Leveraging Staffing Agencies to Fill Gaps in Talent.

The labor crunch in hospitality has been a major concern for more than a year. As a result, hotels, resorts, restaurants, and other hospitality venues are leveraging staffing agencies to fill gaps in talent.

To fill this need, new staffing agencies have entered the scene to fill demand. In addition to these new players, agencies not normally focused on hospitality see an opportunity to expand into the market.

All of this can make choosing a staffing partner in hospitality a challenge. Sound business practices, compliance with laws and regulations, and a strong foundation in hospitality are especially necessary as the industry recovers from the deep impact of COVID.

Download our infographic on the Best Ways to Leverage Staffing Agencies.

Here are four things that hospitality leaders need to look for when selecting a staffing partner:

Experience

At its core, the hospitality industry is built on the ability of its staff to deliver guest satisfaction. New agencies or agencies expanding into hospitality frequently lack vetting processes or hospitality industry knowledge. Even agencies that have a long track record in general staffing – such as clerical or industrial work – most likely do no not have the specialized expertise to find, vett, and hire staff with the skills and disposition to work in hospitality.

Compliance

It’s vital to find a staffing partner that adheres to your compliance standards. Ultimately, hotel management is responsible for compliance for both internal staff and contract labor. The right staffing partner should both comply with your standards and provide transparency into their processes.

Safety

Complying with OSHA regulations is an important issue that hotels should partner with agencies on. For example, an agency should have resources to provide training and expertise on how to prevent workplace injuries. Firms that short-change safety training are short-changing their hotels. Safety training needs to cover a range of areas which protect outsourced staff, hotel staff, and guests alike. For example, HSS has a dedicated Safety Team that trains and monitors our personnel to ensure they are up to our high internal standards and the standards of individual brands and properties.

Quality

Guest satisfaction scores have reemerged as a key metric during the record period. Assembling a combined team of full-time staff and contingent labor should provide a hotel with high quality personnel that can provide an even more enhanced level of service for guests.

At HSS, for every 20 people we interview, only one makes it through our rigorous vetting process. Our hiring teams work in over 90 markets in the United States, providing the on the ground expertise to recruit, interview, vet, hire, and manage a pool of talent focused on hospitality.

Staffing concerns in the hospitality industry certainly predate the COVID and recovery period. These challenges have only increased. Reliable, compliant, and trained outsourced staff provides the quality and value required right now. Choosing the right staffing partner – one with experience that values compliance, safety, and quality – will be a valuable asset as the industry continues to grow in the critical period ahead.