PART 2: It Takes Two to Make it Outta Sight
Welcome back! Thank you for joining us for Part 2 in the Employer Branding and Candidate Experience series. Our last post, It Takes Two to Make a Thing Go Right, offered a streamlined overview of these concepts and how they work in tandem to attract and retain top-tier candidates.
Strong employer brand = eager talent
Quality candidate experience = positive brand impact
In this follow-up, It Takes Two to Make It Outta Site, we chatted with Talent Acquisition Professional Melissa Morand, CRHA, who has dedicated her career to consulting, building and directing HR teams. She has helped hospitality companies differentiate from their competitors by doing an objective deep dive into their culture, reputation, onboarding practices and more. Her processes have been credited with increasing employee engagement, reducing staff turnover and building a network of brand ambassadors.
PART 2 – It Takes Two to Make It Outta Sight
Melissa’s CRHA designation is described as the “most recognized and sought-after mark of a Human Resources professional” in Canada. This is to say: SHE KNOWS HER STUFF! In Part 2, she offers tips and strategies to entice quality hires, whilst dispelling popular misconceptions held by too many businesses.
Misconception #1: HR professionals simply skim through a pile of resumés, select a handful of candidates and choose whomever they deem ‘good enough.’
“I’ve been in HR for the past 15 years. It has evolved,” says Melissa. Where the role of HR was once perceived as “handling people crying in the office,” “handling internal crises” or “asking candidates three questions and then hiring them,” she assures skeptics otherwise.
“Je prêche pour ma paroisse” she defends (which, in English, translates to: “I am preaching for my parish.”) These specialists serve as non-biased liaisons between companies in need and the best-suited applicants. “Give some importance to HR and Talent Acquisition professionals, because we can make a difference; we can be strategic.”
TOP TIPS FOR EMPLOYERS:
Respect the role of HR/TA specialists as collaborators! They will work with you to identify the skillsets you’re looking for and develop a Talent Acquisition Strategy to build long-standing relationships and maximize recruitment efforts. This includes:
- Gathering feedback and outlining desired results
- Determining goals for evaluating candidates
- Auditing your talent acquisition process
Suggested Strategy: STOP, COLLABORATE & LISTEN to your HR leaders on this one. They’re the pros.
Misconception #2: Department managers are natural leaders, hence capable of vetting their own potential hires.
These are vastly different roles…and capabilities! Managers are usually prioritizing the immediate needs of clients, often resulting in slow candidate response time and impulsive hires. “Hiring talent should not be regarded as a sprint,” says Morand…nor should the application process feel like a marathon for the poor candidates!
HR reps are not there to step on toes; quite the contrary! They offer a wealth of experience and support to lessen the burden on busy managers. “It’s a culture shock sometimes, one that can be met with resistance when managers aren’t eased into it gently” says Melissa. But the end goal is to find ‘best possible fit’ over ‘good enough in a pinch.’
TOP TIPS FOR EMPLOYERS:
If your company lacks the resources or budget for a full-time HR rep, set up training opportunities to make your managers experts in having effective conversations with applicants. BETTER YET: use a third-party specialist, like RoomsRelay, on a needs basis. They can:
- Offer trustworthy, responsive, non-biased communication
- Edit the job description and streamline the application process
- Infuse that invaluable human touch lacking from automated platforms
Suggested Strategy: GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE. Hospitality Talent Acquisition specialists are trained to stack your deck for success. This is their expertise.
Misconception #3: Job vacancies and promotions should be filled by tenured staff over outside talent.
First considerations can absolutely go to internal applicants. However, time served with a company does not always equate a successful path forward. Some managers, Melissa says, “have been there forever. And they don’t necessarily have an open mind to evolve or change.” This is why HR/TA professionals are seen as matchmakers. “We want to match the manager to the best candidate, and that candidate to the business.” In fact, Melissa is deliberate in her use of campus recruitment when sourcing hires. “They are green,” she says, which makes it easy to “mold them into our culture and how we want staff to perform.” Experience will always be an asset, but EQ is prevailing more and more over IQ. “You cannot teach passion. You cannot teach the eye for detail.” Appetite and an eagerness to grow is critical.
TOP TIPS FOR EMPLOYERS:
- Say no to Band-Aid solutions. Just because a team member has been loyal does not guarantee they are the right fit.
- Consider the value of campus recruitment to tap into excited students studying the field. They can be trained to represent your company’s culture and performance expectations from the jump.
- Don’t overlook the ROI when investing in passionate people. “They will always go above and beyond,” says Melissa.
Suggested Strategy: Quality over Quantity. Prioritize the culture of your business when considering who will best catapult it forward. It may not be those with the longest time served.
Companies with the self-awareness to recognize that a strong Employer Brand and positive Candidate Experience are paramount to attracting high-caliber talent will spend far less time (and money) on remedying turnover and negative reviews. Human Resources/Talent Acquisition specialists have an arsenal of trade secrets to share. Register with RoomsRelay to start browsing top candidates today!
By Andréa Parisien