5 Hiring Tips for today’s Labor Market

1. Do your homework first. The labor market has changed dramatically over the past 12 months. Make sure your expectations match your targeted demographic. Business need to overcome new incentives for entry-level positions to not seek employment.
2. What do / don’t you offer that the competition does / does not?
   Evaluate your benefits – are you offering the same vacation, holiday or PTO pay as your market competitors? What are you offering that is a difference maker?
3. Advertise to the position’s demographics. From “Do your homework first”, target your advertisements to the position. It is unlikely that you will find a qualified room attendant candidate on CareerBuilder’s – use sources that better fit the position.
4. Have an interview plan – do not waste time. Before you post your open position, prepare your interview questions or strategy. Start the interview process with a day or two of posting the position.
5. Be ready to hire immediately. The jobs market is extremely competitive, extend an offer while you check references and complete any background checks. Avoid starting the associate the same day as or the day after the interview – this often leads the associate not returning for their next shift.

Do your homework first. The labor market has changed dramatically over the past 12 months. Make sure your expectations match your targeted demographic. Business need to overcome new incentives for entry-level positions to not seek employment.

1. Verify your business is competitive with your salaries and wages. You can use a wage survey company like Wage Watch, or you could review job boards to confirm positional wages.
2. Full-time hours vary from generation to generation. Baby boomers would work 50 to 60 hours per week. That has decrease as dual income households have entered the workforce. Target your weekly hours based on associate needs.
3. There may be a demographic that is willing to work at your property but needs additional assistance. In some cases, hospitality positions are entering the workforce for the first time or reentering the workforce and may have work hour limitations.
4. Today’s hospitality workers will not tolerate additional work-related expenses. Provide three sets of easily launderable uniforms, assist with required footwear, do not charge for uniforms, name tags, or pay cards.
5. Your property does not have to offer the best incentive, but you need to be competitive within your market when recruiting associates. Remember, 25 cents per hour for a full-time associate is the equivalent to $500 per year.

What do / don’t you offer that the competition does / does not?
Evaluate your benefits – are you offering the vacation, holiday or PTO pay to be competitive in your market? What are you offering that is a difference maker?

1. Hourly wages are often where this evaluation stops. However, other benefits usually hold more weight when making a job change.
2. Review your health, dental and life benefit coverage as compared to your market competitors. Should you offer? Is it currently too expensive?
3. Do you offer flexible work hours? Childcare has become the largest expense for duel income families. Some associates may need to work while their children are in school or share childcare with their spouse
4. Paid time off, vacation, holiday, bereavement benefits are often offered by large corporations. Small businesses should offer similar benefits to stay competitive with all competitors. Can you? Do you?
5. Some businesses offer creative benefits to recruit and retain associates. Here are a few that may apply based on your location: complimentary parking, tuition reimbursement, bus passes, retirement or 401K match, environmental awareness, and free job specific training.

Advertise to the position’s demographics. From “Do your homework first”, target your advertisements to the position. It is unlikely that you will find a qualified room attendant candidate on CareerBuilder’s – use sources that better fit the position.

1. Many businesses are using free or reduced cost on-line job boards. The more job boards you are associated with, the better applicant stream you receive. Do not limit your postings to Facebook, LinkedIn, Indeed, or Craigs List.
2. Become engaged in your local community. Recruiting is a type of sales, make regular visits to your local churches, Department of Labor, Job Services, and local apartment community(s). Have managers carry a “We Are Hiring” card and hand them when you encounter good service.
3. Do not make the mistake by using the same job posting site for hourly and salary positions. You may need a broader posting for Sales Managers, General Managers and Chief Engineers. You may use specific job posting boards for food and beverage positions.
4. In your job posting, assure you include the benefits or work conditions that make your business a better workplace. It should be tailored for each position.
5. Review your job postings on all sites to assure they read correctly. That is
   the first impression of your business – please use spellcheck.
   

Have an interview plan – do not waste time. Before you post your open position, prepare your interview questions or strategy. Start the interview process with a day or two of posting the position.

