Hospitality and Restaurant Industry: How to Improve Your Employer Brand?

In a sector as dynamic and competitive as hospitality and restaurants, attracting and retaining the best talent is a constant challenge. The key to meeting it lies in the development of a strong and attractive employer brand. Indeed, it not only appeals to potential candidates, but also inspires loyalty and commitment among current employees, an especially important aspect in light of the findings of the study by Cornell University, which reveals that the average cost of employee turnover in hospitality is around $5,864.

In this article, we offer you a definition of employer branding, a concept increasingly valued by companies. The experts at Shoes For Crews explain its challenges and share some best practices for making it a factor in overall attractiveness.

What is employer branding ? 

Coined by Simon Barrow in 1990, the term employer brand refers to “the package of functional, economic and psychological benefits inherent in employment and with which the employing company is identified ” (Ambler T. and Barrow S. in “ The employer brand ”, The Journal of Brand Management (1996).

A major twofold challenge for the hospitality and restaurant industry

Now an essential concept in human resources marketing strategy, employer branding aims to enhance a company's image so that it becomes more attractive to its staff and potential employees. More specifically, the objectives are to present it as an employer of choice and differentiate it from the competition. It therefore addresses brand image issues related to human resources management and recruitment by implementing appropriate communication both externally, with potential candidates, and internally, with current employees. Attracting new talent and retaining it by promoting a sense of belonging to the company: this is the twofold challenge of building a quality employer brand in the hospitality and restaurant industry.

7 tips for developing your employer brand in the hospitality and restaurant industry

An employer brand is built in three stages: after identifying its added value, the company communicates it to its employees and job candidates and, at the same time, acts every day in accordance with the promises it conveys. 

To develop it successfully, here are some best practices to apply :

1. Highlight your company values : companies’ social and environmental commitments are becoming increasingly important. In addition, 88% of millennials believe it is important to contribute to a positive company culture. A shared culture is therefore a source of pride for employees.

2. Put the well-being of your cooks, servers, receptionists, etc. at the heart of your communication : when positions are equivalent, your employee benefits are what sets you apart from your competitors. So highlight benefits to which the restaurant sector is particularly sensitive :

• Well-being in the workplace : a friendly environment, ergonomics and safety (providing workwear such as uniforms and service shoes for servers or kitchen staff).
• Professional development opportunities : ongoing training and career advancement prospects.
• Working conditions : attractive salary, flexible hours for a better work-life balance, consecutive days off…

3. Be present on communication channels : essential for developing your employer brand, create a website and social media profiles so you can communicate in a targeted way. Take the opportunity to highlight your staff and publicly congratulate them on their excellent work.
Currently, 82% of job candidates are likely to use social media in their job search and, in just a few clicks, they can access a wealth of information about companies. In the digital age, building and nurturing your employer brand is undoubtedly one of the strategies to implement in order to be more competitive in the job market, particularly in the hospitality and restaurant industry.

4. Be responsive and transparent : both criticism and praise must be acknowledged and managed to protect your reputation and improve the quality of your team’s work environment

5. Create a “Careers” section on your website : you can publish open positions there, as well as information about jobs at your company, possibly including videos of your employees.

6. Take care with the wording of your job offers, which should reflect your brand image. It is important to make a candidate want to apply for your position within the first few minutes of reading. That is why we recommend highlighting some of the benefits they will receive at the beginning of the listing. 

7. Make your employees your best ambassadors : they are best placed to talk about your establishment. In hospitality and restaurants, traditional word of mouth is more relevant than ever: everyone knows everyone in this sector, and if your teams are satisfied, they will recommend you to potential future employees.

As you will have understood, developing a strong employer brand has a twofold positive impact on your company. It helps reduce staff turnover while making the company more attractive to future job candidates. In addition, it directly reduces recruitment costs and increases the number of qualified candidates. Beyond its essential role in HR marketing, employer branding also goes hand in hand with your company’s overall reputation because it indirectly reaches customers, who also have access to your social media. So, what are you waiting for to get started ?