1. The Future of Recruiting is SOCIAL
Utilizing Social Networking Sites as a Recruitment Tool in the Hospitality Industry
Operational Human Resource Management 176 | PGD 1 (A)

2. Agenda
1. Introduction: Why Social Recruiting?
2. The Big Three: Prevalent Social Recruitment Platforms
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
3. The Case of Hard Rock Cafe: Employer’s Social Recruiting Strategy
4. Social Recruiting in the Hospitality Industry
Prevalent Recruitment Issues in the Hospitality Industry
Using Social Networks as a Recruiting Tool
Case Study: My Marriott’s Hotel
Potential Drawbacks
5. Conclusion
Operational Human Resource Management 176 | PGD 1 (A)

3. Introduction: Why Social Recriting?

4. Balsan, 2011 Operational Human Resource Management 176 | PGD 1 (A)

5. The Big Three: Prevalent Social Recruitment Platforms

6. The Big Three: Prevalent Social Recruiting Platforms
Due to the various demographics and the
different nature of each social networking
platforms, it is important for recruiters to
understand and craft their social recruitment
strategy carefully to effectively utilize the
different channels to attract the right talents.
“These are among the most popular sites recruiters and hiring managers use
to help build their talent pipelines,” (Ferrara, n.d.)
Ferrara, n.d. Operational Human Resource Management 176 | PGD 1 (A)

7. The Big Three: Facebook
Currently 800 million active users
Being used more and more for business purposes
Channel for recruiters to establish rapport and engage
with potential candidates
Facebook has seen the biggest gain in the overall usage
by recruiters to find potential candidates – increase from
55% in 2010/11 to 66% this year
Alexander, 2012 Operational Human Resource Management 176 | PGD 1 (A)

8. The Big Three: Facebook
Given the amount of active users as well as the time spent on the site,
Facebook offers an excellent channel for recruiters to establish rapport and engage with potential candidates.
Operational Human Resource Management 176 | PGD 1 (A)

9. The Big Three: Twitter
180M unique visitors per month
Powerful way for small companies and recruiters to expand their list of potential candidates
Effective source of traffic referral
Third-party applications: Twit Job Serve & Tweet My Job
Randle, 2012 Operational Human Resource Management 176 | PGD 1 (A)

10. The Big Three: Twitter
Intern opportunities
Link referral
Job postings
Link referral
Operational Human Resource Management 176 | PGD 1 (A)

11. The Big Three: LinkedIn
Connects professionals around the world creating a viable network of business and professional contacts
Most preferred site for recruiters
Allows users to set up online profiles detailing career history & professional experience
Over 90% of recruiters are using LinkedIn as part of their SRS and more importantly as much as 89% of recruiters
have hired through LinkedIn.
Balsan, 2011 Operational Human Resource Management 176 | PGD 1 (A)
Wee, 2010

12. The Big Three: LinkedIn
Brand’s page Candidate’s profile page
Operational Human Resource Management 176 | PGD 1 (A)

13. The Case of Hard Rock Cafe:
Employers’ Social Recruiting Strategy

15. Case Study: Hard Rock Cafe
International restaurant franchise with a strong internal culture and
external brand.
For its new venue in Italy, Hard Rock used Facebook for hiring
120 persons to manager-level positions in four weeks
It spends around $25,000 on recruitment advertising
The Facebook campaign cost around $2,000 (a cost per hire of $16)
Success:
Cost-effective hiring
Sustainable community of high quality talents
Positive employment brand
“these engaged fans both supported
Hard Rock’s unique ethos and acted
as employer brand advocates,”
Work4labs, n.d. Operational Human Resource Management 176 | PGD 1 (A)

16. Case Study: Hard Rock Cafe
Within four weeks, Hard Rock acquired
more than 10,000 fans, and was able to
convert those fans into 4,000 applicants.
With 1,000 interviews conducted, the Hard
Rock hiring team succeed in hiring 120
individuals through the app
Work4labs, n.d. Operational Human Resource Management 176 | PGD 1 (A)

17. Social Recruiting in the Hospitality Industry

18. Prevalent Recruitment Issues in the Hospitality Industry
More than any other industries, the success of the hospitality Recruitment Issues:
industry relies first and foremost on those people at the forefront Staff shortage
who are representing and delivering first-class service and High turnover rate (staff retention)
experience to guests and visitors. Poor employment brand
Service Skills, 2009
Boella & Goss-Turner, 2005). Operational Human Resource Management 176 | PGD 1 (A)

19. Prevalent Recruitment Issues in the Hospitality Industry
More than any other industries, the success of the hospitality Recruitment Issues:
industry relies first and foremost on those people at the forefront Staff shortage
who are representing and delivering first-class service and High turnover rate (staff retention)
experience to guests and visitors. Poor employment brand
innovative recruitment policies and practices become key mechanisms in assuring appropriate
skill acquisitions as well as in expanding traditional workforce
Service Skills, 2009
Boella & Goss-Turner, 2005). Operational Human Resource Management 176 | PGD 1 (A)

20. Prevalent Recruitment Issues in the Hospitality Industry
More than any other industries, the success of the hospitality Recruitment Issues:
industry relies first and foremost on those people at the forefront Staff shortage
who are representing and delivering first-class service and High turnover rate (staff retention)
experience to guests and visitors. Poor employment brand
innovative recruitment policies and practices become key mechanisms in assuring appropriate
skill acquisitions as well as in expanding traditional workforce
Service Skills, 2009
Boella & Goss-Turner, 2005). Operational Human Resource Management 176 | PGD 1 (A)

