You can sometimes find a receptionist within two weeks. A front office manager, an executive housekeeper or a restaurant supervisor, not so much. Recruit a leadership role the way you recruit an operational one and you often end up with a candidate who interviews well but cannot bring the team along, or a strong candidate who drops out halfway. Learn what is different and how to set up the process accordingly.
19 October 2026
For an operational role you mainly assess whether someone can do the work and fits the rota. For a supervisor or head of department you assess something else: can this person run a team, build rotas that work, solve problems without the general manager stepping in and keep people? A wrong choice here costs more than one vacancy. A weak manager is often the reason others leave. That is why it pays to design this process deliberately.
Good managers are usually settled somewhere and have a notice period of one to three months, sometimes longer. Add the search, the interviews and the offer and you are quickly looking at three to five months before someone starts. Plan backwards from the moment you really need the person, for example before peak season or a reopening. If you know a manager is leaving, start straight away rather than waiting for the last working day. Also decide who covers the role in the meantime, so the team is not left without a point of contact for months.
An experienced member of your own team knows the hotel, the guests and the colleagues. That is a big advantage. But being good at the job is not the same as being good at leading, and someone who was a colleague yesterday will have to talk about lateness or rota requests tomorrow. Discuss that openly beforehand and give internal candidates the same practical case as external ones. More on that trade-off in internal promotion in hotels.
A job ad full of tasks such as "leading the team" and "monitoring quality" attracts everyone and tells nobody anything. Instead, write down what the new manager should have achieved after six to twelve months:
• Coverage: rotas that are ready on time and match expected occupancy.
• Team: fewer early leavers and a fixed onboarding plan for new people.
• Quality: for example room inspections, check-in waiting times or guest reviews.
• Costs: labour costs and overtime within the department budget.
Also state the authority: may this person hire, finalise rotas and book extra staff? Experienced candidates will ask.
Managers rarely respond to a general ad on a job board. You reach them through the network of your own heads of department and general manager, hotel schools and alumni networks, targeted approaches on professional networks and partners who know the sector. Approach people personally and concretely: which role, which hotel, how much room to make their own decisions. A vague message gets ignored.
A good interview says little about how someone runs a team on a busy Saturday. In the second round, give candidates a short, realistic assignment, for example:
• building a weekly rota for the department from a given occupancy forecast with two people off sick;
• holding a conversation with an employee who is late for the third time, with someone from the team playing the employee;
• outlining a short approach for a department with many complaints or high turnover.
Assess every candidate on the same points with a scorecard. Let someone from the future team or a fellow head of department take part too; they often notice different things than the general manager.
Ideally call a former manager and someone who worked under the candidate. Ask concrete questions: how did this person handle staff shortages, an employee who was not performing, criticism from guests? Would they work for or with this person again? More questions in checking references for hotel candidates.
Good candidates for leadership roles often have several processes running and get a counteroffer from their current employer. An offer that takes weeks usually loses. Agree salary, any bonus arrangements, working hours, responsibilities and start date in advance, so you can make a complete offer within a few days of the final interview. Stay in touch during the notice period, for example with an introduction to the team.
Even an experienced manager needs to get to know the hotel, the systems and the team. Agree in advance what happens in the first weeks: who they meet, which shifts they work alongside the team, when they build their first rota independently and when you review together, for example after 30, 60 and 90 days. Link those reviews to the results in the role description. That way you see early whether it is working and can adjust in time.
• Do you start recruiting as soon as you know a manager is leaving?
• Is it clear who covers the role in the meantime?
• Does the job ad describe results and authority, not just tasks?
• Are internal candidates assessed the same way as external ones?
• Do all second-round candidates complete the same practical case?
• Do you take references from a former manager and a former team member?
• Can you make a complete offer within a few days of the final interview?
• Is there a plan for the first 100 days with fixed review points?
AXXAZ Hospitality supplies reliable hospitality staff to hotels across Europe. While a leadership role is open, the team often runs with fewer people and more overtime. During that period we can provide experienced people in housekeeping, reception, service or the kitchen, so you can take the time to find the right manager. It all starts with a clear staffing brief. Get in touch.
Start early, describe the role in results, test candidates with a practical case, ask references about leadership, make a complete offer quickly and plan the first 100 days.