Rethinking the route to success: Is it time to take the road less travelled?

Recruiting for hospitality opportunities can be challenging at the best of times.

It can be doubly so for hospitality organizations looking to hire in remote areas where the talent pool is smaller or the aim is to attract people in larger cities to relocate. It is possible to compete against big cities like Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, the recruiting process is just more locally driven.

As Canada’s leading a recruiting agency specializing in working with and recruiting hospitality leaders, we recommend starting your search locally before expanding it regionally or nationally. Our clients have had success when we’ve been able to connect to candidates with existing ties to the local market. These placements tend to have better retention because they often have family, knowledge and experience in the area. They’re making a more informed decision about taking the position.

How do restaurants, hotels, seniors living or other hospitality organizations find top talent for positions in a small town?

Examples of approaches that we’ve seen work well (and employed ourselves) include:

Tapping into the local network

Overall, hotels, restaurants and seniors living organizations looking to fill roles in smaller cities are well-served by creating relationships with regional organizations. Associations like the local Chamber of Commerce or downtown business associations are usually very helpful in identifying potential candidates. Local business programs may also exist to draw new talent or entice people to return to the area.

Another great resource is the local post-secondary institute and their alumni network. Establishing long-term connections with these groups can serve as talent pipelines closer to home, not only because of their current circumstances but for the colleagues they might have from years ago.

Boomerangs — hospitality candidates who attended college or grew up in the area and may want to move back — are also useful sources. Candidates from mid-sized cities should also be considered, since they’re accustomed to smaller locations, and won’t experience culture shock after their relocation.

Getting creative with grassroots promotion

Recruiting top talent is an exercise in marketing. Focus on hospitality professionals who may be more inclined to stay in smaller cities. Trying grassroots promotion - posting to a local job board, spreading the word through community groups or placing an ad on a website you know your ideal candidate reads - can be quite effective.

A very effective tactic we’ve used is cold calling other hospitality contacts (or those in related industries) in the area to see if they can recommend any people who might be looking for a new opportunity. There’s a good chance they know someone (who knows someone) who knows about a possible restaurant, hotel, seniors living or other hospitality candidate. That way, candidates aren’t so much strangers as distant acquaintances. Cold calling is still an incredibly effective way to connect with prospects, especially for roles in small towns. In recruiting, the fewer unknowns there are, especially for positions in remote areas, the more effective the process will be.

Using the power of social media

Most communities and towns have Facebook and Instagram accounts and electronic job boards. Posting high profile, local jobs where friends, family and neighbours can see them has been very effective for our hospitality clients. Highlighting reasons why it’s an opportunity worth pursuing - the ability to stay in the community, a short commute, affordable housing and lower cost of living - will encourage both local and remote candidates to apply.

Use corporate social media accounts. Never miss an opportunity to highlight your organization and current staff. Share what drives the unique teams - front and back of house - to provide excellent guest experiences. Telling stories that reflect company values is extremely important early in the process. This allows both the organization and the candidate to check for alignment to avoid wasted time and energy.

Encourage employees to talk about why they love the location, the work they do, and what drew them to the company (with great pictures). We’ve seen successful strategies include YouTube videos and blog series to recruit and network with candidates, so they can envision what it’s like to work at a specific company.

Promoting the right incentives

No matter what their other motivations may be, incentives attract talent. If monetary incentives aren’t available, it may help to focus on the non-monetary incentives a remote market may offer:

• More access to outdoor recreation
• More flexible hours
• Less commuting
• More affordable housing
• Increased opportunity for community involvement
• Smaller schools and class sizes
• Willingness to be mobile can enhance future corporate growth opportunities

As Canada’s leading hospitality recruiting specialist, we recognize the need hotels, restaurants and seniors living organizations have for qualified hospitality candidates like you. We also recognize the challenges job seekers have in locating and assessing remote market opportunities. Our team has been successful in filling hundreds of roles in Canada’s largest service sectors – retail and hospitality – across the country in these challenging circumstances. We’re happy to share our experience and insights regarding remote market searches, and the samples below provide practical examples of the types of roles that can be available, what clients are looking for, and how they attract top talent.

Restaurant General Manager – Fort St. John – Successfully Filled

We know our clients post their roles on job boards. We work in conjunction with them to source just the right candidates in some of Canada’s tightest labour markets. Sometimes, you just have to be brave, pick up the phone and cold call every operator in the region to ask for qualified referrals. That’s what great recruiters do, and that’s what we did when we helped this franchisee open his premium upscale casual restaurant in Fort St John, B.C. We filled the RGM role by contacting the top-rated restaurants in the local market and sending hundreds of emails to GMs across B.C., to tell them about this exciting new concept. We found a candidate with family ties to the area who was looking for just the right opportunity. This experienced GM has now built and led their entire service and culinary program. Focused on enhancing sincere and attentive service standards, they aim for a perfect guest experience every time. This modern-day leader, with a sophisticated edge and in-depth knowledge of food and beverage, hired a great team. They’ve now been successful with this high volume operation for many years.

Executive Chef – Jasper, Alberta – Successfully Filled

Historically, labour shortages in Jasper have been acute in the Accommodation and Food Services sector. We knew those who like to live, work and play in the mountains might find this role compelling, but access to affordable accommodation was the biggest challenge. Our client connects global travelers to authentic Canadian experiences through their integrated and customized vacation packages, tours and travel products. Located in the most scenic part of the Rocky Mountains, their team members and guests create unforgettable memories to share with family and friends. We found them a culinary leader to fill the role of Executive Chef for a new restaurant concept they opened last year. Using our social media channels and connections with online industry groups, we broadcast the role nationally. In addition, we cold-called heavily throughout the region. We sourced and secured four highly qualified and interested Chefs for consideration. Our client was successful in hiring an exceptional Executive Chef from our list by offering an aggressive base salary, relocation assistance, subsidized accommodation and a significant growth offering.

Bilingual Sales Manager – Hotel – Truro, Nova Scotia - Currently Open

This quaint historic town, located in the heart of Nova Scotia, has been called one of the best places to live in Canada. It’s centrally located and has plenty to offer its 12,000 residents. With small-town ambiance and a strong community presence, it also boasts a full range of commercial and public services often found in a larger urban centre. Our client, a full-service hotel with conference and banqueting facilities, is looking for a competitive field sales representative to develop sales strategies and attract new clients, with a focus on group sales. The successful candidate will play a key role in increasing income and revenue by managing and negotiating with clients, generating leads, qualifying prospects and managing sales of rooms, banquets and other services. Our biggest challenge is to find a bilingual Sales Manager who can source new sales channel opportunities while focusing on closing sales to achieve quotas. We’re currently using our extensive database to push out this role and network with interested referrals. We’re also posting in French-speaking markets and actively sourcing on LinkedIn for qualified bilingual candidates who are open to relocation to the east coast.

To learn more on this and other hospitality trends and insights you can check out our blog.

Written by Patricia Viscount, Jackie Ross and Rob Fisher