10 reasons why employers need to hire candidates who are early in their hospitality careers

There are important short- and long-term benefits for employers to hire students, recent graduates, and others early in their careers for hospitality roles. We reached out to 10 hiring experts to get their thoughts:

• Transform Employees into Walking Recruiters
• Implement Walk-In Hiring Appointments
• Partner with Local Culinary Schools
• Create an Always-On Talent Pipeline
• Develop Community-Based Training Programs
• Use Live Simulations for Hiring
• Offer Micro-Shift Onboarding During Peak Seasons
• Prioritize Soft Skills in Hospitality Hiring
• Collaborate with Educational Institutions
• Conduct Walk-In Auditions for Quick Hiring

Transform Employees into Walking Recruiters

I’ve learned that traditional recruiting completely misses the mark for volume hiring. The secret isn’t posting jobs — it’s creating a workplace reputation that makes people want to work for you.

Build your team into walking recruiters. When I took over the cafe in May 2024, we expanded from 3 to 7 days of kitchen service, which meant rapid hiring. My best hires came through existing staff recommendations because happy employees naturally talk about their workplace. I gave my team small bonuses for successful referrals, and suddenly I had a pipeline of pre-vetted candidates who already understood our culture.

Host “working interviews” during your busiest periods. Instead of formal interviews, I invite potential hires to shadow during weekend rush periods. They see exactly what they’re signing up for, and I can spot who thrives under pressure versus who freezes. This eliminated about 80% of early turnover because there were no surprises about the pace or expectations.

Turn your café into a community hub that attracts workers organically. Since focusing on authentic community connection, we’ve had local university students and career-changers approach us directly asking about opportunities. When your business genuinely feels like “home” to customers, it naturally appeals to people who want to be part of that energy.

Janice Kuz, Owner, Flinders Lane Cafe

Implement Walk-In Hiring Appointments

Open up a weekly walk-in hiring appointment. No resumes, no appointments, no interviews, but a two-hour block during which applicants can stop by, chat with a manager, and have a decision within 48 hours. Hospitality is about energy and being present, and you can never fully convey those qualities in writing.

We implemented this approach while we were short-staffed and filled three positions in one week. The majority of the applicants were between jobs or new in town, and they appreciated the opportunity to be observed without any jargon. The people who did attend were already halfway there. Abandon the digital gatekeeping and allow the process to be as fast as the work itself.

Rory Keel, Owner, Equipoise Coffee

Partner with Local Culinary Schools

I’ve found partnering with local culinary schools and hospitality programs to be incredibly effective. We regularly host kitchen tours and tasting events that let students experience our restaurant culture firsthand. Last semester, we hired 12 promising students through these engagement programs, and they’ve brought such fresh energy to our teams.

Allen Kou, Owner and Operator, Zinfandel Grille

Create an Always-On Talent Pipeline

High-volume hospitality hiring cannot be reactive. To fill dozens or hundreds of early-career positions, you need a proactive, “always on” pipeline that meets young candidates where they already are.

With the majority of hourly positions being in the hospitality industry, and the largest part of the hourly workforce being a part of Gen Z, I would advise employers to focus on catering to this demographic. These job seekers apply to a dozen jobs at once and will bail if the hiring process drags on. In fact, 3 out of 4 Gen Z candidates will abandon an online application that takes longer than 15 minutes to complete. Employers should utilize a quick, mobile-friendly application for hiring that includes the option for video introductions to help them gauge communication and customer service skills without drowning in hundreds of resumes.

Additionally, forming relationships with schools that have great hospitality programs will allow employers to always have a bench of early-career talent. Even partnering with arts schools that run culinary programs puts employers in front of candidates training for the same roles they need to fill. One way to get your foot in the door is by turning up for campus career fairs, ensuring you’re appeasing the young candidates that still appreciate in-person connections.

When you’re hiring at scale, you can’t sacrifice quality for quantity. In my experience, employers who embrace these strategies build stronger hospitality teams.

Debbie Emery, Co-Founder & CSO, Juvo Jobs

Develop Community-Based Training Programs

My suggestion is to invest in building community talent pipelines as part of your recruiting strategy to hire dozens or hundreds of host talents. We worked with community colleges and workforce development programs in Los Angeles to build our own pipeline-based hospitality skills training program. We provided customer service and safe driving training, and facilitated fast-track interviews.

