How tech can solve your hospitality recruitment problems
Finding the right people at the right time has always been a challenge, but in hospitality, it’s even tougher. In 2022, 66% of Australian employers reported that they had found it difficult to fill their vacancies for hospitality workers, an increase of 6% from 2021 and far above the 33% recorded in 2019. As the sector continues to grow at an annual rate of 3.8% in Australia (expected until 2035), the stakes are higher than ever.
So, how can you stay ahead of the curve and attract top talent without all the headaches? The answer lies in technology.
Common Hospitality Recruitment Challenges
If you’re in the hospitality industry, you already know how difficult it can be to find and retain great staff. Some of the most common issues include:
1. High Turnover Rates
Hospitality is notorious for its high employee turnover. In 2022, 27% of hospitality employers reported retention issues—compared to just 13% for all other occupations. Whether it’s due to seasonal contracts, career shifts, or burnout, staff turnover can disrupt every day operations and leave businesses scrambling to fill roles.
2. Last-Minute Hiring Needs
Unlike many industries, hospitality often requires rapid hiring. Events, unexpected resignations, or even a busier-than-expected Friday night can leave businesses short-staffed with little time to react. Traditional hiring methods—posting job ads, waiting for applications, and conducting interviews—are often too slow to meet these urgent demands.
3. Seasonal Staff Shortages
Many hospitality businesses experience fluctuating demand, with peak seasons requiring a larger workforce. Whether it’s summer tourism, major sporting events, or Christmas rushes, businesses need reliable, short-term staff to keep up. But once the season ends, many employees move on, leaving employers searching for new hires all over again.
4. Inefficient Recruitment Processes
From reviewing applications to scheduling interviews and onboarding new employees, the traditional hiring process is time-consuming and expensive. Without an efficient system, businesses risk losing great candidates to competitors or spending too much time on admin.
How Tech Can Solve Hospitality Recruitment Issues
How can tech help solve the recruitment issues affecting the hospitality sector? Through automation, speed, and better matching. Instead of relying on slow, outdated recruitment methods, today’s technology can help you find the right candidate fast.
Faster Hiring with On-Demand Staffing Platforms
When you need staff now, on-demand staffing platforms like Sidekicker connect businesses with pre-vetted, ready-to-work candidates—often within hours.
Whether it’s a last-minute replacement or an extra set of hands for a busy shift, these platforms provide instant access to experienced hospitality professionals without the hassle of traditional recruitment.
Automated Scheduling & Communication
Coordinating interviews, shifts, and rosters can be a nightmare—especially when relying on phone calls, emails, or spreadsheets. Hospitality businesses can now automate scheduling, allowing managers to:
Send automated shift offers to available workers
- Adjust rosters in real-time
- Communicate instantly with staff via mobile apps
This not only reduces admin time but also ensures shifts are filled faster.
Digital Onboarding & Compliance
New hires often need to complete paperwork, provide certifications (like an RSA), and go through training before starting work. Digital onboarding systems simplify this process, allowing employees to:
- Upload documents online
- Complete training modules remotely
- Receive automatic compliance checks
The Role of AI and Machine Learning in Hospitality Hiring
Technology isn’t just making hiring easier—it’s making it smarter. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are transforming hospitality recruitment by predicting hiring needs, improving candidate matching, and improving employee retention.
What does this mean for hospitality employers? It means fewer hiring headaches, faster recruitment, and more chances for your staff to stick around for the long run.
Predicting Staffing Needs Before You Even Need Them
AI-driven platforms can analyse historical hiring data, peak seasons, and employee turnover rates to predict when you will need staff. Instead of scrambling to find last-minute replacements, these systems help you plan ahead.
For example, a venue that regularly struggles with understaffing during holiday seasons can use AI-driven insights to start hiring early, ensuring a steady flow of qualified workers before the rush hits. By planning for staffing shortages before they happen, you stay ahead of the game.
Smarter, Data-Driven Candidate Matching
Traditional recruitment relies on gut feelings, but AI removes the guesswork. Machine learning algorithms scan thousands of candidate profiles and match them to job openings instantly based on:
- Past experience (whether the candidate has worked in similar venues before)
- Skill sets (barista skills, waitstaff, or kitchen experience)
- Availability (ensuring candidates are free when needed)
- Location (prioritising workers who are close to the venue)
Instead of spending hours manually reviewing applications, AI ensures only the most suitable candidates land in your inbox—saving time and increasing the chances of hiring the right fit.
Reducing Turnover with AI-Driven Employee Retention
High turnover is one of the biggest challenges in hospitality, but AI is helping reduce it.
AI-powered retention tools analyse why staff leave and offer insights into how to keep them longer. These tools track:
- Employee satisfaction scores through surveys and feedback
- How long employees typically stay in similar roles
- Competitive pay benchmarks to ensure wages are attractive
- Career growth opportunities to improve retention
By understanding what motivates employees to stay or leave, employers can adjust their hiring and management strategies, leading to better retention and lower recruitment costs.
AI-Powered Chatbots for Instant Candidate Engagement
One of the biggest bottlenecks in hiring is slow communication. Hospitality is a fast-moving industry—by the time applications have been reviewed and candidates contacted, they may have already taken another job.
AI chatbots can:
- Engage candidates immediately after they apply
- Schedule interviews automatically
- Answer common questions about the job
- Speed up the hiring process by keeping communication instant and efficient
With AI handling initial candidate interactions, hiring managers can focus on final decisions and onboarding, making recruitment faster and smoother.
How Sidekicker Can Help with Hospitality Recruitment
Enter the stage left, Sidekicker. We know the hustle of the hospitality industry, and we’re here to help you fill those last-minute shifts, seasonal roles, or busy weekends. With 90% of our jobs filled within just one hour, you can sit back and relax knowing your staffing needs are in good hands.
Sidekicker connects thousands of hospitality businesses—from hotels and catering companies to sporting clubs and venues—with thousands of pre-qualified, flexible, and ready-to-go temporary staff.
We match Australian and New Zealand hospitality businesses with top-tier temporary staff, meaning you don’t have to spend hours scrolling through resumes or interviewing candidates. We’ve already done the heavy lifting for you.
With recruitment getting harder, businesses that embrace tech will be the ones that stay ahead. By automating admin, using AI-driven hiring, and tapping into on-demand staffing, you can reduce stress, cut costs, and find better staff—faster.
Ready to make your hospitality recruitment simpler, faster, and all-round better? Let Sidekicker help you today.
