ADVICE: Attracting young talent to your business

Attracting applications from the younger generation is a problem universally faced by the industry; here GUY LEAN looks at how to go about it in your business, how to retain the good hires, and how to ensure they embrace their role as a step in their overall career. The hospitality industry has always been a great place for young people and it is where many experience their first taste of the working world. Sadly the majority of these talented individuals don’t truly view their role, be it front of house in a restaurant or housekeeping in a hotel, as a career. This has always been an obstacle facing the UK hospitality industry and one we constantly strive to overcome. It is vital to the maintenance of the hospitality trade and its progression that the right people enter the industry with a view to it becoming their career, and that we nurture this passion and talent to help individuals achieve their full potential. Such a diverse mix of careers exists within the industry, we must make sure we are making the case for these accurately to the outside world. For example later this year we will see the first British Hospitality Association’s (BHA) Big Hospitality conference will join forces with Springboard’s Housekeeping Careers Festival, to focus on careers in housekeeping. This is a specialism perhaps often thought of as unskilled, but the fact that the conference is planned to focus on this shows progression and promotes a sense of pride and achievement these careers can offer - especially to someone willing to exploit every opportunity. The idea of celebrating all hotel-based roles may seem easy, however attracting someone is not independent to nurturing them, and when finding the right people they must then respect the hospitality industry as a career from the beginning to fully appreciate the opportunities put in front of them. We are in the business of ensuring talented people are in the right place and the introduction of young people into the trade, but how do we get them there? Utilise existing young professionals The first step in appealing to younger people is by using the experiences and faces of the young industry professionals already working in the trade. A conference, like the BHA Big Hospitality event, is a great way of presenting those relatable people and stories to budding new colleagues face to face. Harnessing the experiences of those already working hard within hospitality is an important method of engaging with today’s youth. Not only are these recent impressions of the roles, they are being told in a shared language and dialect. There are of course myriad ways to reach these people with positive messages from their peers, via digital media as well with social networking and creating conversations online. Regular social media use by the young people in hospitality is a superb way to promote a career in your business. Sites such as Twitter should not simply be seen as a way to advertise your company but also to engage with your community, and that includes future employees. Ensure your own younger employees are shouting about what they are learning, how they are growing personally and importantly the emotions attached to this success and achievement. Get your talent attraction brand right When you have established the conversation with potential new young professionals you have to then attract them to your specific business. All companies have a brand but as part of this you should have a talent attraction brand. This is the way to appeal to your chosen demographic. This could be a mirror image of your corporate brand, or perhaps something quite different. It’s important to remember this is appealing to your would-be staff, not customers, so while you may be a luxurious, high-end brand the work ethos may be focused on being a fun, friendly and family-orientated team. When seeking to appeal to the younger market it is vital your talent attraction brand is directed towards their requirements as well as your own. Keep the branding youthful at all times and define the culture of your business and its aims in terms that will appeal to younger people. Is your team one big family that works together and socialises together? If the answer is yes, this is an ideal way to market your business to younger people. Make your application process user-friendly This is pretty simple, and goes hand-in-hand with appealing to young applicants from the get-go. If your talent attraction brand is portraying the business as one that is young and current be sure to replicate this with your application process. It must be online and not require printing if possible. Young people want to be able to start and finish their application on the computer, possibly on their phone or tablet. It’s vital you don’t turn off young talent with an out-of-date application process. Get the employee benefits package right Evidence shows that young people are far less interested in the complicated benefits packages that have in the past been offered as incentives to employees. It’s clear they react best to simplified and transparent packages tailored to today’s requirements rather than tomorrow’s. For instance training packages and opportunities to develop relevant skills in the near future will be looked upon far more favourably than compulsory pension schemes and retention plans. What are they being offered that will allow them to work better in the here and now? Are they able to get involved in the social media side of the business, within their own area and using their own device following appropriate, in-house social media training? Retention strategies If this has all gone to plan and your business is operating successfully with a team of talented young people, then it’s essential to continue to nurture them and pay them attention. Putting in place retention strategies is a huge piece of this puzzle and one not to be forgotten. If you have nurtured a talent you want them to stay put, but how do you do this? Begin by creating a pathway for the youthful talent from the moment they enter your business. Communication is central to the success of this and to the retention of all your staff. Regular meetings to discuss training needs, problems and of course successes are vital to the maintenance of your team. Follow up on your promises and don’t renege on plans that you and they have put in place. Put a training plan in place from day one, and stick to it. Teams develop best when they grow holistically and there’s no better way to do this than by ensuring members are increasing their knowledge via training and education and then sharing this with their staff mates. Embrace new technologies and involve your team. When it comes to new apps, blogs or websites, it’s more than likely the young talent on your roster will know about it and possibly know the best way to utilise the technology to your advantage. Don’t forget this is why your business needs young individuals. Encourage change and development within your business as well as discussion. The objective of employing young people is to grow your business in the right direction and not only train and develop the youth to continue satisfying the guests, but do better and exceed what you’ve already offered. A primary mistake and a main reason for staff members moving on is stifling talent and youthful exuberance and energy. If someone cannot grow and take ownership of their role and career they will break free. So be the brand you’ve promised, embrace change and progression and be sure to listen to ideas that could prove to be the future, not only of your own business but of the hospitality industry. About the Author Guy Lean is MD of specialist hospitality search and recruitment company Madison Mayfair. He has more than 25 years experience in the recruitment and talent management sector of hospitality and has built a reputation for being able to spot the correct fit from candidates in the talent pool. Most recently he has become a member of the Hospitality Experts consortium, an initiative set up by hotel marketing firm Journey. For more information visit www.madisonmayfair.com.