Turning Rejections into Referrals: Solving Hospitality's Talent Crisis - Greg Früchtenicht, Saira Hospitality

In this episode, Greg Früchtenicht, Chief Operating Officer at Saira Hospitality, shares how his team is transforming the hospitality hiring process by turning rejections into referrals through Saira Connect, a new initiative designed to help hotels find hidden talent while supporting candidates in their career journeys.

Listeners Will Learn:

• The key challenges hospitality recruiters face with one-click job portals and overwhelming volumes of applications.
• How rejection emails can be transformed into referral opportunities to match candidates with better-suited roles.
• Insights into the Saira Connect model, which combines human-centered screening and workshops to prepare candidates for hospitality careers.
• How the program benefits both candidates and hotel partners by creating a more inclusive and supportive hiring process.
• Real-world examples of candidates who found meaningful opportunities through Saira Connect.
• Why a human touch in recruitment can improve candidate experiences and elevate employer branding in the hospitality industry.
• How local partnerships and training programs can address systemic hiring challenges and strengthen the talent pipeline.

You may also enjoy: Offering Hope Through Hospitality: How We Worked with St. Giles Hotels to Create Opportunities for our Community - Greg Früchtenicht, Saira Hospitality

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This episode is brought to you with support from Roomza, which helps hotels attract premium travelers seeking personalized experiences over discounts. Roomza is now accepting applications for its exclusive pilot program, which includes a free Hotel Personalization Starter Kit with Dyson and Theragun equipment. Learn more and apply at roomza.com/partner

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Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands