Meet the people who deliver service that truly sets the bar higher.

Who we are

As Canada’s leading hospitality recruiters, we’re a proven team of professionals working from offices across the country, committed to helping great brands hire exceptional leaders.

We use our specialized knowledge of the industry we serve – hospitality – to help hotels, restaurants, travel & tourism, seniors living and other hospitality organizations find strong leaders who are motivated to be long-term contributors. Whether a search is for front or back-of-house management, key support or executive roles, our team has the network, the experience and the desire to find the best hospitality professional for each opportunity.

What sets our team apart?

The common motivational thread for our hospitality recruiters is the strong personal satisfaction they get from positively impacting people’s lives. There is no feeling in the world like helping candidates find the right positions and helping clients find the right candidates.

Recruiting has always been a people-driven industry. But now, in this time of COVID-19, we’ve found the personal relationships and networks we cultivate to be particularly powerful. In that vein, we thought you might want to learn more about the people who are working hard to find exceptional hospitality professionals like you for hotels, restaurants, seniors living and other hospitality organizations across the country.

So we came up with a lightning round of questions to get them talking.

Meet the Hospitality Team in Western Canada:

Jackie Ross, Lead Recruiter, Vancouver
For Jackie’s full profile, click here.

With over 18 years of experience as co-founder of Canada’s leading recruiting agency focused on the service sector industries, Jackie is an invaluable advisor and resource for our clients and our team.

Her success comes from focusing on customer service, her deep industry knowledge, her entrepreneurial spirit and her ability to train and lead teams across Canada. As a Regional Manager in the apparel sector, Jackie was a natural networker. Her start as a recruiter came when she was asked to join Dumont and Associates and support the build-out of an apparel division for the agency. It seemed like it would be an incredible natural fit, and it was. Jackie was enthusiastic about the opportunity to work with a broad range of leading brands to help them acquire the key managerial talent so they could grow and succeed, and she’s never looked back.

What motivates and inspires you?

Working with Canada's, and the world's, leading brands. Helping them find the best managerial talent in the Canadian marketplace while helping inspiring leaders find meaningful employment that positively affects them and the lives of their families.

I’m inspired by the creative and entrepreneurial spirit of the leaders in our industries – merchants who curate assortments, marketers who craft brand stories, chefs who take the culinary experience to a whole new level, and hoteliers who provide exceptional guest experiences. Every day I'm motivated to connect with more people, to learn more about what's driving our consumer facing industry forward, and to learn what their needs are for the future.

What are you most proud of accomplishing?

I’m proud of building an agency with a tenured team of recruiters who are committed to the industries we serve, and who have the ability to work consultatively with our clients.

We’re a team of industry professionals who have collectively built strong networks and who place a high degree of value on those relationships. We’ve been able to assist both national and global brands expand their business in Canada. We’ve collectively worked together to help thousands of people find meaningful employment and to help great companies hire fantastic leaders. All of those results have come from the great relationships we built with our community and through our networks, through supporting our associations and through other partnerships.

What are some of the biggest obstacles the industry is currently facing in terms of staffing?

In a very short period of time we’ve gone from historically low unemployment rates and acute labour shortages, to an abundant supply of talent. At no point in history has such a sudden switch from a candidate-driven market to an employer-driven market occurred. We believe this will be the situation for the short to mid term, but this will not be the long term status quo.

Even now, it’s more difficult to entice those currently employed to consider making a move in these economic circumstances. Yet overall, there’s still an opportunity at this point for organizations to hire the best possible teams, to position themselves for future growth. Ultimately, we’re going to see a lot of talent exchange happening as hospitality professionals seek out roles with organizations they perceive as having the strongest potential to survive - and who have handled themselves with integrity and transparency, living up to their brand promises throughout this crisis. When the pandemic passes, that will prove to be very advantageous for those firms.

What’s the best advice you have for job seekers?

• Get clear on what you want and research your target companies
• Tailor your resume and application to each job
• Create your online brand
• Build, cultivate, and utilize your network of contacts

What's proven to be the most effective methods today for sourcing top talent?

Networking. Building and maintaining a network that will provide you with qualified referrals is the most effective way to source top talent. Great people want to work with great people. If you spend the time to connect with key leaders in the industry, they'll refer you to the best people in the market when you have positions available. If you want to be a great recruiter, you have to be a fantastic networker.

If you can give hiring managers some advice, what would it be?

With smaller teams dealing with a huge rise in applicants, it’s more important than ever to drive efficiencies and effectiveness in the hiring process. But it’s also about maintaining a great candidate experience. Candidates are often customers too, and how an organization conducts itself during the hiring process contributes to how people feel not just about its employer brand, but its commercial brand too. The tricky part of recruiting when there is an oversupply of available candidates is managing candidate volume and the candidate experience simultaneously. If you can keep the candidate volume down to a level that is manageable, then you can ensure their experience moving through your process is a positive one. One of the ways to do that is to hyper-target only the most suitable candidates. This actually isn’t advice exclusive to a mid-pandemic world, it’s actually the same advice I’d give pre-pandemic: targeted recruiting makes sense in any economic climate.

