How Does it Help?
The hiring process can take up a lot of time. While all of the steps are pertinent, they can sometimes be tedious. This is where a hospitality executive search firm can really help out. By taking care of the beginning steps of the hiring process, they allow you to focus on the day-to-day demands of your business. The process of hiring an executive for your company is too important to gamble on. With professional recruiting services, you can make sure that you are presented with the best possible people in your field. Many recruiters also have access to candidates that you may not realize are available. If an executive that is currently employed by one of your competitors is looking for a new challenge, they may approach a recruiter to help them look for opportunities. The doors of possibility open wider for your company when you work with a hospitality executive search firm. Finding the best employee is not impossible when you have the right help.

In many ways, hiring a professional search firm for your hospitality executive search is the key to making the experience as easy – and successful – as possible. There are several reasons for this:

1. A professional search firm has access to better candidates than you could find on your own. Recruiters spend years building relationships and networking within their chosen field. This means that they know who is the best, who will be the right fit for your particular company, and even who may be willing to leave their current employer for a better opportunity. Posting an advertisement in the usual venues, such as the classifieds or online job sites, is likely to do little more than unleash a flood of applicants, many of them ill-suited for the position. Many of the best executives in the hospitality industry are likely to be “off the market,” and that's why you need a recruiter who has the inside scoop.

2. Outsourcing the recruitment process will save you time – and money. Searching through hundreds (or even thousands) of resumes and applications could take you several weeks, or even several months. In addition to compounding your feelings of stress and anxiety, it will also take you away from your everyday obligations at work. Finally, if you hire the wrong candidate, or you settle for anything less than the best, you're likely to have to let that person go and begin the recruiting process all over again – a costly mistake, and one that could easily be prevented by employing the services of a professional search firm.

3. Your recruiter will take care of all of the details on your behalf. Finding a new hospitality executive can certainly be a headache, but with a great recruiter on your side, you'll have nothing to worry about. He or she will take care of everything, from sorting through resumes to conducting background checks and contacting references, to completing the interview process. In the end, your only obligation will be to choose your new executive from a shortlist of qualified candidates. It couldn't be any easier!

Your company – and your clients – deserve only the best. Contact a hospitality executive search firm today.

A recruiting agency experienced in the art of interviewing candidates for the hospitality industry knows the job descriptions at different levels of hierarchy. While a pastry chef is responsible for baked food production and decoration, there are managerial aspects to the job such as maintaining supplies and managing kitchen staff. While an interview by a hospitality executive search firm can cover the managerial and attitudinal aspects of the job, a demonstration on the floor is a good way to ascertain the true level of the candidate’s ability.

Question bank

In order to evaluate a number of candidates, it is better to keep a list of standard questions that will be asked for each job. A recruiting firm can work out the necessary attributes that the interview questions must cover along with the client. A set of questions meant for each vacancy under process allows for a comparison of answers from different candidates. The contingency search firm may be expected to carry out a detailed interview and present a report with a candidate rating to the organization. The report and rating can help determine whether further interviews are necessary or whether a skill demonstration is required.

Use open ended questions

Open ended questions allow a candidate to elaborate and thereby reveal personal traits. While a hospitality executive search firm can be expected to provide a profile and rate suitability of candidates, it is necessary that the method mentioned here be utilized by organization insiders who are trained in interviewing skills. A potential supervisor for the candidate may be keen to know about the candidate’s relationship with the present superior. Further, there may be other stakeholders who must know whether the attitude of the candidate will fit into the work culture. A hospitality executive search firm can be asked for guidance in identifying key questions to be asked to understand the candidate better.

Display talent

Interviews in the hospitality industry need to have a mix of conventional interviews and demonstrated ability. If a pastry chef is interviewed and found suitable on paper, the next step is to have a demonstration of process and output. Organizations prefer to recruit for attitude since the incumbent can be trained. The hospitality executive search firm can define the processes to be tested along with key role holders and implement the ability test. The organization may provide a score of acceptable or otherwise or utilize the internal intelligence of the recruitment agency.

Display corrective ability
Recruitment outsourcing agencies know that a key aspect of cooking is the knowledge of the missing ingredient. A possible interview question by a hospitality executive search firm may test the chef’s knowledge with, “If extra baking powder was added to the batter, how will the cake turn out?” The chef can then be asked the steps to correct the error. Another process that can be carried out by the hospitality executive search firm is to test corrective ability. The chef may be asked to test a cooked item with a missing ingredient and identify the ingredient and advise on the amount to be added.

