Businesses are increasingly attempting to hire in ways that broaden the talent pool in a workplace in order to have a mix of perceptions and thinking. And there are many important reasons to do so.

Expand your hospitality talent pool.

Hiring a wide range of hospitality talent (made up of employees with different backgrounds, ages, levels of education, physical abilities, religions, and socio-economic backgrounds, to name some) results in having a larger group of candidates to choose from. It is assumed that all businesses want to hire the best-qualified candidates to do the job, and if the businesses narrow their search to the same places they always look for candidates, they run a genuine risk of passing on great employees.

The other reason it is beneficial to hire a wide range of talent is that people with different backgrounds are often able to come up with new solutions, as they perceive the world differently than the status quo. This often allows for more creativity and innovation because people of different backgrounds see things with a new perspective.

So, how does one go about creating equal employment opportunities in hospitality?

• Consider introducing EEO training for all employees. This will result in an environment of respect in the workplace towards all colleagues and customers.
• Talk and teach about unconscious bias in the workplace so that employees recognize their own.
• Standardize job interviews to focus on asking all candidates the same questions and scoring them to rank their skills, experience, and attributes. This way, you take out any bias and hire for aptitude.
• Create a committee within the workplace and critically assess your website and printed collateral, including your onboarding, employee handbook, and anything that both employees and customers see.
• Acknowledge that this is a process that takes time, commitment, and persistence.

Goodwin Recruiting is Dedicated to Creating Opportunity for All

You can also use a recruiting company that is going through their own process to create a more welcoming culture for its partners and candidates. Goodwin Recruiting has been on the cutting edge of recruiting since 1999 and was recently named one of America’s Best Recruiting Firms by Forbes. Goodwin Recruiting is committed to presenting all qualified candidates, standing true to the company’s core value of Opportunity for All.