What was your best hotel stay ever and why?

When I need to get away, I want to go to the Wickaninnish Inn, in Tofino on the very western tip of Vancouver Island. It’s situated in an incredibly beautiful setting on Chesterman Beach. It’s a luxurious Relais & Chateau property but it also feels unpretentious. It's family-owned and operated and you can just see the care and attention paid to every detail, including the best levels of personalized service. I always feel very grounded when I’m connected to the ocean and hike in the old growth forests.

What’s the advice you would give your younger self if you could go back in time?

Be bold. Be brave. Take calculated risks and really step up to the challenge.


Marc Roberts, Recruiter, Vancouver
For Marc’s full profile, click here.

Marc has spent his whole life in the hospitality industry - his father even owned a hotel in England when he was growing up. In 2007, he was a partner in a local Vancouver restaurant, and at a stage in his life where he was interested in moving and growing in different ways. Ian Milford, a Principal at JRoss, persuaded him to explore the possibility of becoming a recruiter, and when he finally decided to meet the JRoss team, it “felt good; they were strong, forward-thinking people”.

What motivates and inspires you?

I enjoy the challenge. Recruiting forces you to step outside your comfort zone. You need to customize your conversation to the level of who you’re speaking to. I can go from speaking to a newly-arrived Canadian who has only ever worked in fast food, to the CEO of a multinational conglomerate, one right after the other. It’s incredibly diverse and forces me to think. And I genuinely enjoy speaking to people.

What are you most proud of accomplishing?

I’m proud of joining JRoss at the infancy of the business. We had very few clients and most of those we had were in the quick service industry, KFC and fast-food type companies. I’ve watched it grow from two to six recruiters, with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal. I’ve loved being part of the growth and contributing to our good reputation.

What are some of the biggest obstacles the industry is currently facing in terms of staffing?

Pre-COVID-19, it was a massive employees’ market, with a very small unemployment rate. These days, you could go onto Indeed and see 500 solid candidates for a given opportunity. It’s definitely an employers’ market, so they have their choice of people. The challenge now is frequently not so much sourcing candidates as it is helping our clients select just the right candidate from a larger than normal pool of qualified candidates.

What’s the best advice you have for job seekers?

Do your research. Find out about who you’re applying to work for. Get on LinkedIn - network, promote yourself. Professional endorsements are very helpful. Make sure your resume and LinkedIn profile mirror each other with the same details, so hiring managers get consistent information.

What's proven to be the most effective method today for sourcing top talent?

Referrals. I work in my referral network almost exclusively. My best candidates always come by referrals.

What was your best hotel stay ever and why?

My most memorable hotel stay was the Hyatt Regency in Aruba. It had a huge water slide. At the top, you could call your drink order to the bartender below. And when you came out of the water, he handed you your drink. That’s great service.

What’s the advice you would give your younger self if you could go back in time?

I would teach myself to be a bit more patient.


Jeremy Atkins, Recruiter, Vancouver
For Jeremy’s full profile, click here.

Jeremy has diverse experience within the food and beverage industry, ranging from Executive Chef to General Manager, Partner and Consultant. He is a social person who truly enjoys networking, and over the years he has built relationships with many other industry professionals and multiple recruiters and agencies. Over time, he found many of the recruiters would call him for referrals or to catch up on the industry happenings. With his interest piqued, Jeremy began speaking with Ian Milford, a Principal at JRoss, in 2017 about a day in the life of a recruiter. He joined the team shortly after.

What motivates and inspires you? What makes you excited to get to your desk every day?

Sharing industry stories and presenting great opportunities for professionals to progress in their field. There is nothing better than presenting the dream job to a great professional. Or helping a business find the key player for their organization. Having experience as a Chef, General Manager, and Partner and having worked every role in between has afforded me the viewpoint of most positions and a great breadth of understanding of what each role entails. It’s a privilege to be a trusted advisor/ recruiter for top tier companies as they grow their businesses.

What are you most proud of accomplishing?

Seeing my past and present mentees and colleagues succeed. I’ve been fortunate to work for many great operators from large-scale organizations to forward-thinking, smaller companies. It’s truly rewarding watching these companies and professionals continue to grow.

What are some of the biggest obstacles the industry is currently facing in terms of staffing?

Right now, COVID-19 is the biggest obstacle. Companies are being cautious about hiring. They are developing more complex sets of requirements and being more careful in the recruiting and hiring process. Candidates who are currently employed are being more cautious about making changes, and at the same time there are more candidates who are between positions.

Overall there are still challenges in sourcing – in finding candidates who fit more complex sets of requirements, and attracting those who are currently employed. That’s combined with the challenge of helping clients select just the right candidate for the long-term from a larger than normal pool of candidates, many of whom may be between roles. It’s very tricky.

What is the best advice you have for job seekers?

