Do you want to know something that has always baffled me? Wordy adverts that say a lot, yet say nothing – all the while listing unrealistic requirements and having unfair expectations for candidates.
In my previous article, I discussed how people seem to believe that one’s talent and one’s number of years working in the hospitality industry is a linear relationship, although this is not necessarily the case.
Experience
This can be seen in certain adverts stating that, in order to be considered for a particular role, one must have:
- Advert A: “Minimum of 3 years of experience in a similar role”
- Advert B: “A restaurant manager with 3-5 years of experience in a similar role”
- Advert C: “Four years Management experience within a similar role – General Management level”
Why don’t we make hospitality job adverts about what the person can do, rather than how many years they have been in a certain role for?
Empty Promises
I have noticed a trend, specifically with recruitment agencies, where a portion of the advert would state how amazing the company is to work for, how wonderful the team is and how many opportunities for progression there are within said company.
To all of the recruitment agencies/employers that continue to write this babble in their adverts, I would advise you not to do so. Writing something in an advert that cannot be verified by a candidate (such as what is listed above) is not at all helpful for the candidate; in fact, I would personally be deterred from applying, suspicious that one feels the need to talk about how amazing the company is without backing this up (e.g. talking about the great benefits, salary, employee recognition program etc). Whilst empty words and promises may foster hope amongst wide-eyed candidates, we have to remember that they are just that – empty.
Being Misleading
Something else that I have noticed employers not to be transparent about in their adverts is: the salary. I came across an advert stating that you will be paid £35-£38k “plus bonus”. Upon asking an acquaintance who works at this very company, I came to find that this “bonus” was very much non-existent.
In this case, the employer aims to draw in unsuspecting candidates who are passionate about what they do and simultaneously excited at the prospect of being financially rewarded for their hard work (be it in the form of a performance bonus, bonus based on the company’s financial performance etc).
Please be honest about the salaries that you are offering prospective employees, as those who are passionate about the work will apply (so long as your salary offering is not unfairly low).
Too Much Information?
Recruitment agencies in particular seem to want to know the most information about candidates, even if said information is not required to successfully land them a role. One recruitment agency required me to register with them before putting me forward for roles, asking questions pertaining to:
- Emergency Contact Details + Relationship
- Health Issues/Disabilities
- Criminal Convictions
- References
- UK Passport/Right to Work Code
- Whether I am interviewing for other companies/agencies (and requiring me to list all of them)
When I refused, I was told that by not filling this in prior to working with this agency, I would be breaking GDPR. The reality is that a recruitment agency requiring me to fill in this form would be more likely to break GDPR than me not filling it in.
This is because the form asks for a significant amount of personal information which is not relevant for them to hold. Such questions are for employers to ask rather than recruitment agencies who deal with the employers sporadically. This is to ensure that the information that recruitment agencies collect is used with regard to their capacity as recruiters, rather than collecting information which is not directly relevant to their job and as such collecting more information than is necessary on their end (such as one’s passport and health information).
I would in fact also be breaking GDPR protocol by passing on any contact details to an agency as a reference, as the intended purpose of these details is to act as references for employers rather than for an agency to hold within their database. Further, references are not legally required to be provided to employers until a job offer is made, and this stage does not require the involvement of recruitment agencies.
It is also worrying that this agency is not the first to ask for unnecessary information. I actually worked with a recruitment agent for a fairly well-known hospitality recruitment agency. He helped me land a role, and after I had already started working at the restaurant his colleagues were harassing me over email and asking me to send them references. This truly perplexed me, seeing as references are definitely not relevant once I have already started working for the employer.
Inappropriate Requests
A few years back, I received an invitation to apply for a waitressing role abroad for a well-known luxury hotel group. I was, however, immediately put off when they required a full-length photo of me. Why on earth would this be required? I am not applying to be an actor, where I may need to have a certain look to successfully play a particular role, or a model. This made me very uncomfortable and any interest I had in the role immediately vanished. I would have understood asking for my measurements to ensure that I have the right size uniform once I get there, but certainly not a full-length photo. This is also not the first company to ask for photos from a candidate – which I think is completely and utterly unethical.
I urge everybody placing adverts to refrain from the above practices, maintain honesty within your adverts (and throughout the application process) and trust that the right applicants will be drawn in by their passion for hospitality and your honesty, rather than by you misleading them and spewing empty promises and false information in their direction.
