More video and less CVs: this way Mornington got a more efficient recruitment process

Not like other hotels

Floor managers, service staff, chefs and bakers are some examples of roles that often need to be recruited to hotels. Christina explains that the roles and tasks at Mornington are somewhat different compared to other hotels:

– We are family-owned, not a large chain. Everything we do should feel personal and genuine. We do not only work as a receptionist or waitress, for example, but all our employees have broader roles with overall responsibility when it comes to service towards our guests. You don’t need to be an expert in the hotel and restaurant industry to work with us. We have a developing workplace where you get the opportunity to learn the job on the job. This makes personal qualities extra important when we recruit.

From chaos to order and simplicity

Christina says that Mornington lacked a structured recruitment process before they started using Higher’s tool. Instead, each new recruitment was handled differently depending on which manager who was responsible. Applications were saved in different folders without the possibility of an overview.

Today, all of Mornington’s vacancies are posted on a customized career page at Higher, linked from Mornington’s website. Candidates apply by filling in their details, answering a number of carefully selected questions and finally (if they want to) record a short video of themselves. The whole application takes only a few minutes and can be done directly on the mobile.

All applications end up in the same platform, where Christina and her colleagues can log in and choose which candidates they want to proceed with. They can also give feedback to the candidates via email and text message directly from the tool.

– Starting to work with Higher’s tool was really to go from chaos to order and simplicity. It is incredibly user-friendly, anyone can immediately understand how it works. It is ‘drag and drop’, you sort the candidates based on whether they are to be called for an interview, saved for later or dismiss completely. We can all log in to the same place and can follow the processes, discuss different candidates and decide who would fit at our different hotels. It is very effective. Now that I’ve started using the tool, I can not imagine working without it.

“The tool really helps us to quickly get the employees we need. It gives us a very accurate first screening, which saves us a lot of time and money.”

Christina Hamrin
Site Manager, Mornington Hotels

Accurate first screening

The collaboration with Higher began at the end of 2019, but barely had time to get started before the corona pandemic struck and forced Mornington to pause all ongoing recruitments. When it was time to start up again after the restrictions were lifted, Christina was grateful to have the tool in place, and ready to start recruiting again:

– We are looking for a lot of staff for both our hotels, and the tool really helps us to quickly get the employees we need. It gives us a very accurate first screening, which saves us a lot of time and money.

Video shows who has the courage

It is primarily the video presentations that provides the best screening of suitable candidates, according to Christina. This is especially true when it comes to roles that involve a lot of direct contact with their guests. She is aware that this particular step may scare some people away from applying to Mornington, but she believes that the benefits outweigh the risks:

– If you don’t have the courage to make a video presentation, you are not the right person for that type of role. Those who instead appreciate the chance to present themselves with the video are exactly the type of candidates we want. Our employees need to be outgoing and confident enough to talk to people.

However, recording a video is voluntary, and choosing not to does not have to mean that you are completely dismissed, Christina explains. The candidate’s overall results including the question section, which cover both personality and previous work experience, also weigh heavily in the assessment.

More efficient recruitment with less focus on the CV

Before Mornington started using Higher’s tool, all candidates had to apply with a resume from the start of the process. There could be many documents to go through. Now only those who are cleared in the first screening are asked to upload their CV to the platform.

– Previously, we had many interviews where we felt after five minutes that ‘no, this was nothing for us’. With a CV and personal letter as the first choice, it was like a gamble. Higher’s tool, and especially the video presentations, give us a much better sense of who the candidate really is.

The new recruitment process is not only more efficient, but has also given people who do not happen to be skilled writers a chance, says Christina.

– Your skills at writing a CV does not say much about how you will succeed in your role with us. Anyone who does not have Swedish as a native language does usually not know who to express themselves in writing. The selection questions and video presentations provide a much better basis. We have hired several people who would have been dismissed if it had only depended on the CV.

A confident pratner for recruitment

With Higher, Mornington has not only received a user-friendly digital tool for more efficient recruitment, but also a confident partner who, among other things, comes up with suggestions for selection questions:

– They have a lot of their own experience within recruitment and know what’s good to ask when it comes to different positions. They also listen to their customers and develop new features based on our needs. Nothing seems impossible. Therfore I am very pleased with our collaboration and can warmly recommend Higher to other employers, Christina concludes.