Hospitality Employees Market in the West?

A very happy and prosperous 2009 to everyone.

Just when hospitality job seekers in the West thought they were sitting in the catbird seat, along came our current economic downard dive (not to be confused with Yoga's Downward Dog). This should server as a correction to the employee's advantage. From a recruiter's perspective, it was interesting to see how people on both the employer and employee side handled the change from an employers market to an employees one.

As you might expect, many candidates relished in the turn of events and some employers resisted the new shift in power. Although I found most people I dealt with strove to be reasonable and practical, some hiring situations became comical with a resistant employer on one side and an overarching candidate on the other. Only comical after the fact of course!

It's been difficult as a recruiter to deal with people who take an unreasonable position, whether that be a candidate that expects the sun and moon or an employer who wants capable and experienced candidates but refuses to acknowledge the need to better accomodate them. Difficult, because I don't always want to be diplomatic with people who are wasting my time.

I won't detail my experience with "bad" employees and employers but focus on the good. A few stellar candidates sitting in the catbird seat displayed the most generous and noble spirits and didn't think to try and capitalize on the situation and push for everything they ever dreamed of from an employer. A few innovators on the employer side invested time and money to understand the hiring situation and truly approach candidates with flexibility, an open mind, and as real people with lives outside work.

To close, I must emphasis another positive side, which is my preferred view. I learned a lot about many candidates and some employers where I would otherwise would not have had the opportunity. Even better, I have had the happy circumstance of being able to keep notes on all good and bad behaviour in my little black book!

May you all reach the heights of success and prosperity in 2009!

Hospitality Industry Jargon

We'll be featuring a word or phrase particular to our industry and provide the common definition. Industry "Word" is a new edition to our Newsletter. You may be surprised with how much is part of our daily speak AND you may even learn a new industry catch phrase!
As a recruiter, I deal with all types of candidates and clients in hotels, restaurants, resorts, and so on. Some of the entry management or foreign workers are very much baffled by our language. You can imagine that in this dynamic industry where I work with various companies, I've encountered a host of acronyms, catch phrases and abbreviations.

We apparently like to keep things exciting regardless of industry ups and downs. What one company may call an OJE another will use RJP, where a person overseeing several operations may be called an Area Manager at one organization, another will prefer Territory Manager.

It's a fascinating part of our industry that most of us take for granted, but for some, a lack of finesse with the lingo can really impact the impression they make in an interview, an industry conference or at the corporate water cooler.
I suppose being a dynamic industry, we demand our vocabulary to be no less dynamic! So to amuse many and inform some, watch for our regular editions of Industry "Word" in our newsletter.

In hospitality,
Target Professionals Hospitality Recruiting

The Successful Hospitality Manager Attributes

Finally, Spring has arrived for 2008!

This is the time to be a qualified and responsible candidate in the hospitality industry for Western Canada. Like the change to Spring time, the market has also changed, bringing candidates greater opportunities to develop their careers and maintain a healthy life/work relationship.

The change in favor of candidates is due to several factors in Western Canada....the imminent arrival of the 2010 Olympic Games to British Columbia and the Oil boom in Alberta to name couple.

However, certain things remain constant from a recruiter's perspective. A qualified candidate will always have certain attributes that make them successful in their job hunt. For instance; professionalism, experience, drive, great communication skills, a business ethic, and a solid past history.

While I encourage qualified candidates to strive to find a position that is best suited to them and their lifestyle, I also suggest being a responsible candidate. Continue to maintain a sense of honor and respect towards your work, employer, and in the process of interviews with prospective employers.

These attributes define you as a qualified and responsible candidate which will help ensure you're successful in your career endeavors. It's simply a bonus that they also define you as a very decent human being.

Please call 604.552.2377 or email anytime if you have any questions or issues regarding hospitality employment in BC and Alberta.

Enjoy the coming sun!

Recruiter/Candidate Relationship

It's been a busy start to the year and I want to thank all of the candidates who have kindly referred Target Professionals to other candidates and clients. I receive great satisfaction in helping people find good work that fits their lives while assisting clients employ your exceptional skills with fairness, respect and growth opportunities.

Some people don't realize that, as a recruiter, I don't charge a fee to candidates for assisting with developing a career plan, employment searches, resume formats, interview preparation, work permit information, etc.... this is true. Recruiters charge the clients (your prospective employer) a fee when they hire a candidate through Target Professionals. So, while I don't work directly for candidates, I do my best to help you with your career even if I don't have a position currently open that suits your background and interest.

I believe candidates and clients have equal imporatance and value regardless of who pays the fee simply because they are both one side of a vibrant hospitality business. I'd be interested to hear any of your comments about how successful recruiters are in meeting your needs or if you feel there are ways we can improve.

Retention in the Hospitality Industry

Retention Retention Retention

Some numbers for you:
Cost to recruit and train one mid level manager 10K - 14K
Time to find and train on average 6 months
Current turnover average in the industry 40%

I hear from clients and contacts in the industry often about the difficuties and costs when it comes to keeping quality people, especially of late. While I have a distrinct advantage in targeting candidates in the market, it's up to the client to implement methods to retain that person. It's a real crisis in the Western Canada market right now and I don't see it getting better any time soon. You needent think you're alone in this increasingly difficult task of retaining people. Everyone in the hospitality industry feels the impact of the exodus of front-line staff and management to Oil in Alberta. BC is affected by this and is also not all that far behind with 2010 only 2 years away. So what does it take to minimilzie the impact?

As much as it seems to have come down to money, money money, the companies that are succeeding in winning over quality candidates and keeping them on board are using a few methods, including money, and are continiously seeking out alternatives to keep people.
The approaches that I see working are comprehensive and target these goals: attract, challenge, and compensate.

I don't really need to say you'll attract greater candidates using an industry focussed recruiter, right? Attract the best candidates by putting effort into presenting your company in the most favorable light possible. This is not always accomplished with a job advertisement and job fairs but they certainly make a first impression for good or bad, so take the time to explain the position and the company culture. Too many people don't consider just how much appearances mean to candidates. They want to be valued and that is first demonstrated with your putting the effort into presenting the opportunity and company well in print, web and in person.

Once you've got their attention, they will likely be thinking, "How can this company can help me build on my work experiences". For those who didn't get the memo, IT'S AN EMPLOYEES MARKET! And the candidates know the tide has turned and they're in the driver's seat. The pros and cons of that and how to deal with it may be a future topic. Most candidates I've spoken with over the years want to develop and be challenged in their work and this comes across as the number one priority above all other concerns. This is especially true with the younger workers just coming up the career ladder. The point is, you must have either a succession plan for the position to put forward or be offering a position somehow beyond their current scope.

Compensation. It's really not going to work to continue to say, "We want people who don't value money over all else". I've heard this more than a few times, but would you work for 30K? At the end of the day, we all look for a good compensation package - and yes - the fair, good and excellent candidates all consider this before taking a position. And rightly so. Anyone who thinks they don't have to respond to the increasing salary ranges the industry demands will have difficulty attracting, and most certainly retaining, great people.

Consider again the time and cost to get a new person on board along with the turnover rate in the indstry as noted above. Is it clear that those who succeed in targeting and retaining the best candidates are paying attention to how they attract, challenge and compensate people? It is to me, I've seen it working.

Happy hunting,
Colleen