Recruitment Struggles in the Food Service Industry and How to Improve your Hire Rate

Covid-19 has created no end of problems worldwide, but it is fair to say the restaurant industry has taken the brunt of the confusion and uncertainty. With the Delta Variant on the rise, we are starting to see  further reluctance and insecurity in the minds of job seekers.  With more jobs available than workers willing to brave the uncertainty of a future layoff and exposure to Covid, hiring the staff you need to meet customer demand is harder than ever.  According to Talroo*, in July 2021, Hospitality and Food Service job postings were up 238%.

So, what can you do to improve your hire rates?

1. Broaden your sourcing strategy.  We see many companies today picking only one or two job boards to place their ads.  With so many companies hiring simultaneously, the cost per application is rising rapidly, especially on the larger job boards. To increase the odds of your job being seen, you must expand your sourcing strategy. 

2. Showcase your Employer brand.  If you are not utilizing your website's job page and social media sites to build your employer brand, you miss a huge opportunity. Candidates want to know about your company. Are your current employees happy and loyal? Are your benefits and safety standards better than your competitors? Be sure that the content you share on these forums gives your candidates a clear insight into what it is like to work for you and why they should pick you over your competitors.   

3. Give more details in your ad’s job titles.  Ensure that your ad's job titles highlight keywords of your ideal candidates. Words that denote industry, rank, company name (if you have a strong brand), pay or benefits, help your ads to stand out in a noisy environment. 

4. Make sure your ad copy highlights your best-selling feature.  It is a candidate's market today. To get applications, you have to make sure that you showcase what makes your company the best place to work. Take the time to research your competitors to learn what their key selling features are so that you can better highlight why your company is the best.  

5. Optimize your ad copy.  

   1. Ensure that your company summary is focused and to the point, clearly stating what you do and your company values while keeping it short and sweet.  

   2. When writing your role's description, be sure to include a full summary of what the job entails, who it reports to, and why this role is so important to your company's mission. 

   3. Be sure to list all the perks of working for your company. Think beyond traditional benefits. In today's market, anything you can do to make your company stand out, even the little things like free meals, can make the difference in landing the right candidate.

6. Keep your applications process simple.    Most people are applying for jobs through mobile. If your application is long or not mobile compatible, candidates will get frustrated and not complete the application. Ideally, applications should request only the most vital information, name, phone number, email address, 2-3 simple qualifying questions, and resume upload.  

7. Hiring Events.  Hiring events can generate the buzz and excitement needed to bring in applications, whether in person or virtual. 

8. Ensure that your website’s job board is optimized to appear on Google Jobs.    
    

Successful hiring today is possible.  To win, think from the point of view of your candidates. Put your ads where they are searching. Optimize your content with the information that they want/need to make what is easily the most important decision of their lives.  Put yourself in their shoes, and the right candidates will respond. 

Here it is! You have been expecting it- the sales pitch. As I am sure you have discovered, this blog is created by Lionzone Digital Marketing, which means that we would be more than happy to assist your company with their Recruitment Marketing needs; for more information about our services, please see https://lionzone.com/recruitment-marketing. My favorite feature of our services, no long-term contracts!  If we don't earn your business every day, we don't deserve to keep you!

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