• Be thorough in your research process. Take the time to research the organization through their website, social channels, and HR websites. What are the former and current employees saying about the company?
• Consult with your family and colleagues to ensure it’s the right move and timing works. Beginning a new job is a major life decision and should involve consultation with those in your inner circle.

What's proven to be the most effective method today for sourcing top talent?

For me, it’s my network and the ability to continue to connect with trusted colleagues and industry professionals. Coupled with my love for food, dining out (more than I’m willing to admit) and meeting new professionals as I dine.

If you can give hiring managers some advice what would it be?

Be genuine with yourself, your current and potential new team members. Be honest about who you are as an organization and what you are looking for. At times, people try to paint a rosier picture than what the organization currently is. In doing so, they give the impression that everything is sunshine and lollipops while it is actually yesterday's leftovers and there's a lot of work to do. When you paint a picture and the real situation doesn’t match it, then expectations are not met and it can become challenging at the outset of a new employment journey.

Having said this there are people who love a challenge. They love to affect change and work on plans to improve, they just want to know what they’re walking into. The key is true transparency and being honest about where the organization is in the journey.

What was your best restaurant meal ever and why?

My most memorable restaurant experience in the last couple of years was at Published on Main Street, in Vancouver. Chef Gus is fantastic, the wine list highlights great local and international wines that are hard to find. “It’s a real wine geek list.” And the front-of-house team is warm and engaging.

What’s the advice you would give your younger self if you could go back in time?

Be humble and gracious. Accept feedback with open arms.


Janis Romeskie, Recruiter, Calgary
For Janis’ full profile, click here.

Over her career, Janis has managed some notable hospitality operations, culminating in the high-end resort sector. Through these positions, she discovered the importance of excellence in recruitment and the positive impact of active listening. Throughout her career, she used this knowledge to consistently achieve high levels of sales success and employee engagement. Janis was inspired by her passion for recruiting in operations and when a mentor and former supervisor joined JRoss Hospitality Recruiters and spoke highly of the job and the organization. Janis identified JRoss as an organization she wanted to be part of. Janis joined our team in 2014, where her passion for the hospitality industry and its people has successfully translated into repeated success in matching talent with opportunity.

What motivates and inspires you? What makes you excited to get to your desk every day?

I love hospitality. I love the people who are part of the industry, their ability to innovate and their passion. I’m inspired by their passion. Actively listening to others, hearing what they want for their careers and the organizations they work with motivates me.

What are you most proud of accomplishing?

Always being focused on the right outcome and not letting things get in the way. For the candidate, you need to care about the culture of the organization. And you also need to listen to what the hiring manager needs. If that means there isn’t a fit or success in a cycle, that’s better than forcing a relationship no-one is happy with.

What are some of the biggest obstacles the industry is currently facing in terms of staffing?

People who can make the greatest difference to organizations are still hard to hire. Especially if they are employed by thoughtful organizations that recognize their value and have treated them with respect around safety during these very challenging times. It has always been difficult to entice talented people to leave good positions. This is even truer today because of the current uncertainty in the industry. It’s hard to position an organization to attract talent if they haven’t proven themselves to be leading employers. And these people, the talented professionals who can impact business outcomes at a high level, are still in demand.

What’s the best advice you have for job seekers?

Know what you're good at and what you’re not good at: learn to talk confidently about both.

What's proven to be the most effective method today for sourcing top talent?

Hospitality organizations should be thoughtful and targeted when reaching out to candidates, especially in these difficult times and when we are in an employer’s market. I don’t want to create hope or expectations around opportunities if I cannot deliver. Organizations should be thoughtful about who they are and how they are connecting with people. Create hope only when you can deliver. That doesn’t focus on filling the role, it means making a commitment to actively listen and to give people time to be heard.

What was your best restaurant meal ever and why?

It was a meal at a restaurant called Zoe, in Seattle. A perfect dish, a creamy beet and mushroom risotto, it was the perfect balance of earthy mushrooms and the sweetness of gold and candy cane beets. But of course, it’s really the whole experience that makes it memorable – mainly the people. I shared this meal with my mentor, who has since passed away and well before his time. It’s a precious memory. I’m fortunate that almost all my best memories have been enhanced by incredible food, in great rooms, with the people that inspire me.

What’s the advice you would give your younger self if you could go back in time?

Believe in yourself. When you grow up in hospitality, there are a lot of “in the moment” experiences. You don’t realize you are becoming a recruiter, business manager, marketer and innovator. People make assumptions about the profession being only about service, and this knocked me down a bit. No matter what you do for a living, bring passion, and know your worth.


At JRoss, we’re as excited today as we've ever been about the opportunities in the hospitality industry. We continue to watch the transitions that are happening now and those still coming. Whether it be service innovation or digital transformation, we look forward to new and different ways hospitality organizations engage with guests. Those things continue to ignite our desire to help great brands find the best leaders they can - leaders like you - to make their organizations successful.

To meet our full team you can check out their profiles at our website.

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

Written by Patricia Viscount and Rob Fisher