Why recruiting outside the city is different
In a city, a vacancy for reception or housekeeping often draws dozens of applicants within a reasonable commute. Outside the city it may be only a handful. On top of that, shifts start early or finish late, when buses run rarely or not at all, and other hotels, campsites and restaurants are looking for the same people in the same months. Accepting that as your starting point changes how you recruit: start earlier, remove barriers and look more widely at who can do the work.
Define your realistic catchment area
Do not think in kilometres but in travel time at the hours your shifts start and end. A village fifteen kilometres away is close by car, but out of reach for someone without a driving licence if the last bus leaves at eight in the evening. For each shift, map who you can reach by car, bike, scooter or public transport. That shows where you can recruit directly and where you first need to arrange transport.
Sort out transport before you recruit
Outside the city, transport is often the biggest barrier. Options include shift times that match the bus timetable, car sharing between colleagues with an allowance for the driver, your own shuttle at fixed times, a bike or scooter scheme or a more generous travel allowance. Mention the solution in the job ad, otherwise candidates without a car drop out before they apply. Read more in our article on commuting for early and late shifts.
Accommodation as part of the offer
People coming from further away need somewhere to live, and in tourist regions housing is scarce and expensive. Hotels that offer a room, a shared flat or help finding accommodation have a clear advantage. Be clear about the cost, the condition of the accommodation and what happens when the contract ends. A shabby or overpriced room will cost you staff in the first weeks. See also staff accommodation when recruiting.
Look more widely at who can do the work
In a small labour market you cannot limit yourself to people with years of hotel experience. Think of local residents from other sectors, people returning to work, older workers who want a few shifts a week, students who are home during the holidays and partners of current staff. Many roles in housekeeping, breakfast and service can be learned well with a clear induction period. Read also when to hire candidates without hospitality experience.
Recruit where people in the region are
Large job boards often reach few suitable candidates in a sparsely populated region. Local channels tend to work better: an ad in the regional or free local paper, a post in local Facebook groups, a poster at the supermarket or bakery, contact with schools and training providers nearby and with the local public employment service. Your own team knows the area best, so actively ask for tips and reward a tip that leads to a hire.
Offer year-round work where you can
Seasonal roles are hard to fill when people have to find something else every year. The more roles you can offer year-round, possibly with fewer hours in the quiet months, the more likely local staff are to stay. Combine tasks in the low season, such as maintenance, preparing for the new season or training. See also keeping a core team in the low season.
Bring back good seasonal staff
Staff who did well last season already know the hotel, the region and the living arrangements. Talk to them at the end of the season, keep in touch over the winter and make a concrete offer for next year in good time. Outside the city, this is often the fastest way to fill a large part of the team. Read more about rehiring seasonal staff.
Recruiting beyond the region and from other EU countries
If the region is too small, part of the team will come from further away, from other parts of the country or from other EU countries. That takes more preparation: accommodation must be ready, agreements on language and duties must be clear and the first days must be well organised. Also allow for travel home between contracts or on days off. See our article on recruiting hotel staff from other EU countries.
Make applying easy from a distance
A candidate who has to drive an hour for an interview is more likely to drop out. Start with a short phone screen or video call, reimburse travel costs for an on-site interview and combine it with a tour of the hotel and a look at the staff accommodation. For a trial shift with someone from far away, you can offer an overnight stay. Respond quickly, because the other employers in the region are after the same people.
Start earlier than you are used to
Outside the city, recruitment takes longer, especially when accommodation or relocation is involved. Start a few months earlier before the season than a city hotel would, and plan per department when the first people need to start. Decide which roles you fill yourself and for which you bring in a partner, so that in the busiest weeks you are not recruiting and running the hotel at the same time.
Checklist for general managers and HR
• Do you know who you can realistically reach for each shift by car, bike and public transport?
• Do you have a transport solution for early and late shifts, and is it in the job ad?
• Can you offer or help find accommodation, with clear costs and agreements?
• Are you open to returners, older workers, students and people from other sectors?
• Do you use local channels such as the regional paper, local groups and schools?
• Do you actively ask your team for tips and reward a successful one?
• Can you offer more roles year-round, possibly with fewer hours in the low season?
• Do you keep in touch with good seasonal staff from last year?
• Can candidates apply from a distance, and do you reimburse travel costs for an interview?
• Do you start recruiting well before the season?
When AXXAZ Hospitality helps
AXXAZ Hospitality supplies reliable hospitality staff to hotels across Europe, including locations outside the city where the local labour market is small. The more clearly you describe the roles, shift times, transport and accommodation involved, the better we can put forward suitable candidates. That starts with a clear staffing brief. Get in touch.
In one sentence
Work out who you can really reach for each shift, sort out transport and accommodation before you recruit, look beyond experienced hospitality staff, use local channels and your own team, offer year-round work where you can, bring back good seasonal staff and start earlier than a city hotel would.
Read more — Insights
