How to Choose a Hospitality Recruiting Firm

Choose a firm by matching its specialization and search method to the role you need to fill. Ask who owns the search, how candidates are found and screened, and what the written agreement requires before you sign.

What a hospitality recruiting firm does

A hospitality recruiting agency helps an employer define a role, find candidates and assess their fit. For a direct-hire search, the manager becomes the employer's employee; the recruiting firm does not supply a temporary worker.

Recruiting firm, search firm or staffing agency?

Names do not tell you enough about the service. Hospitality search firms may run contingency or retained searches; temporary and hourly agencies use a different model. Read the hospitality headhunter vs. recruiter vs. staffing agency comparison and ask what the agreement actually covers.

Fees and guarantees to compare

Contingency fees are typically a percentage of first-year pay and become due when a hire is made. Retained searches involve an upfront commitment, often with staged payments. Compare the salary basis, minimum fee, payment date, candidate ownership period and replacement conditions, not just the percentage. Our fee guide and contingency vs. retained comparison explain these structures.

Specialization: roles, venues and markets

Compare hospitality recruiting companies on the work they understand: a hotel department head, restaurant GM and clubhouse manager need different operating experience. Ask how the firm matches room count, outlets, sales volume, ownership structure and market to the role.

How the search is run

Ask whether the recruiter approaches employed managers or relies on applicants, and how they screen beyond the résumé. A finalist should be able to explain operating results and a real reason to move. If the seat is still filled, ask how a confidential search protects the property and incumbent.

Questions to ask before you sign

• Who is my dedicated recruiter, and who does the screening?
• Which comparable roles and venue types do you recruit?
• How do you reach employed managers?
• How do you establish skill and motive to move?
• What is the fee based on, when is it due, and is there a minimum?
• What are the replacement conditions and exclusions?
• How are confidential roles described, and when is our name shared?
• What do you need from us to keep interviews and decisions moving?

Red flags

• Unclear written terms or an undefined search scope
• A process that cannot explain how candidates are screened
• Promises of a guaranteed result or timing regardless of the role
• Pressure to interview people whose experience does not match the brief

When to use a hospitality executive search firm vs. a recruiting firm

Hospitality executive search firms may be a fit for a corporate C-suite or board-led leadership search that needs a retained engagement. For department heads and unit leaders, compare the actual role scope and confidentiality needs rather than assuming that the word executive defines the service.

When comparing hospitality recruiting firms, consider Hearthstone for mid-level department heads and unit leaders. One dedicated recruiter approaches employed managers and screens finalists for skill and motive to move. We recruit nationwide on contingency at 18% of first-year base salary, with a $9,000 minimum for roles under $50,000 base and a six-month replacement guarantee with conditions. See full terms for employers. Terms apply.