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How to Hire the Best Hospitality Leaders

Step 2: Contacting the Talent You Want

By Frank Speranza President, Hospitality Talent Scouts Executive Search | November 2024

Continued from Step 1: Identifying the Talent You Want

In February 2024 I introduced the first of this series of articles, which was born out of over twenty years as a hospitality operational leader and almost twenty years as a hospitality recruiting professional. During that time, I’ve made a lot of great hires and some really bad ones. I think many of you would agree that nothing teaches better than our failures, that is, if you truly learn from them!

In May 2024 I discussed "Identifying the Talent You Want,” noting there are many vehicles to get you to the gold mine of covenantal leaders, and sometimes it may be a combination of different means to get you there. One thing is for sure. If you don’t have reliable transport and don’t know what vehicles exist to get you there, you won’t get there!

In this article, we are going to solely focus on Step 2 of my 4-Step Process, which is “Contacting the Talent You Want.”

As I stated in February’s article, the methodology that I subscribe to, practice, and teach is no guarantee that you will not make a bad hire. But it certainly ensures that you will significantly improve your batting average and minimize bad hires if you follow these steps. The methodology is part art and part science with a little bit of the unknown mixed in as well. We can call that luck if you like!

Since these steps are progressive, if you have not read the first two articles published by Hotel Business Review in February and May of this year, I suggest you do that now. In the meantime, let’s dive into Step #2, “Contacting the Talent You Want.”

Also, just as a reminder, here are the steps:

Step 1 - Identifying the Talent You Want
Step 2 - Contacting the Talent You Want
Step 3 - Selling the Talent You Want
Sept 4 - Securing the Talent You Want

There is so much that goes into this step, so I will try to be as comprehensive as I can and cover as much of it as I can because there are so many methods of initiating contact with a candidate that you have identified as worthy of pursuing. Some will work for certain individuals and some will work for others. I have found that it is a combination of methods that usually works best.

Contacting the talent you want after you have identified them seems to be so simple. But contact goes much further than what it implies on the surface. Real contact is first just getting the potential candidate to talk with you, particularly since in this talent-deficit market good candidates are getting bombarded with calls and inquiries from other employers and recruiters. So just how are you going to stand out and get their attention? Remember that we are in a Talent War, as I discussed in my earlier articles.

Let’s first identify the vehicles of communication available to us. I know this may sound really remedial, but it is very important, and if this step is not executed perfectly, you are dead in the water before you have even started, because you may have identified the best talent, but if you can’t get them to engage in a conversation with you, nothing is going to come of it.

Have you ever heard the expression, “You have but one time to make a good first impression”? Well, let me tell you, it couldn’t be truer in this initial outreach Step 2 of Contacting the Talent You Want!

Here are some of the most widely used communication vehicles to get you in front of the talent you want to connect with or get an audience with:

Telephone
Email (Work and Personal)
LinkedIn Mail
Job Board Internal Mail
Text

I have found that a telephone call is the single most direct, effective, yet least-used form of proactive recruiting today. It is unbelievable how people have forgotten to use the telephone, particularly Millennials & Gen Z-ers. I not only mean not picking up the telephone, but they don’t know the etiquette for contacting and speaking to people in a manner that commands getting people’s attention and respect. Basic, cold-calling skills! A practice that most folks think is out of style and only Baby Boomers use!

Let’s talk about what the simplicity of a proactive recruiting telephone call should sound like and the appropriate follow-up that will get people to speak to you or return your call. Again, I know this may sound very basic and remedial, but I’m telling you these are the steps that I have to teach senior executives and leaders on recruiting skills.

Your first choice is using a targeted talent’s business telephone number or cell phone. If you have a cell phone number, that is always the first choice over a business number. Business numbers often raise roadblocks of having to get past overly-guarded administrative assistants or others. However, if you don’t have a cell number, then you have to work with what you have.

Once you reach your targeted talent on the telephone, The first statement is saying who you are and immediately asking if you are reaching them at a bad time and if they are able to speak freely. This immediately sends the following non-verbal messages:

The call is a potential recruiting call.
The caller values your time.
The caller respects and values the potential candidate’s privacy and confidentiality.

