effective hospitality solutions.