Hotel companies are always looking to fill open roles. According to a survey conducted by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and AHLA Gold Partner Hireology, hotels have, on average, six to seven open positions per property. As a result, hotel companies and hiring managers often undercut the expectations for these roles in an effort to quickly fill the position and alleviate a staffing shortage.
The hiring process is a delicate balance between communication, training and investment. It can be tedious and often takes time, patience, and equal parts effort from various team members at different levels. It is not something to be rushed or under-prioritized. However, the more equipped your company is, the less likely it is to make mistakes during the hiring process.
Identifying the common mistakes hotel companies make when actively hiring can deeply benefit your business in the long run, creating a more streamlined, thoughtful and effective hiring process that benefits you and your future employees.
Address Staffing Concerns in a Timely Manner
Let’s start at the beginning of the hiring process, which is identifying the need to fill a position. Hotels are 24-hour businesses that continue to operate despite staffing issues. It’s best to stay ahead of the curve and address staffing concerns immediately before your team is too understaffed to operate effectively.
When a team member steps down or leaves the company, it is imperative that hiring managers and executives seek to fill that position immediately. Time is precious, and the faster your business takes the next steps to hire, the less likely your team will feel the weight of being understaffed.
It is important to consider the employees who will have to pick up some extra work in the interim. You don’t want to risk losing another employee because there’s insufficient help. The sooner your business acts to find a replacement, the more time you’ll have to secure a capable candidate while avoiding burnout among other team members.
Write a Compelling Job Posting
Writing a strong job posting is essential for attracting the right candidates and setting the tone for your organization’s expectations and culture. A big mistake hotel companies make during the hiring process is not taking the time to write clear and concise job descriptions. A great job posting starts with a direct and compelling job title that accurately reflects the role. It’s important to focus on what the candidate will do and achieve, rather than listing a generic set of duties. This makes the post more engaging and helps candidates quickly assess whether the role aligns with their experience and career goals.
Next, clearly outline the key responsibilities, required qualifications and preferred skills. Ensure things are bulleted for easy reading. Many candidates fill out multiple applications a day and skim through opportunities. The clearer your job posting is, the more likely your business will receive applications from qualified candidates to move on to the interview process.
Ensure that the description is specific about what success looks like in the role and includes any relevant metrics or outcomes. Try to avoid jargon or overly technical language unless it’s necessary for the job.
Perhaps the most important part of the job posting is highlighting the culture, values and benefits that set your company apart. This will help you attract candidates who align with your brand’s values and would likely be a good fit for the team.
It’s a good idea to check in with members of the team looking to hire and get their input on the accuracy of the job description. Oftentimes, job descriptions are kept on file and reused down the line. However, roles are always evolving. Some positions may be using a new technology or system that wasn’t required for previous candidates. Team members and managers can offer the most insight into the day-to-day responsibilities of the role that the HR team may not be aware of. They are the key to ensuring that the job description reflects the job at hand.
Do Not Rush the Hiring Process
Rushing the hiring process can lead to costly mistakes that affect team dynamics, productivity and overall company performance. When decisions are made too quickly, there’s a higher risk of selecting candidates who aren’t truly aligned with the role, the team or the company’s values. This misalignment often leads to poor performance, early turnover and the need to restart the search process. This wastes precious time, money and resources. Taking the time to thoroughly vet candidates through multiple stages of interviews, assessments and reference checks ensures a more informed, confident hiring decision.
A deliberate hiring process also sends a strong signal to candidates about the company’s commitment to building thoughtful, high-quality teams. This will make candidates even more enthusiastic about working for your company! A concise and thorough interview process allows candidates to evaluate whether the company is a good fit for them as well. Ultimately, hiring is a long-term investment. You want these new hires to grow with the business. Prioritizing patience over speed increases the likelihood of hiring someone who will not only meet expectations but also grow with the organization.
Train Hiring Managers to Conduct Effective Interviews
You wouldn’t expect your candidate to come to an interview unprepared or uninformed. The same should apply to hiring managers conducting interviews. Giving your hiring managers the proper tools to conduct an effective interview will significantly reduce the likelihood of making a poor hiring decision.
While hiring managers may be experts in their respective fields, many lack formal training in interviewing techniques, leading to inconsistent evaluations and missed opportunities to identify top candidates. Structured training ensures that interviews are fair, legally compliant and focused on the competencies most relevant to the role.
Training also equips hiring managers with the tools to ask behavioral and situational questions that reveal a candidate’s past performance and problem-solving abilities. Additionally, trained interviewers are better prepared to evaluate soft skills, whether the candidate is a cultural fit, and their potential for growth.
It’s also important that hiring managers look over résumés and cover letters before interviews. Going into an interview without any background knowledge about the candidate can be a turnoff and project a negative candidate experience.
Inconsistent Communication With Candidates Can Turn Away Top Talent
Consistent communication with candidates throughout the hiring process is vital to building trust and maintaining a positive candidate experience. When applicants are kept informed about where they stand, they are more likely to stay engaged and view the organization as professional and respectful. Always confirm receipt of important documents and remain transparent about the next steps in the process. Lack of communication can lead to frustration, confusion and even withdrawal from the process, resulting in missed opportunities to hire qualified talent.
In today’s competitive job market, how an organization communicates with candidates directly impacts its employer brand. Candidates talk via social media, review sites and professional networks. Although very big, the hospitality industry can be very small, and word gets around. A reputation for transparency and responsiveness can differentiate an employer in a crowded landscape. Consistent communication not only enhances the candidate’s perception of the company but also sets the tone for a culture of clarity, respect and accountability that extends beyond the hiring process and into the day-to-day job.
Don’t Drag Out the Process Between the Final Steps and an Offer
In the fast-paced hospitality industry, where talent is in high demand and often evaluating multiple opportunities at once, delaying the final steps between interviews and formal job offers can result in losing top candidates. Candidates who’ve invested time in interviews expect timely follow-up. An extended silence can signal indecision, disorganization or lack of interest. For hotel companies, where guest experience depends heavily on staff quality and engagement, missing out on strong hires due to delays can have direct operational impacts.
A swift and clear offer process reinforces that the organization values people and moves with purpose. By streamlining post-interview steps, hotel companies not only secure top talent more effectively but also model the urgency and professionalism expected in day-to-day guest service.
Learn From Past Mistakes
Hotels continue to operate, no matter their staffing shortages. The need to have a body on-site often supersedes picking the right person for the position. Don’t put your business in the position where poor hiring decisions create a “revolving door” culture. No company is perfect. Businesses are bound to make mistakes as they scale. Not only identifying those mistakes but making changes internally to avoid them in the future is essential. We’ve identified the most common mistakes which include failing to address staffing concerns immediately, inaccurate job postings, rushing the hiring process, failing to train managers to conduct effective interviews, inconsistent communication with candidates, and a large gap in time between final steps. Keep those in mind as you assess your own company’s hiring process.
Reprinted from the Hotel Business Review with permission from www.HotelExecutive.com.
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