1. You must know what type of associate you are recruiting and the job posting should reflect those needed skills.
2. Develop a pre interview questionnaire with questions that will verify or eliminate associates due to skills set or job requirements. A few examples are: What salary requirements would you need for this position? Do you have reliable transportation for work shifts that starts at 8:00 AM? Are you available to work weekends and holiday shifts? Describe what the {insert position} responsibilities are in your view?
3. Schedule an on-property interview with planned questions for every interviewer. Have a plan to pass the candidate from one interviewer to another. The interview process should include more than one operations manager / supervisor.
4. Communicate all the positive attributes of the position. Also describe what the associate may encounter the is unexpected, such as: we do not have an elevator to move supplies or all associates are required to work every Sunday as we are typically sold out.
5. Exchange all needed information in the interview process that is needed to make an offer. If the associate is the right fit, complete needed forms for references and background checks.

Be ready to hire immediately. The jobs market is extremely competitive, extend an offer while you check references and complete any background checks. Avoid starting the associate the same day as or the day after the interview – this often leads the associate not returning for their next shift.

1. Provide the associate with an appropriate wage / salary in the offer. It is recommended to not offer a probationary or training rate for the first few months of their employment.
2. Extend an offer pending reference and background checks, if you have not been able to complete this process. Set the start date two or three days in the future that will allow you to complete this process.
3. Provide the associate a training schedule. Set the expectation that the business has standards that are strictly adherence requirements. Do not throw the associate into the position without training – even if they have experience.
4. Have a communication process over the first month of employment. This will have the associate “buy-in” to the process. You could also have a new hire trainer / mentor who assures the associate is on track with the training and standards.
5. Have employment incentives to assure the newly hired associates remains engaged and you do not have to restart the hiring process. It takes 90 to 180 days to have a fully trained and engaged associate. Front line staff even longer.

About Todd Neuenschwander
Corporate Director of Operations Hotel Division

Todd Neuenschwander has more than forty years of hospitality industry experience which includes notable brands like Hilton, Marriott, and Radisson Hotels. He has worked in top US markets, such as Miami, Orlando, Atlanta, and San Francisco and has destination hotel and resort market experience as a general manager, food and beverage professional and Executive Chef.

Todd joined CUSA in 2014 as the Corporate Director of Operations and oversees a portfolio of branded and independent focused-service hotels expanding his brand knowledge to Intercontinental Hotel Group, Choice Hotels, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts where he is responsible for all aspects of hotel support, operational excellence, revenue generation, property performance, brand and owner relationships.

Prior to joining CUSA, he held the general manager position with Stonebridge Companies at the Radisson Hotel SFO and was task with converting this full-service hotel to a DoubleTree by Hilton. Todd also work with Sage Hospitality for more than a decade where he held food and beverage director and general manager leadership positions in the Hilton Garden Inn Brand. Earlier in Todd’s career, he worked as a food and beverage director in a 600-room full-service Orlando, Florida hotel, a four-star, four-diamond luxury ocean front hotel on the prestigious Miami Beach, and a top event and wedding destination resort in Southern California.

A graduate of the legendary Culinary Institute of America, he pursued his career aspirations to become an Executive Chef where he trained in three and four Star / Diamond rated hotels. On a path to become a Certified Executive Chef, Todd was fortunate to win multiple Gold, Silver and Bronze medals in hot food, cold display and ice carving competitions. Todd also established and administered several culinary and hospitality internship programs with Culinary Institute of America, Culinary Academy, Lutheran Services, and other institutions with many apprentices enjoying long and rewarding careers in the hospitality industry.

As a leader in the hospitality field, Todd has been involved with several community organizations, such as the Brisbane Chamber of Commerce, San Mateo Conventions and Visitors Bureau and Dekalb County Conventions and Visitors Bureau. He also was a member of the Sage Hospitality General Manager’s Counsel and Hilton Garden Inn Food and Beverage Advisory Board which developed and implemented the culture and framework of today’s Hilton Garden Inn food and beverage concept. Todd is certified to operate several hotel brands and has recently completed the Marriott Executive Excellence Program.