If it is a bad time or they are not able to speak freely, then you need to ask your targeted talent when a good time would be for them to speak freely, offering the ability to do so even if it is after business hours, into the evening, or over a weekend.

Keep in mind once again there is a talent deficit out there and we as an industry are in a Talent War, so you as the person doing the recruiting have to be as accommodating and flexible as possible to get a shot at the talent you have already identified as worthy of a call.

If the targeted candidate indicates they are able to speak, then you should explain briefly and quickly to the candidate the purpose of the call and ask if they are open to looking at new opportunities. Most (the smart ones) will respond that they are always open to hearing what you have in mind. Remember that you have already qualified the candidate based on their history, which you have previously identified through research that put this candidate on your target list.

From here the conversation is more of a fact-searching conversation where you are having some sincere engagement with your find! It includes drilling down to ensure that what appears on the surface exists at the roots. Once that is established, the goal of the call is to get the candidate to the table to talk. I can’t begin to tell you how many Seniors as well as Junior Candidates have said to me they were not interested, but through factual selling, I have been able to get them to the table by encouraging them to do their due diligence about what I am offering, and they have ended up taking the job. This is proactive versus reactive recruiting and it is how great teams are built. Obviously, there is a lot more that goes into this process, but for the sake of time in this article, I’m streamlining the dialog.

Let’s discuss quickly the case of not reaching the targeted candidate by telephone and getting their voice mail. In this case, you should leave your name, organization, and the number you can be reached at, adding that you are available after business hours if that is a time that the potential candidate is able to speak more freely. It is important that you emphasize the “speaking freely” part because that signals to the potential candidate once again about the nature of the call and the value placed on confidentiality.

Those are the basics of the telephone call. Again, I know it sounds very remedial, but I can’t tell you how many people don’t get this right. But the second most important step after the telephone call where you have left a voicemail is a follow-up with an email that looks something like this:

"Good morning. . . This is [name]. I just left you a voicemail. If you could give me a call today, it would be most appreciated. If you miss me in the office, feel free to call my cell. You can get me on my cell into the evening after business hours if that is a better time for you to speak more freely. I can also make myself available over the weekend if that works better for you as well.”

What does an email like this do? First, it gets your name and signature block, which should include a link to your organization’s website in front of a potential candidate that you have targeted and already identified as valuable (Step 1 in the process). Second, it matches up with the voicemail they received earlier. Third, it lays something in their inbox that they have to act on via either responding, returning the call, or deleting the email message.

A note on the use of emails: You have to obtain the targeted candidate’s email, and there are many methods of doing so, but once again it would take too much time and be too technical to lay it all out in this article. I always recommend using their business email as the first choice of contact, and if you find a personal email, use that simultaneously in the bcc field. Once contact is made and a communication dialog is established, I recommend you revert to using only their personal email for the sake of maintaining their confidentiality with their current employer. You should let them know you’re doing that for their benefit, as it is surprising how many candidates even at the most senior level don’t realize that. Many organizations monitor emails, so you’re doing the targeted candidate a disservice by continued communication via their business email.

At this point in the process, my recommendation after the first voicemail and email is that you give the targeted candidate 24 hours to respond. If they do not respond, I recommend that you repeat the above steps. This time I recommend adding additional sources for communicating the same email messages, such as those available via LinkedIn or a job board, should it be that you find their resume posted there. Pinging the potential target candidate from different sources gets their attention. It should be done gracefully so as not to be interpreted as obnoxiously persistent but just professionally persistent. I can’t begin to tell you how many candidates have returned my calls because of my persistence. You have already qualified the candidate as a valuable target, but failing to start a dialog with them loses any chance of gaining them as a valuable, productive member of your team.

I also use the same strategy above using text messages with the same language used above, and you can even use signature blocks in text messages to professionally dress them up along with a website link. Again, you want to ping those hard-to-get-to candidates from as many vantage points as possible.

So if you have done your homework correctly, it’s not a question of trying to get hold of this candidate. It’s a matter of doing it and making it happen by commanding the respect of the person you have targeted. I have and recommend even calling out people by email and voice mail after several attempts to reach them, explaining you would greatly appreciate the courtesy of a callback. Nothing like appealing to their sense of courtesy, especially if they are a true hospitality professional.

