Franchise Recruitment is Challenging
Hiring for a franchise comes with a set of specific challenges. For many franchise businesses, finding and retaining employees can be the difference between a thriving business and a struggling one.
Many franchises are part of the hospitality industry, which has its own set of specific challenges. Here are Four Key Challenges in Hospitality Recruiting and How to Overcome Them.
According to a poll conducted by SHRM, the service industry has the highest turnover rate at 35% compared to an average of 15% across all other industries. Below, you'll find five tips that will help you develop an effective recruitment strategy and hire the best talent for your franchise.
Five Tips for Successful Franchise Hiring
1. Develop a Hiring Plan
Many franchise owners may not think of a hiring plan as a high-priority need, especially when they’re hard-pressed to fill open positions. However, establishing an efficient hiring plan early is very important. Simply put, a hiring plan refers to a prearranged strategy for hiring employees. It acts as a timeline for companies to find qualified applicants without causing any downtime. A hiring plan also identifies all the goals for a particular position.
2. Nail Down the Job Description
Job descriptions should be able to draw in candidates right away. We know that applicants generally skim over job descriptions and don’t prefer long, complex job applications. Based on research, if your job application takes longer than 10 minutes to complete, you are missing out on 50% of qualified applicants. It’s important to make sure your job descriptions are intriguing and your application process isn’t too lengthy. We recommend inserting keywords to help candidates find your openings. Read our tips on how to write effective job descriptions.
3. Administer Pre-Employment Assessments
During your hiring process, it’s important to go the extra mile to determine if applicants will be a great fit for your business. Job interviews can be subjective, serving as unpredictable indicators of future performance. Administering pre-employment assessments at the beginning of your hiring process will allow you to test applicants’ cognitive abilities, knowledge, work skills, physical and motor abilities, emotional intelligence, language proficiency, aptitude, and even integrity. Benefits of pre-employment assessments include higher productivity, increased employee retention, and a reduction in costs associated with turnover.
4. Check References Before Making a Hiring Decision
You may be eager to hire after one successful interview, but taking the time to complete the last pre-hire step in the process will safeguard you against a bad hire. Reference checks can give you additional information on candidates’ performance, behavior, attitude, and other traits that enable you to make a hiring decision confidently and can even provide you with areas to focus on during the employee’s training process.
5. Train Thoroughly
Recruitment isn’t always about who you hire. It also includes how well you onboard candidates. Be sure to provide them with all the resources they’ll need to succeed within their first 90 days. Many companies even develop a mentorship program in which established employees team up with new employees to guide them and show them the ropes.
Bonus Tip: Lead With Company Values
Franchise owners can significantly improve their day-to-day operations by focusing on hiring the right people. When recruiting for strong new team members, keep your company’s values at the forefront, as well. Bring employees on board who will do their best to uphold these values and help lead your organization down the road to success.
About HiringThing
HiringThing’s centralized recruiting platform will help your franchisees increase their applicant tracking. Your franchisees can take advantage of centralized hiring with our suite of solutions without taking on joint liability. Schedule a demo today to talk to an expert about our private label hiring solutions.