Individuals who are keen to join the hospitality industry have similar preferences. A pleasure in serving others, knowledge of ways to make customers happy and keen interest in subjects related to food and travel. Hospitality executive search firms can identify individuals who display a love of meeting people and are keen gourmets. Recruiting a person for a role in hospitality involves asking questions to ascertain some of these qualities in the course of an interview.

Etiquette

A recruiting agency keeps an eye for form and substance of the candidate. The ability to hold one’s own in a conversation, display respect and discretion, tact and controlled conversation are key elements to determine the suitability of an individual. The customers prefer employees to serve them while maintaining a suitable distance. Some hospitality executive search firms have the skill to understand the manners of an individual over a cup of tea. The recruiting firm looks for confidence and a quiet manner in the person.

Aesthetic sensibility

The candidate must be well-groomed with a tasteful selection of clothing. Employees in the hospitality industry must have a sharp sense of colour combination, smell and taste displayed in the way they dress and groom themselves. The recruiter will look out for tell-tale signs in the way the individual carries the self while walking, sitting and standing. Hospitality executive search firms are sensitive to the display of developed senses in the course of the interview.

Physical Strength

Hospitality executive search firms look for candidates who have worked long hours spent standing coupled with work that requires physical exertion. This is demonstrated in the nature of experience and the feelings associated with it. Jobs in the hospitality industry are physically taxing and an individual must possess the drive to make a successful career in the field. Sometimes, customers are critical despite the best efforts of the staff. The candidate is checked for sustained enthusiasm about the job. The questions will try to understand whether there are feelings of frustration associated with the choice of career.

Organization Capability

Hospitality executive search firms will ask the candidates questions that lead to an understanding of organising capability. Whether the job is that of a chef or a front office person, the ambience of the hotel is maintained because of the abilities of each employee. Clutter at the work place is unacceptable as is a tendency for anger in a crisis. Planning and implementation skills of the individual come under scrutiny by analysing the way a resume is presented, documents are maintained and through questions that encourage the candidate to speak openly.

Interaction Skills

The hospitality industry calls for the ability to involve the aid of different departments to provide the intended experience to the customer. The ability to organise seemingly disparate groups of people calls for interaction among different groups of people, communicating the larger purpose as well as individual roles. Executive search recruiters know the importance of this skill in aiding the image of the organization. Hospitality executive search firms understand these traits through psychological profiling and detailed interviews to analyse whether there are contradictory answers from the incumbent.

Business understanding

Hospitality executive search firms understand the business and the type of people it attracts. The close interaction of employees with customers has a direct impact on the business of the organization. Unseemly behavior, poor standards of etiquette, low knowledge of the area of work and a lack of communication skills can lead to reduced customer loyalty and advocacy. Retained search agencies understand the importance of behavior and its impact on the business of spas, clubs and casinos.

Confidentiality

There is a covert understanding between organizations in the hospitality industry to avoid pinching talent. Retained search firms can act as a suitable via media to get the correct application for a job with no leak of information. This is particularly important avoid misunderstandings and counter-action that will hurt business. At the same time, the organization is aware that the unsaid agreement is not flouted since an employee joins competition out of personal choice and the involvement of a hospitality executive search.

Observation

Recruitment agencies will be able to provide a feedback of the individual’s capabilities on the job by actually observing or interacting with them. Often hospitality executive search firms will take the risk of posing as a possible patron with the intention of gauging the capability of the individual under consideration. This is a key tactic utilized targeted recruitment where the decision to recruit a person is based on prior knowledge of ability that needs to be confirmed.

Sensitivity

Hospitality executive search agencies understand the sensitivity involved in converting a loyal employee into a successful recruit for another spa or casino. Specialists require a conducive work environment and attract loyal customers. This makes them invaluable to the business. Often the current employer will make arrangements to take care of such key staff members. The incumbent feels appreciated and loyal to their current employer. This mutual respect makes it difficult to attract an employee away from a competitor. A hospitality executive search can be employed to discuss possibilities with the potential candidate without offending the sensitivities involved.

Type of employment

Hospitality executive search firms understand that the catering business will have occasional requirements for temporary staff to manage large contracts that come by. Smaller businesses will prefer to keep the permanent employee base limited to cater to everyday jobs. Large catering houses follow a similar strategy but differ in terms of scale. The exacting demands on culinary talent are exacting throughout the industry. Recruitment outsourcing increases the spread of information about vacancies among potential candidates and ensures a steady supply of resources. Some search firms accept third party outsourcing contracts to enable businesses to scale up to cater to predictable upsurges in business.

