Hotels warned not to rely on online recruitment

Experts in the hospitality industry have warned hotel groups about relying too heavily on online recruitment, saying it closes the door to a lot of entry-level staff and may result in hiring the wrong people.

Robert MacLean, principal of National Hospitality Institute in Oman, explained that a lot of local people typically start in “low-skilled jobs in housekeeping and in general jobs as, very often, it’s a start for them and they then rise up the ranks”.

MacLean continued: “There’s no way they’ll get in if they have to pass an online IT assessment. Very often, I think sometimes [hotels] are losing a high-level of good potential staff by enforcing that system.”

“I fully understand why they’re doing it - trying to get a uniformed assessment - but that shouldn’t be to the point where you kill off the opportunity to bring in the most junior levels, which very often do improve and rise up and become effective middle managers,” he added.

Ron Hilvert, managing director of The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management, agreed with MacLean’s sentiment that companies shouldn’t rely on online recruitment, and added that online assessments don’t get a true representation of the person.

Hilvert said: “[Hotels] have got to still have the mechanism where they know that individual. Any company relying on online recruitment will have challenges.”

He added: “In this part of the world, nearly all recruitment is from oversees. Let’s say we take the Philippines, India and Sri Lanka as typical markets – even though you may have an online approach, it’s still important that, in those countries, you work with a representative to meet these people to help you screen.”