The bottom line is that if you are a player in the industry, anyone worth their weight in gold that you’re calling on, who knows how our industry is so interwoven and incestuous, is going to eventually return your call. It’s just not very bright for them not to!

But once again, I can’t express professional persistence enough while executing Step 2.

Finally, whatever you do, PLEASE DON’T DO THIS. Many organizations that decide to hire their internal recruiters hire junior personnel to recruit for their mid-level and even senior positions. I remember this happening to me when I was a General Manager and VP of Operations. DO NOT, and I repeat DO NOT do this, as it is damaging to the credibility of your organization.

Brief example: Let’s say your organization is seeking a Luxury Resort General Manager and you assign a junior person to start cold-calling senior folks for this position. Even if they are lucky enough to get to these people, I can guarantee you that they are not capable of commanding the respect of these individuals or talking to them on the level they need to be in order to capture their interest. All you are accomplishing is causing embarrassment for everyone involved and leaving a really poor image of your organization in the minds of the potential targeted candidates. It is not the way to build your organization’s brand or reputation for attracting talent. In fact, it will detract from those very things.

I could go on for quite a long time about how to go about contacting the talent that you want, but I hope the information above gives you a brief window into why this step is so important. As I said at the start, “You only have one chance to make a good first impression.” So when it comes to contacting the targeted candidates that you need to build a winning team, you’d better make sure you get it right from the start. It’s a small window to get through and there is usually no recovery once you blow it.

In my next article in this series, I look forward to introducing and explaining Step 3: Selling the Talent You Want.

Mr. Speranza

Frank Speranza is Principal and Founder of New York City based Hospitality Talent Scouts Executive Search. In 2005, Mr. Speranza, then VP of Operations with Interstate Hotels and Resorts, he left Interstate after 10 years to start Hospitality Talent Scouts, Inc. (HTS). Mr. Speranza credits his successful hospitality career with his ability to hire the right people for the right positions at the right time. Mr. Speranza began his 10-year career with Interstate as General Manager of the Somerset Marriott in Somerset, New Jersey. He originally joined Interstate with MeriStar Hotels & Resorts, which merged with Interstate Hotels in 2002. Extended Biography & Contact Information

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If any provision(s) of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be contrary to law, then such provision(s) shall be construed, as nearly as possible, to reflect the intentions of the parties with the other provisions remaining in full force and effect. HotelExecutive's failure to exercise or enforce any right or provision of this Agreement shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision unless acknowledged and agreed to by HotelExecutive in writing. The section titles in this Agreement are solely used for the convenience of the parties and have no legal or contractual significance. This Agreement may be assigned in whole or in part by HotelExecutive. This Agreement may not be assigned in any manner by you without the express, prior written permission of HotelExecutive.

Any and all disputes or controversies of any kind, including but not limited to any performance, duty, obligation or liability arising under or related to this Agreement which are not first resolved informally, shall be determined by binding arbitration in San Francisco, California, in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association. The final award in any such arbitration proceeding shall be subject to entry as a judgment by any court or competent jurisdiction, provided that such judgment does not conflict with the terms and provisions hereof. The jurisdiction of the arbiter (or arbiters) with respect to legal matters shall be limited only by the statutory and common law of the State of California and the United States.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, any and all disputes, which the parties cannot informally resolve, regarding the scope of issues or matter with the jurisdiction of the arbitrator, shall be resolved by a separate dispute resolution process whereby HotelExecutive, in its sole discretion shall elect the dispute to be resolved by either (1) a court of competent jurisdiction in the State of California or (2) a panel of three new arbitrators.

This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California notwithstanding any conflict of laws provisions. You and HotelExecutive agree that the venue for all legal disputes, controversies, actions of any kind arising under or related to this Agreement shall be San Francisco, California. You and HotelExecutive further agree that in case of any litigation regarding this Agreement, you irrevocably and unconditionally (i) consent to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts in the County of San Francisco, California for any litigation or dispute arising out of or relating to this Agreement, (ii) agree not to commence any litigation arising out of or relating to this Agreement except in the California Courts, (iii) agree not to plead or claim that such litigation brought therein has been brought in an inconvenient forum, and (iv) agree the California Courts represent the exclusive jurisdiction for all litigation relating to this Agreement.