With this approach, we were able to hire 50 early-career drivers over a period of 6 months — and retain 70% for a year. Job seekers also appreciated the transparent path of growth and the ease of entry, which led to high engagement and retention. Our mission to cultivate diverse talent mirrors our customer-first, all-inclusive brand and helps us to engage with driven candidates who can quickly assume the role of luxury transportation providers.

My advice: partner with educational and community-based organizations to co-create training programs that meet the needs of your business. This strategy will enable you to scale quickly while maintaining quality, consistently attracting a stream of pre-vetted, enthusiastic talents. This flexible solution has played a key role in helping us find candidates to hire in bulk and build loyalty among its workforce in a luxury service space.

Arsen Misakyan, CEO and Founder, LAXcar

Use Live Simulations for Hiring

In the case of hospitality jobs, employers will achieve more success by ceasing to over-rely on resumes and shifting to live simulations during the hiring process. Running frequent open-call hiring days with applicants cycling through brief practical challenges, such as handling a customer complaint, resetting a table, or checking in a simulated customer, allows the hiring personnel to get a clear idea of who will succeed in high-stress, high-interaction environments.

At one time, we conducted a two-hour group test with our entry-level staff in which 15 applicants moved through five simulation situations in the hospitality industry. The best 6 were interviewed on the spot. More of them, 5, were still employed after 90 days compared to 2 who were employed after the old regime of resume screening and interviews. This profession requires more passion and action as compared to eloquence. It becomes simpler to obtain the correct fit at scale as you can see candidates in action.

Belle Florendo, Marketing Coordinator, Sunny Glen Children’s Home

Offer Micro-Shift Onboarding During Peak Seasons

A smart strategy for hiring at scale in hospitality is offering “micro-shift” onboarding during peak seasons. These are short, paid 2 to 4-hour shadow shifts where early-career candidates get hands-on experience before officially joining the team. It eases commitment anxiety for newcomers who aren’t sure if the job is right for them, while giving managers a front-row seat to observe real behavior under real conditions. No rehearsed answers or forced enthusiasm — just raw service instincts on display. It turns the recruiting process into a low-pressure trial with high-reward potential, perfect for volume hiring in fast-moving hospitality environments.

Ben Kruger, CMO, Event Tickets Center

Prioritize Soft Skills in Hospitality Hiring

Put emphasis on soft skills over technical qualifications when you go out to find candidates for any hospitality jobs. The technical skills is something that could be taught over time but qualities like attitude, communication and being customer-minded are tougher to teach and are primary factors in determining success in these roles.

I would advise using role-playing as a part of the interviews. The interviewers must strive to understand how a candidate will approach a challenging customer or service issues to give them an idea of their problem-solving abilities, patience and communication skills. Candidates without technical knowledge excelled under these circumstances when they showed a good attitude and desire to help.

You can also use peer assessment as part of hiring. Allow candidates to meet existing employees in a regulated environment to determine how they overcome a situation under pressure. This helps in determining team players who are compatible with the company culture.

Kyle Sobko, CEO, SonderCare

Collaborate with Educational Institutions

A great way to find staff is to team up with local schools and programs that teach cooking, hospitality, or customer service and get your name out there with the students. Instead of just listing jobs, consider sponsoring demonstrations in class, offering paid internships, having managers speak at career day, or paying for certifications like food safety. This way, you’re not just an employer but a place to start careers.

Since hospitality is all about relationships, people starting out often choose their first jobs because of trust and being noticed, not just the money. I’ve seen hotels and restaurants attract many candidates by consistently showing up at schools and offering real experience before graduation. Moreover, you help create employees who are ready to work and already fit well with your company culture.

Jen Jones, Owner, Hello Decodables

Conduct Walk-In Auditions for Quick Hiring

In the world of hospitality, we made the process of hiring individuals to be faster since we focused more on walk-in auditions, compared to the burdensome application process. They would be asked to arrive at their convenience, and they would spend ten minutes following a front desk agent or server, and then into a rush trial activity- greeting a guest, taking a simulated order, or napkin folding.

This solved the problem as it eliminated the delays and allowed the candidates to get the feeling of how fast the job was going to be. In this way we could recruit dozens at a time, especially in these types of positions, as hosts, bussers and concierge support. Most of those who performed well were not experienced but demonstrated confidence, warmth, and ability to learn fast in those few minutes. It made the process humane and enabled us to create great teams in shorter periods.

Maegan Damugo, Marketing Coordinator, MacPherson’s Medical Supply