Writing the perfect job advert, particularly for a role within the hospitality industry, means setting the right expectations and drawing in the top talent and go-getters. If you’re looking for part-time seasonal workers, for example, not only does that need to be explicitly stated, but the framing of the entire job advert needs to be reworked. The benefits of a part-time seasonal job are far different than full-time, or even part-time year-round jobs.
The fact of the matter is that a job advert is your first and arguably one of your most powerful tools to attract a shortlist of the best people for your business. If you’re not sure how to master the art of the job advert, particularly if you operate a hotel, tour business, or other operation within the hospitality sector, then this guide is for you.
What to Include in Your Job Advert
Your job advert needs:
- A strong, relevant, and easy-to-understand job title.
- A transparent and upfront job description that includes day-to-day tasks, longer-term duties, scheduling expectations, etc.
- To include the full application process, including whether you want applications emailed to a specific person, if there’s multiple interview stages, or even a training day.
- An outline of the company culture, outlining benefits, perks, and what employees can expect to get out of their experience.
- To include pay and benefit information. This can be base salary information, overtime pay scales, if there’s a way for the part-time employees to step up to a higher wage scale, and so on.
So long as your advert is formatted to be mobile-friendly, accurate, and clear, you’re good to go. Try to avoid being vague and don’t set unrealistic expectations. If the role is only to cover the flux in high season, include that in the job description (for example, Beer Garden Bartender needed, 3 months flexible).
When to Use Advanced Applications to Weed People Out
If you just need a body in a role, then posting a job and creating a quick-apply option can do just fine. If, on the other hand, you need a real go-getter, someone who puts in effort, time, and care into their work (a customer-facing role like a tour guide, for example,) then you can and should be using a more complex application process than a simple “one-click, you’re done” approach.
You can use for-purpose job application services or alternatively build your own, with a fill-in form. Either way, create a list of simple questions that will help you learn more about the applicant.
Having multiple, simple questions that need to be answered independently in their own individual box can encourage more human-based answers, since it’s often faster to write a quick response than type out numerous prompts. This approach can help minimize AI-generated answers.
Outsource the Applicant Review Process
If you need to build up a roster to handle your high and low seasons, then there’ll likely be periods where you’ll need to hire multiple people at once.
You won’t want to be bogged down with manually looking through applications. However, since these roles are also customer-facing, it’s also crucial that you go through each application to get a sense of applicants’ communication skills and experience on a human level, meaning that AI filters aren’t usually going to cut it.
So, what’s the solution? Simple. You outsource your HR needs. You can work with an HR agency like The HR Dept for short-term projects like hiring for high season, allowing you to spend your money more effectively, while being more efficient and trusting in the fact that all contracts are legal and up to date with the latest employment laws.
Include an On-Site Paid Training Day
In the hospitality business, how you get on with your staff and how your staff get on with each other, is going to make a significant difference in pretty much every metric. A staff that likes each other and works well together:
- Has higher morale
- Provides better customer service
- Works harder by working together
- Creates a positive working environment
That’s why it’s so essential to make a two-stage application process. After your outsourced HR department gives you the preliminary shortlist, you can then invite those applicants to a half-day training experience. This will allow you to get a good understanding of who they are, if they can do the job, and their attitude toward the job. The half-day should be paid, and it should be done either after a short interview or instead of one.
