A practical guide for hoteliers and restaurateurs on planning ahead for seasonal staff recruitment and avoiding last-minute rushes.
Every year, as tourism season approaches, many accommodations and restaurants find themselves rushing to hire seasonal tourism staff, often with far too little time to select the most suitable candidates. Planning ahead, instead, allows you to calmly choose qualified candidates, reduce turnover, and ensure consistent service during peak periods. In this article we look at how to best organize the hiring process, from defining staffing needs to onboarding, and how JobCourier can support your business at every stage.
Defining staffing needs in advance
Before publishing any job posting, it's essential to understand how many people are needed and for which roles. Analyzing data from previous seasons, even just qualitatively, helps estimate workload peaks and avoid both staff shortages and surpluses.
Assess the expected periods of highest demand Identify critical roles: kitchen, dining room, reception, housekeeping Consider whether you need experienced staff or staff open to training Determine whether fixed-term contracts or occasional collaborations are needed
Realistic staffing planning allows you to start recruiting well ahead of the season opening, increasing the chances of finding the best candidates.
When to start looking for candidates
Many businesses make the mistake of starting to search for staff only a few weeks before opening. However, the most qualified candidates are often contacted and hired well in advance by those who act early.
Starting to publish job postings several months ahead allows you to build a broader pool of candidates, compare more profiles, and organize interviews without rushing. This is particularly important for roles requiring specific skills or prior experience in the hospitality and restaurant sector.
Writing clear and effective job postings
A well-written job posting is the first tool for attracting the right candidates. It's important to clearly state the type of contract, employment period, required tasks, and necessary skills, without creating expectations that don't match reality.
Concretely describe the daily responsibilities of the role Specify whether prior experience or willingness to train is required Clearly indicate the duration of the seasonal contract Highlight any benefits related to working at a tourism business
A transparent job posting reduces the risk of applications that don't match the sought profile and speeds up the entire selection process.
Where to publish job postings to reach the right candidates
The visibility of a job posting is crucial to reaching enough qualified candidates. Publishing on a portal specialized in the local job market, like JobCourier, allows you to reach people genuinely interested in working in the tourism and hospitality sector.
JobCourier offers businesses tools designed to simplify job posting and application management, allowing you to focus on selecting the most suitable candidates instead of the logistics of the search.
Organizing interviews and selection efficiently
Once applications are collected, it's useful to define clear selection criteria from the start, to speed up interviews and compare candidates objectively.
Prepare standard questions to assess experience and availability Verify the schedule flexibility required by the tourism season Organize remote interviews for candidates from other regions as well Involve department managers in the final selection stage
A structured selection process reduces waiting time for the best candidates, who might otherwise accept other offers in the meantime.
Onboarding and training seasonal staff
Finding the right candidates is only half the job: good initial onboarding helps retain staff for the entire season and maintain a high quality of service for guests.
Planning a brief introductory training, even informal, on the business's procedures and role expectations helps reduce mistakes in the first days of work and fosters the integration of new staff into the existing team.