How to attract and retain the best employees
Posted by Jim McGinty on Mon, Feb 22, 2010 @ 10:31 AM
It is estimated that the average cost of recruitment in the hospitality industry is around $2300 per person. If you end up with over a hundred applicants for the same job it's easy to see how this figure can mount up. You have the management time to sift through all the applications, plus the advertising, interviewing, and training. That's without considering the potential lost opportunities for productivity, customer service, and increased sales due to lack of key staff. So retaining your existing team is the priority.
From time to time even your most loyal people will leave. With the number of applicants chasing each vacancy, start by defining what you're looking for and specify this in your advertising or to your agency if you use one. Recruit on attitude rather than on skills alone. Systems, procedures, and basic skills can be taught, whereas an enthusiasm for food and wine, and a passion for hospitality and service need to be minimum requirements.
Don't limit your recruitment search to people who respond to your ads. Use your network of business contacts, your existing team and even your customers to help you find the best candidates. A good place to look for prospective staff is at your competition. This will give you the opportunity to watch people in action. See first hand how they interact with customers, their peers, and managers. Start developing a candidate pool rather than waiting until you suddenly have a vacancy to fill.
Create an environment where the best employees will want to work, and build a reputation as a good employer so you can attract the best people. Most important is to look after your existing staff; they are far more likely to recommend you to others and spread the word that it's a great place to work. Monitor the reputation of your business; listen to what your staff say, especially those who leave have a candid exit interview with each and every employee who leaves. Build your repetition as a good employer.
Promote from within whenever possible. Always let your existing staff know when a position comes available. Even if this is not a step up, it may present a new challenge to keep someone motivated and to build new skills. If you do have internal applicant, treat them in the same way as your treat external ones - acknowledging receipt of their application and setup an interview. If internal candidates do not get the job ensure you give feedback to help with their development and to encourage them to apply for future positions.
If you're not involved with the recruitment process yourself. Do they also know what values and attitude you are looking for? Involve your existing team in the recruitment process to train your management team how to recruit. This will demonstrate your belief in them and strengthen their commitment to helping the new employee succeed.
At a potential cost of $2300 for every employee you hire, it's well worth giving recruitment the same respect and commitment you give to any other aspect of running your business.
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