Nature of business

A contingency search firm is aware of the growing business opportunity in the hospitality industry and well networked to know troubled organizations. The business is affected by external factors like migrating population, real estate development in the vicinity, development of infrastructure apart from word of mouth and variety of cuisine on offer. Catering businesses find it difficult to predict demand fluctuations except when there are bulk orders. Management of supplies and kitchen coordination are imperative to face these changes. The head of the kitchen must, therefore, be knowledgeable about how to manage cooked food and leftovers. Wastages in this section have an immediate effect on the capacity of a small business to maintain profit. Hospitality executive search firms are aware of these routine challenges that the catering business faces.

Regulatory norms

It is essential for a chef to know the norms and structure the work accordingly. The kitchen of any catering business must be clean and well-ventilated. While ventilation may be the responsibility of the owner of the business, the discipline of the chef determines the cleanliness. Hospitality executive search firms are aware that the penalties from flouting strict regulatory norms include business closure. The recruiting agency can check and confirm the candidate’s ability to adhere to these norms before a recruitment decision is taken.

Attitude search

As in any line, the catering business runs on the attitude of the employees manning the kitchen. A love for food, ability to cook like a professional, an eye for detail and the knowledge of the right ingredient that can correct the taste of food. Hospitality executive search firms can be asked to direct their interview to know how a chef manages last minute mistakes and similar stressful situations. They can also be asked to pay a visit to the catering service to note the behaviours exhibited by the chef and staff. Hospitality executive search firms can be asked to provide a report on workplace behaviours and attitudes of a few key candidates to aid a decision as to whether a person should be met.

]]> http://www.hospitalityexecutivesearch.org/?feed=rss2&p=75 http://www.hospitalityexecutivesearch.org/?p=71 http://www.hospitalityexecutivesearch.org/?p=71#comments Mon, 23 Feb 2009 18:57:23 +0000 admin http://www.hospitalityexecutivesearch.org/?p=71 Business partnering

An executive search firm will partner with you to find the best executive talent possible. The hospitality executive search will meet with representatives from the Human Resources Department to better understand the job description and profile. It is important to engage the recruitment firm by exposing their representatives to the culture of the organization. Specialists from the agency with relevant experience in the hospitality industry will proceed to meet with relevant representatives. It may be necessary to take the agency through a presentation to highlight the demanding organization culture, work demands and career prospects. This important aspect of a hospitality executive search makes it possible for both parties to agree to the process and anticipated timeliness.

Database diversity

Retained Search firms provide your business with the advantage of a wide database of suitable candidates. Normally, the candidates would have been met for the purpose of quick reference when a vacancy arises. Whether the business is that of a casino or an exclusive spa, the recruiting agency is able to provide varied experience since these are places where incumbents of the same industry will store a copy of their CV. This type of diversity is especially important when a hotel decides to diversify into a new service and requires suitable candidates urgently from the hospitality executive search, e.g., a hotel that opts to start a casino on its premises. It is difficult to find a suitable person as casino sales manager without the aid of a search firm.

Screening and profiling

The work hours and pressures in the hospitality industry are exacting. An incumbent must possess the ability to maintain poise under such conditions. The company can provide these specifications to the search firm and request a psychological profile of a candidate to be carried out as part of the screening process. Hospitality executive search firms are experienced in conducting and analyzing the psychological profile of candidates as an aid to interviews and decision making.

Interviewing effectiveness

The hospitality executive search firm has the capability to interview the candidate on the basis of the psycho-profile and resume. An in-depth interview tells the interviewer from the search firm whether the candidate will be able to fit into the culture of the hiring organisation. Tell tale reactions to stress situations and lack of rest open up the candidate’s suitability at the agency’s end. This approach helps ensure that every interviewed candidate stands a good chance of being accepted by the organization.

Compensation decision making

The hospitality industry is a fast growing sector with entertainment and health oriented features being added to the regular hotel facilities. The sector allows for opportunities across the globe. Pay scales vary and hospitality executive search firms are equipped with information of different levels in the sector. Search firms take the responsibility of verifying the compensation claims of candidates and are normally willing to share specific data points as well as representative salary ranges on request. The information forms a reliable base for decision making once a candidate has been decided on.