MARIA DAVIES Managing director of global recruitment Carers4world

What recruiters are looking for

Ongoing staff shortages, together with the tendency that candidates have to not stay long in a job, are forcing employers to rethink their whole recruitment processes and structure. Many employers desperate to tackle the issue of staff shortages are now accepting people from different sectors without any experience in hospitality. If candidates have the right attitude, a charming personality and are willing to learn and grow, then employers can teach them the skills they need through theoretical and on-job training.

Attracting the new generations

Gen. Z are the hospitality recruiters’ new target market for filling roles in the industry. To successfully attract them, we need first to understand their characteristics, their requirements and what makes them tick. Gen. Z’s expectations include quick promotions, a job that will offer them the opportunity for international travel, flexibility over authority, a company’s mission that aligns with their own values, various opportunities for growth and development, empathetic leaders, consistent feedback and overall happiness in their working environment. It is also a generation that values experiences over material stuff.

The retention challenge

By observing Millennials and Gen. Z, and their attitude towards the job market, we’ve noticed that they are looking for balance between professional and personal life, for appreciation and respect from employers and for fair remuneration packages. If we want to retain staff within the hospitality industry, a change in our attitude and approach is a big must. For employers, this includes: creating a positive culture in the workplace, where employees can come together, bounce ideas off each other and feel nurtured and appreciated; and adopting a system of consistent training and reskilling, as a way to keep their employees interested and engaged, so they are less likely to look for other opportunities elsewhere. Having provided them with the “tools” to perform their duties, employers should entrust their people to produce quality work without constantly micromanaging them.