Hospitality candidates often have several options at once. Before they apply, they look your hotel up: the website, employee reviews, what people they know say. What they find decides whether they apply and whether they accept an offer. A good employer profile is not a campaign but an honest, concrete picture of what it is like to work for you. Here is how to build one with the resources you already have.
22 October 2026
In most European cities, a receptionist or cook can choose between several hotels offering similar roles and pay. The difference then lies in what candidates expect from the job itself: how rotas are made, how managers treat people, whether promises are kept. They look for that information before they apply. If they find nothing, or only generic text, they often choose the hotel they do have a picture of.
The best material for your employer profile is already in your hotel. Ask long-serving staff why they stay and new colleagues why they chose you. A short question in a team meeting or during a stay interview often produces concrete answers: fixed days off, a rota published on time, a chef who explains instead of shouts. Those are the points you want to communicate, in the team's own words.
Working in a hotel means weekends, public holidays, early and late shifts and busy peaks. Candidates know that. A profile that only shows the pleasant side creates expectations that backfire in the first weeks, with people leaving during probation as a result. Simply state what the work involves and explain what you do to keep it manageable, for example how many weekends a month someone works or how you limit split shifts.
Phrases such as "a young and dynamic team" or "opportunities to grow" tell candidates little. Facts do: how many weeks ahead the rota is published, how many hours a contract guarantees at minimum, which pay band applies, whether meals are provided on shift, whether you cover travel costs and whether accommodation is available. How many people moved up internally last year is stronger than any promise. Use the same facts in every job ad.
Everyone recognises stock photos of smiling waiters. Photos of your own team at work, the staff room and the kitchen give a far more credible picture. A short quote from an employee with name and role works better than a long text from management. Always obtain written consent in advance for using photos and names, record what you use them for and remove them when someone leaves or asks you to.
Many hotels have an extensive website for guests but only an email address for applicants. A simple careers page is enough: what kind of hotel you are, which departments there are, what you offer staff, current vacancies, how the application process works and how quickly you respond. Keep the page up to date, because a vacancy still online months after it closed sends exactly the wrong signal. Make sure applying takes only a few minutes on a phone as well.
Candidates read reviews on platforms such as Indeed, Glassdoor or, in German-speaking countries, kununu. You do not control what is written there, but you do control how you respond. Respond to critical reviews in a businesslike way without arguing, show what you have done about fair criticism and never ask for fake reviews. Recurring complaints, for example about rotas or a particular department, are above all a signal for how you run things internally, not for your communication.
You do not need a separate recruitment channel. A few posts a month about the team on the channels you already use is enough: a new colleague starting, someone being promoted, a look behind the scenes during a busy week. Regularity works better than a one-off campaign. People who see one of your vacancies often check your channels and then see a hotel where the team is visible.
How you treat applicants says more about you as an employer than your website. Candidates who hear nothing for days or are rejected without a word share that experience with others. Respond quickly, be clear about the steps and also inform candidates who do not progress. Read more about response times to applications and rejecting candidates.
The most credible employer profile is what your staff tell friends and former colleagues about you. You cannot force that, but you can make it easier: share vacancies internally first, make sure staff know which roles are open and thank or reward a tip that leads to a hire. See also referrals in hotel hiring.
Track a few simple figures: how many applications each vacancy receives and through which channel, how many candidates accept an offer, how long vacancies stay open and how many new hires are still with you after three and six months. Ask new colleagues in their first week why they chose you and what they had seen about you beforehand. That shows which parts of your profile really count. See also measuring staff turnover.
• Do you know why your current staff stay and why new colleagues chose you?
• Do you state honestly what the work involves, such as weekends and early or late shifts?
• Do you give concrete facts on rotas, hours, pay, meals, travel costs and accommodation?
• Do you use photos and quotes of your own team, with written consent?
• Do you have an up-to-date careers page where applying by phone is quick?
• Do you respond to employee reviews in a businesslike way and act on recurring criticism?
• Do you show the team regularly on the channels you already use?
• Do you respond to applications quickly and also inform rejected candidates?
• Do staff know which roles are open and how to put someone forward?
• Do you measure applications per channel, offer acceptance and retention after three and six months?
AXXAZ Hospitality supplies reliable hospitality staff to hotels across Europe and hears every day what matters to candidates when they choose an employer. The more clearly you describe what the job involves and what you offer, the better we can put forward suitable candidates. That starts with a clear staffing brief. Get in touch.
Ask your team what it values, be honest about the work, give concrete facts instead of slogans, show real people, keep a simple careers page up to date, respond to reviews in a businesslike way, treat applicants well and measure which channels bring in candidates who stay.