How to apply a collaborative approach to recruiting

The key benefits of taking a collaborative approach

Employing a collaborative element to your hiring approaches has undeniable benefits that enhance recruitment. Involving your existing team in any hospitality recruitment process highlights numerous opportunities because who knows your business better than your employees? Attracting top talent is the fundamental goal for any industry especially hospitality therefore, you should be utilising your staff as they are a real asset in achieving this.

Two major considerations for hospitality job seekers are the people they will be working with and the work environment.

• By including your team in the recruitment process, prospective hires can interact with your employees, and it allows you to showcase your brand, culture and values, creating a great first impression towards your candidate.
• Taking a collaborative approach enables candidates get a realistic and more rounded view of their future colleagues and workplace, thus avoiding any unexpected surprises during onboarding.

Hiring the right candidate

By opting for a collaborative recruitment approach, several employees can assess every potential hire. Choosing a diverse employee group for this task will help remove unconscious bias which could be detrimental to candidates.

Your employees have a direct understanding of the roles advertised, which adds to your company as they can help you find candidates that attain the skill set and personality attributes to deliver and succeed in that specific position.

Set aside time to consider candidates with other team members and alone. The feedback they give can help you formulate a complete view of the candidate’s suitability before you make a final decision.

Equally this approach has advantages for employees as well, as it offers them valuable insights into your business’s hiring processes and their input can inspire innovation and creativity for new recruitment ideas.

Your employer brand matters and by using collaboration during the recruitment process, the content you are delivering to your audience’s, coveys that you value their input when decision – making.

Increasing efficiency and limiting challenges

Your employees value your company greatly so, who better to communicate these than your colleagues? Using collaborative recruitment means your recruit would have interacted with the team prior to their first day, therefore has a strong sense of the working environment that they will be introduced to.

As your existing team has had the opportunity to be incorporated into the hiring process, it gives them a feel of responsibility as your new hire settles in. Existing employees will step up to help, guide and support their new co-worker during onboarding. It can equally enhance their learning regarding your company’s values, aims and set targets, as well as highlighting the benefits of working for a business that provides that inclusive aspect in their recruitment campaigns.

Being a key part of the process leads to a greater understanding of how your employees fit into your long-term goals and the important role they play, leading to greater job satisfaction, increased brand loyalty and higher employee retention.

Download our free Hospitality Hiring Made Easy Guides

How do you source the best hospitality talent? What can you do to create brand loyalty and improve retention? Is your company culture important when recruiting? What makes candidates want to work for your business?

In this 4-part guide we provide clear information and top tips to help you manage your recruitment process and build a loyal, engaged and successful workforce to drive your business forward.

As a trusted hospitality recruitment partner, Caterer.com has 20 years’ experience working with the industry, for the industry. This guide will inspire you to develop powerful and practical recruitment and talent management processes.