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Recruit to Retain
With catering, tourism and the hospitality sector contributing to a significant part of Scotland's economy, specialist recruitment agencies are a popular route to finding the right person for a particular role. However, in recent months, some hotels, restaurants and caterers appear to be toning down their recruitment activity as the credit crunch begins to bite. Before, the sector was known for its relatively high turnover of staff as workers moved from job to job around the country but now many appear to be sitting tight until the economic situation improves. While this may seem like the safe route to security in the short-term, the chances are it will only serve to limit employees' options as time goes on. Moreover, in spite of the financial gloom, employers themselves still require good quality staff to get them through the rocky period ahead. Indeed, if ever there was a time to make use of the services of a recruitment consultancy which, by its very nature, leaves operators free to concentrate on their own core business activities, this is it.
Catering in Scotland meets a few of operators in the hospitality sector, and finds that utilising the expertise of a specialist can be the best option for businesses searching for staff during a downturn…
During periods of economic growth, the benefits of using recruitment consultancies are plentiful and well-documented. However, a common misconception when times get a little tougher is that it pays to cut recruitment budgets. In fact, the opposite is often the case; the more time managers and proprietors spend searching for new staff, the more distracted and distanced they become from their core duties and responsibilities. Attracting the right candidates and matching them to prospective employers is an art that requires the skilled and experienced knowledge of specialist recruitment consultants.
Rob Moore, of Edinburgh-based Xpress Recruitment, say that all sectors are having to work harder to attract good candidates: 'Businesses have cut costs, and vacancies aren't being advertised like they were before. In a shaky economic market, workers are happier to sit tight and not move on, which inevitably leads to a dearth of suitable candidates for a particular role. 'Furthermore, the apparent short-term benefits of cutting back on recruiting in difficult economic times are outweighed by the long-term effects of not recruiting at all.
Rob and his colleagues prefer to meet with new clients and to get to know a company's corporate culture before beginning the recruitment process: 'Getting the right person for a role is not simply about finding someone who is able to do the job, it's about sensing the right cultural fit,' he says. 'Our job sometimes can be made difficult by the lack of quality information; a job description is not enough, and if the client is too vague in listing their requirements and core philosophies it can hinder the recruitment process. This is where meeting face-to-face helps. We can discuss the ideal person for the role and cover areas such as development, incentives and retention strategies. Realism is also required, as remuneration is one of the major issues when looking at more senior roles; clients look to us to benchmark salaries and advise accordingly'.
Rob also views Xpress's relationship with the candidate as central to its success:
'When we meet with candidates we encourage them to ask themselves what they are ultimately aiming for, career-wise, and whether it is feasible. We will advise on how they present themselves at interview and we consider issues like experience and attitude. Qualifications are part of the package but we would also look to see a good track record. At a management level, we would expect to see two or three years in one place.'
Despite the perceived downturn in vacancies being advertised, Rob and his colleagues have noticed a definite rise in short-term contract roles: 'Companies are increasingly utilising the services of short-term employees who do not become fulltime members of staff. It is a lot more convenient and cost-effective to employ contracted workers in the short-term because employers won't have to spend time or resources providing all the expensive benefits afforded to permanent employees.
'Before 9/11 it was a fairly bloated sector, and people were being recruited to do many different jobs,' continues Rob. 'Since then the market has become much leaner and these roles have been consolidated. Companies are advertising for specific jobs and are not 'testing the water' to see what's our there as they might have done previously. People are being more creative but careful with their budgets nowadays, and it's critical that the successful candidate delivers.
In the end, though, using a recruitment consultant to fill your vacancy is a welcome route to saving time and money in the process: 'If you go to a reputable recruitment firm that has specialist knowledge of a particular market and a proven track record of success, the cost of using their services can be recouped through saved time, money and resources in the long-term. In the meantime the process will prevent a lot of hassle and potentially costly mistakes. People have to spend their budgets smartly when advertising their positions, and recruiters must now have a fuller understanding of the role that is being filled. This pressure to find the right person inevitably increases the responsibility on the recruitment consultant but that's what we're there for.'
This article has been edited from its original version. For the complete feature, please see Catering in Scotland magazine August/September 2008.
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