3 Strategies to Reduce Candidate Dropoff in Hospitality Hiring

Hospitality recruiting and hiring professionals face an uphill battle as competition for top talent escalates. 91% of hospitality HR professionals report hiring is somewhat or extremely challenging, and 60% find hiring more difficult than it was a year ago, according to a December 2023 Hireology survey.

Candidate dropoff—or ghosting—is a top pain point that 95% of hospitality talent acquisition teams have experienced. Ghosting is particularly challenging for large, dispersed hospitality employers who must continuously keep their talent funnels full.

How can you keep quality candidates engaged, increase hiring efficiency, stay competitive, and reduce dropoff? The following strategies can help.

Slow-moving hiring processes are the top reason hospitality industry candidates ghost talent acquisition teams. Even so, just 14% of hospitality hiring professionals respond to applications the same day, and nearly half take longer than 48 hours to respond, Hireology reports.

Time spent reviewing candidates, gathering paperwork, and completing background checks are the biggest stumbling blocks for hospitality employers. Since 67% of hospitality candidates accept the first job offer they receive, reducing these common delays can cut down on candidate ghosting. 

For instance, try these ideas to accelerate the hospitality background check process:

“One-click apply” options attract more candidates by drastically reducing the amount of manual steps required to apply. Embrace the same principle to speed up background checks. For example, Checkr sends candidates an email or SMS invitation they can click on their phone, tablet, or computer to kick off their background screenings. Easy-to-follow workflows help candidates quickly complete forms, provide authorizations, and sign documents—wherever they are.

Candidate errors when completing background check documents, such as skipping a step or incorrectly inputting information, can delay background screenings. Using automated workflows and communications tools helps keep things moving. Look for a provider with built-in error detection tools that can automatically notify the candidate to correct mistakes or supply missing information.

A provider that offers rapid turnaround times, a comprehensive array of background screenings, and tools to automate time-consuming manual processes can significantly speed up background screening results. Advanced technology that helps reduce human error and support compliance can help you hire faster while mitigating risk.

Lack of communication from potential employers is a top reason candidates ghost, according to Hireology data. Think about how you most often respond to messages or quickly access information throughout the day—likely on your phone, right? This means all hiring actions you want candidates to take need to be designed for mobile.

Try these tips to create a mobile-friendly candidate experience that keeps candidates engaged.

Is your job application and background screening process easy to navigate, or laborious and complex? Filling out lengthy forms, entering the same data over and over, or clicking through endless screens can drive frustrated candidates to your competitors. Go through your application and background screening interfaces to identify steps you can consolidate or eliminate. 

Today’s busy candidates rely on their phones for everything. Meet their needs with a mobile-optimized candidate portal they can use anywhere, anytime they have a spare moment. A candidate portal that lets candidates quickly get answers to questions, contact your support team, or follow up on the status of their applications saves you time while keeping candidates invested.

When candidates don’t know the status of their application or background check, they may accept an offer from a more communicative employer. Offer the transparency candidates need with background check and ATS/HRIS solutions that automate communications. For instance, you can email, text a candidate when their application is received, when HR is reviewing their information, or when you’ve decided to schedule an interview or move to another candidate. 

Hospitality HR leaders say lack of integration between background check solutions and the employer’s ATS presents a significant hiring challenge. Choosing solutions that integrate with your existing tech stack can help you hire faster. Here are some tasks integrations can make more efficient:

Interview scheduling using AI-powered solutions can help reduce interview no-shows (and email or phone tag). Apps that can send reminders, reschedule interviews, and quickly schedule new interviews to fill last-minute cancellations help ensure quality candidates aren’t lost to faster-moving competitors.

Communication with candidates can cause confusion if separate solutions send overlapping or conflicting messages. Software integrations help to minimize miscommunications and misunderstandings that can cause candidate dropoff. Look for solutions that offer consistent, automated messaging from one central system—from interviews to background checks to offer letters—to keep candidates engaged and prevent hiring hold-ups.

Digital document sharing and signing reduces the need to print, mail, and manually input information from documents across multiple HR solutions. The paper-based approach is time-consuming and prone to human errors that hinder rapid hiring. Integrations that enable sharing digital documents reduce frustrating delays and promote greater accuracy.

Background check and ATS solutions that are easy to use also enhance your HR team’s efficiency. Look for tools that offer a scalable, mobile-friendly experience for you as well as your candidates, shortening your learning curve. Features you can customize for your needs or specific positions streamline your hiring processes, saving even more time.  

In today’s fiercely competitive hospitality landscape, an efficient, candidate-friendly hiring process is critical to winning qualified workers. By modernizing your hiring processes, you can attract top hospitality candidates, keep them engaged, and extend offers more quickly than your competition.

Partnering with Checkr helps you create the frictionless candidate experience you seek. Checkr offers screenings for all types of hospitality employees, including service workers, mid-level roles, and management positions. With fast, accurate background checks; a user-friendly candidate experience; and a range of pre-built integrations to streamline your workflows, Checkr makes it easy to quickly turn top candidates into valued employees. Get started now.

The resources and information provided here are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Always consult your own counsel for up-to-date legal advice and guidance related to your practices, needs, and compliance with applicable laws.

About the author

Karen Axelton writes about business topics and best practices. She has written hundreds of articles on business subjects, including background screening, hiring and employment trends, human resource management, and the use of technology in the workplace. Her work includes educational articles, e-books, white papers, and case studies.