11. MEMBERSHIP FEES

Hotel Business Review Subscriptions

If you choose to purchase a subscription, member subscription payments can be made in U.S. Dollars, as well as a variety of international currencies. Membership terms are Annual Recurring, and Monthly Recurring. The Annual Recurring subscription is an annual commitment and subscribers will be charged each consecutive billing cycle. Annual Recurring subscriptions can be cancelled after the first billing cycle and within 30-days of the billing date for a full refund. Monthly Recurring subscriptions are ongoing and subscribers will be charged each consecutive monthly billing cycle. Monthly Recurring subscriptions can be cancelled after the first month and within 7 days of the monthly billing cycle for a full refund.

12. PAYMENT AUTHORIZATION

Payment for the services provided to you in, at, through or in association with HotelExecutive may be made by automatic credit card, debit card, direct debit, bankwire or Paypal and other approved payment means offered in, at, through or in association with HotelExecutive, and you hereby authorize HotelExecutive and its agents to transact such payments on your behalf.

You hereby authorize HotelExecutive's Internet Payment Service Provider to charge your credit card to pay for your membership to HotelExecutive. You further authorize HotelExecutive's Internet Payment Service Provider to charge your credit card for any and all purchases of products, services in association with HotelExecutive. You agree to be personally liable for all charges incurred by you in association with your access or other use of any content provided by HotelExecutive or any third party in association with HotelExecutive. You acknowledge and agree that your liability for all such charges shall continue after termination of your access or any type of membership arrangement with HotelExecutive.

In the event that you have chosen to have your membership automatically rebilled, unless and until you notify HotelExecutive that you wish to cancel or terminate your membership to HotelExecutive, you hereby agree and authorize HotelExecutive's Internet Payment Service Provider to automatically renew your membership to HotelExecutive on a continuing basis and to charge your credit card (or other payment means you have selected) to pay for the ongoing cost of your membership. You hereby further authorize HotelExecutive's Internet Payment Service Provider to charge your credit card (or other approved payment means you have selected) for any and all purchases of products, services and entertainment provided to in, at, through or in association with HotelExecutive.

13. PRIVACY POLICY

The following is the Privacy Policy for HotelExecutive

We can be reached via telephone, email, or online at our contact page. When you visit our site we do not log any information regarding your domain or email address. Information Sharing: We do not share user information with any third parties other than via press release distribution as described below.

Hotel Newswire is a newswire service that distributes press releases on behalf of our users. If you decide to submit a press release for distribution through our system we will transmit your entire press release including any personal information therein contained to our media contacts and online distribution points including search engines. This is the only redistribution of your information that we engage in. Your submission of press releases through our system indicates consent with this policy. The information we collect during your registration process is used to notify users about updates to our service and inform users of any special events hosted by Hotel Newswire. This information is not shared with other organizations for commercial or non-commercial purposes.

Cookies: Our system requires the use of cookies to enable the user to log back into our website to access information from the newswire, without having to log in each time using the required username and password.

If you do not want to receive email from us in the future, please let us know by following instructions included in our communication with you. Users who supply us with telephone numbers online may receive telephone contact from us regarding their account, or informing them of new products and services available on the HotelExecutive website. If you do not wish to receive such telephone calls, please edit your account and remove your phone number from your account profile. This can be done from your user account menu.

Ad Servers: We do not partner with or have any relationship with any ad server companies. From time to time, we may use customer information for new uses not previously disclosed in our privacy notice. If our information practices change at any time, we will post the policy changes to our website to notify you of these changes and provide you with the ability to opt out of these new uses. If you are concerned about how your information is used, you should check back at our website periodically.

Upon request we provide site visitors with access to all information (including proprietary information) that we maintain about them. Users can access this information by logging in to their account.

Security: We always use industry-standard encryption technologies while transferring and receiving user data exchanged with our site. We have appropriate security measures in place in our physical facilities to protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of information that we have collected from you on our site. We do not store credit card information in our systems.

If you feel that this site is not following its stated information policy, you may contact us.