Few hiring decisions are more critical — or more challenging — than selecting the right hospitality leaders. Many bad hires come from leaning too far in one direction: choosing someone who “feels right” but lacks the skills, or someone highly capable who disrupts the culture.
How can operators and HR teams strike the right balance between culture fit and capability?
Understanding Culture Fit (and Avoiding Bias)
In hospitality, culture is guest-centric service, teamwork under pressure, and alignment with brand values. But beware: “culture fit” is sometimes used to mask bias or hire people who simply feel similar to the existing team.
Define your culture clearly (values, behaviors, guest promises).
Test for alignment with those specifics — not personal likeness
Assessing Capability Accurately
Capability means functional skill and leadership capacity. For a GM, that may include P&L management, compliance, team development, and service recovery. For a Head Chef, it might mean cost control, menu innovation, and kitchen leadership.
Use structured methods: competency frameworks, technical interviews, or even practical case studies.
Structured Interviewing Techniques
Behavioral questions: “Tell me about a time you…” to surface real past behaviors.
Situational scenarios: “What would you do if…” to test thinking.
Scoring rubrics: Rate answers objectively to avoid gut feel.
Avoiding the Gut Feel Trap
Hospitality is people-driven, but intuition can mislead. Bias — conscious or unconscious — can cause costly misfires. Diverse interview panels and pre-defined evaluation criteria help you stay objective.
Balancing Trainability vs. Non-Negotiables
Ask:
Can we train this skill in 3–6 months?
Is this cultural misalignment likely to change?
Capabilities like a new POS system can be learned; deep service ethos or leadership style is harder to reshape.
How Specialist Recruiters Add Value
Industry recruiters go beyond resumes:
Pre-screen for cultural alignment using defined values.
Conduct capability testing or psychometric assessments.
Provide market comparisons to ensure competitive offers.
Getting culture and capability right in one hire can elevate your entire operation. Getting it wrong costs time, morale, and guest experience.
If you want support structuring interviews and accessing pre-qualified talent, connect with Hastings People. Our team helps operators hire leaders who both fit and perform.