Why do so many properties invest heavily in crafting a compelling story for guests, then tell a completely different story to the people they are trying to recruit?
Having placed talent across hotels of every size, market position and ownership structure, we find this question comes up consistently. The hotels winning the talent game right now are not necessarily those with the biggest budgets or the most recognisable names. They are the ones who understand that employer brand is not a separate discipline from guest brand. It is the same story, told to a different audience, and whether actively managed or not, every business has one.
When that story is clear and credible, something shifts. Employees arrive with realistic expectations, stay longer, perform better and become advocates. In an industry where turnover remains one of the highest operational costs, that is a lever worth pulling.
The Values Equation
One of the most consistent things we see is how much values matter, particularly among the talent businesses most want to attract and retain. Experienced hospitality professionals, and the ambitious emerging talent coming through behind them, are increasingly selective. They want to work for organisations whose stated commitments reflect genuine practice.
Sustainability is the clearest example. It has moved from a nice-to-have to a determining factor for a growing segment of the workforce. Saying you are committed and demonstrating it are very different things, and candidates who care most about integrity will see through broad claims quickly. Certification, measurable targets, third-party validation and transparent reporting on progress carry far more weight than aspirational language, and that includes being honest about where targets have not yet been met.
Discoverability in the AI Era
There is an emerging dimension to employer brand that many hospitality businesses may not yet have fully considered. AI assistants and generative tools are increasingly being used to research employers just as they are used to research hotels, asking questions like “what is it like to work for [hotel group]?” or “which hospitality companies have strong sustainability commitments?” Known as Generative Engine Optimisation, or GEO, this matters because the answers AI surfaces are drawn from publicly available content across the digital ecosystem.
Sam Weston, Head of AI and Marketing at 80 Days, described the shift well on The Halo Effect hospitality podcast. “AI is sitting between you and the outside world. It’s summarising you, comparing you, recommending you before a guest even potentially lands on your website, and that’s quite a big deal. It’s changing how that first impression gets made.” That applies with equal force to prospective employees. The AI-powered research phase now precedes the human one, and brands without a clearly defined, consistently communicated identity simply do not show up.
The Guest Brand Parallel
The hospitality industry already understands the value of guest brand. It knows that the gap between what is promised and what is delivered is the gap where trust is lost. The same discipline, applied to how a business presents itself to employees, produces the same results. When the story told to candidates reflects the culture they find on arrival, attrition falls. When values promoted externally are embedded in daily operations, people become genuine advocates, not because they have been asked to, but because it is true. Specificity, consistency and authenticity matter equally to both audiences.
What This Looks Like in Practice
Corinthia Hotels are a great example of this working well. The company’s reputation as a place to build a career carries real weight in the talent market, built on the same foundations as its guest reputation: a clear identity, genuine investment in people and a culture that lives up to what is communicated externally. When we introduce talented individuals to the brand, the conversation starts from a position of trust. Values are already understood, expectations are already aligned, and the first day tends to confirm everything the candidate was told. That shift, from convincing to connecting, is what a well-managed employer brand can make possible.
What This Means to You
At FM Recruitment, and across the wider Hospitality People Group, we work alongside businesses at every stage of their employer brand, from the shape of a job advert to the strategic positioning of an organisation as an employer of choice. As HOSPA members and active contributors to the broader hospitality community, we bring a perspective shaped across multiple businesses, roles and regions.
The most resilient businesses we work with are not leaving their employer brand to chance. They treat their people proposition with the same rigour as their guest one, and in doing so they are not just solving a recruitment problem. They are building organisations people genuinely want to join, grow within and champion.
FM Recruitment is part of Hospitality People Group, a family of specialist hospitality businesses supporting the growth and sustainability of the hotel and hospitality industry. To talk to us about your people strategy or employer brand, get in touch with the FM Recruitment team.
Chris Denison Smith, Managing Director – FM Recruitment
+44 7775 711923 / +44 20 8 600 1160 / chrisdenisonsmith@fmrecruitment.co.uk
Andrea Shaw, Director – FM Recruitment
+44 7714 236469 / +44 20 8 600 1160 / andreashaw@fmrecruitment.co.uk
Tairona Lattanzi, Recruitment Consultant – FM Recruitment
+44 20 8600 1160 / taironalattanzi@fmrecrutiment.co.uk