21. Prevalent Recruitment Issues in the Hospitality Industry
More than any other industries, the success of the hospitality Recruitment Issues:
industry relies first and foremost on those people at the forefront Staff shortage
who are representing and delivering first-class service and High turnover rate (staff retention)
experience to guests and visitors. Poor employment brand
innovative recruitment policies and practices become key mechanisms in assuring appropriate
skill acquisitions as well as in expanding traditional workforce
‘Multi-channel’ recruitment strategy
comprehensive interaction between the various media channels while utilizing the Internet and
online social platforms as “early steps in the selection process”
Service Skills, 2009
Boella & Goss-Turner, 2005). Operational Human Resource Management 176 | PGD 1 (A)

22. Using Social Networks as Recruiting Tool in the Hospitality Industry
Build powerful employment brand to
attract top talents
Engage employees and potential
candidates in a more personal level
Womack, n.d. Operational Human Resource Management 176 | PGD 1 (A)

23. Using Social Networks as Recruiting Tool in the Hospitality Industry
Build powerful employment brand to
attract top talents
Engage employees and potential
candidates in a more personal level
Womack, n.d. Operational Human Resource Management 176 | PGD 1 (A)

24. Using Social Networks as Recruiting Tool in the Hospitality Industry
21% of employers in the hospitality are
currently using social networking sites to
research and recruit potential candidates
LinkedIn is the mots preferred social site
for recruitment, especially for job
applicants in front-stage and managerial
levels, where mos hotels invest their
human resource attention in
Bhattacharya et al., 2011 Operational Human Resource Management 176 | PGD 1 (A)

25. Using Social Networks as Recruiting Tool in the Hospitality Industry
Assess candidate’s personality and soft skills
Success of businesses relies greatly on human resources
Social networks provide a window into personality of prospect candidates
Information on social profiles are unique and are not found in other selection methods
Personailty, intelligence, written communication skills, job experiences
Ongoing behaviors and interaction with other users on the networks
Enhanced talent pools for recruitment
Reach international and passive talent pools
Jumeirah & Marriott cases
Positive employement brand
Platform to craft positive employement brand image
Shape expectations around company’s vision, mission, and exployee experiences
Allow hotels to attract and create a pipeline of top-tier candidates
Bhattacharya et al., 2011
Kleumper & Rosen, 2009 Operational Human Resource Management 176 | PGD 1 (A)

26. Case Study: My Marriott’s Hotel
Enhanced talent pools for recruitment
Lack of hospitality experience in local talent pools
Need to attract international talents & encourage local ones to pursue career in hospitality
Positive employement brand
Craft a strong employer brand in countries where hospitality career is not seen as attainable
Targeting young aspirational brand advocates to envision themselves in hospitality career
Leveraging the social ties and referral network already existed among target users, thus enhancing
the projection of the chain’s employment brand
Guadagno, 2011 Operational Human Resource Management 176 | PGD 1 (A)

27. Potential Drawbacks
“Social media allows you to see things including skin color, discerning nationalities, and religious
affiliations, which a denied applicant might claim was a source of discrimination” (Mayock, 2012).
Need careful consideration and dedicated human resources policies
Hiring decisions based on social-media content should go through HR department
Market monitoring activity to prevent discrimination or exclusion of possible candidates
Time-consuming process
Need to develop familiarity and know-how in active recruitment
Financial and personnel resources
Mayock, 2012
Abel, 2011 Operational Human Resource Management 176 | PGD 1 (A)

28. Conclusion
“the future of recruiting is social”
Hotels and other hospitality businesses “have to go social to connect with a wide audience of
potential candidates and better promote what it’s like to work at [the] property,” (Ferrara, n.d.).
Ferrara, n.d.
Guadagno, 2011 Operational Human Resource Management 176 | PGD 1 (A)

29. References
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recruiting-mix-in-a-tough-economy
Guadagno, A. (2011). A Foray into Social Recruiting: The Untold Stories Behind “My Marriott Hotel.” Retrieved from http://www.humanresourcesiq.com/hr-technology/columns/my-marriott-
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Kluemper, D.H. & Rosen, P.A. (2009). Future employment selection methods: evaluating social networking web sites. Journal of Managerial Phychology, 24, 567-580. Retrieved from
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Mayock, P. (2012). Social media brings new legal issues to hotels. Retrieved from http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/articles.aspx/7665/Social-media-brings-new-legal-issues-to-hotels
Wee, W. (2010). LinkedIn The World’s Largest Professional Social Site [Infographic]. Retrieved from http://www.techinasia.com/linkedin-the-worlds-largest-professional-social-site-
infographic/
Womack, J. (n.d.). How Hotels Use Social Media to Engage Candidates and Recruit Top Talent. Retrived from http://hotelexecutive.com/business_review/2681/how-hotels-use-social-
media-to-engage-candidates-and-recruit-top-talent
Work4labs. (n.d.). Hard Rock Café. Retrieved from http://www.work4labs.com/social-recruiting-case-studies/hard-rock/
Operational Human Resource Management 176 | PGD 1 (A)