European Works Councils in Hospitality (Copy)

Why Hiring Faster Is Not the Same as Hiring Better

And how hospitality can finally break the cycle

Hospitality has spent years talking about recruitment as though it is a problem to be solved. Labour shortages, candidate behaviour, and competition from other sectors are frequently cited, yet many organisations continue to rehire the same roles with little improvement in outcomes.

What often sits beneath this cycle is not a lack of candidates, but a lack of clarity. When hiring decisions are rushed or poorly defined, the impact shows up later in early exits, disengagement, and declining confidence in leadership. Over time, this becomes normalised, and recruitment takes the blame for issues that were embedded much earlier.

Recent industry insight from Caterer.com reinforces this pattern. Their report, Mastering Hiring Efficiency: From Attraction to Measurement, shows that hiring outcomes in hospitality are driven far more by intention and design than by speed alone.

The Quiet Cost of Vague Hiring Decisions

Most hiring inefficiency begins before a vacancy is advertised. Roles are recruited using outdated job descriptions, loosely defined success criteria, and assumptions about what good performance looks like.

Common warning signs include:

• Heavy reliance on experience as a proxy for capability

• Limited discussion of pace, pressure, or emotional demands

• Unclear expectations beyond the first few weeks

The result is often a mismatch between expectation and reality. When candidates join and discover a very different role than they imagined, early turnover becomes far more likely.

Efficient hiring requires discipline from leaders. It means being clear about what success looks like in the first month, the first quarter, and the first year, and being honest about both the challenges and the opportunities in the role.

Attraction Is Built on Trust, Not Persuasion

Employer branding in hospitality is often treated as marketing. In reality, it is about credibility.

Hospitality candidates consistently value:

• Work-life balance and predictable scheduling

• Job security and fair treatment

• Supportive, visible leadership

Caterer.com’s research shows these factors are often prioritised more highly in hospitality than in other sectors, reflecting the intensity of the work itself.

The most effective attraction strategies focus on honest storytelling. Real examples from current team members, clear progression pathways, and transparency about what can be demanding build trust. When candidates feel they are being told the truth, they are far more likely to commit for the long term.

Efficiency Comes from Simplicity, Not Urgency

Vacancies create pressure, and pressure often leads to rushed decisions. This commonly results in complex application processes, inconsistent communication, and unclear timelines that frustrate candidates and managers alike.

The Caterer.com report highlights that many hospitality employers still rely heavily on manual processes, including CV screening, scheduling, and candidate tracking. This increases inconsistency and slows decision-making rather than improving it.

Efficient hiring processes tend to be:

• Simple and predictable

• Clear about next steps and timelines

• Respectful of candidates’ time

When the process feels considered rather than chaotic, acceptance rates improve, and hiring becomes less reactive.

Onboarding Is Where Credibility Is Tested

Hiring does not end when an offer is accepted. In hospitality, onboarding is where expectations are either reinforced or quietly undermined.

Many employees decide whether they see a future with an organisation within their first three months. When onboarding is rushed or impersonal, confidence drops quickly.

Effective onboarding focuses on:

• Connection and belonging

• Clear expectations of performance

• Regular early conversations

This does not require more complexity. It requires leaders to see onboarding as part of their role, not an administrative handover.

Measure What Helps You Learn, Not Just Report

Metrics like time to hire and cost per hire have their place, but they rarely explain whether hiring decisions are working.

More useful measures include:

• Early retention and performance alignment

• Hiring outcomes by role and manager

• Patterns that show where strong hires come from

When these insights are shared openly, hiring becomes a shared leadership responsibility rather than an HR transaction.

In a Nutshell

• Hiring problems often start with unclear decisions

• Trust attracts better candidates than persuasion

• Simple, consistent processes outperform rushed ones

• Onboarding determines whether credibility holds

A Final Thought

The biggest improvements in hiring efficiency rarely come from technology alone. They come from leaders recognising that hiring is a core part of culture building and team performance.

Hospitality does not need to hire faster. It needs to hire with greater intention and care. When clarity leads, efficiency follows, and the cycle of repeated hiring finally begins to break.

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