Whether you’re the favourite local pub or the best bar in town, having a thriving hospitality business comes down to creating exceptional customer experiences and having operational efficiency. To maintain that positive reputation and build a safe and secure environment for your patrons, having trustworthy and qualified employees is crucial. Ensuring you have rigorous pre-employment screening checks in place, like the tools we offer at Checkmate, is a vital step in enhancing your service quality and mitigating several potential risks to your success.
Employee theft and fraud can significantly impact the bottom line of a hospitality business. Background checks, including criminal records and financial history, can help identify candidates with a history of theft or fraud who may potentially be harmful to your business, helping to reduce the risk of internal losses.
Hospitality workers typically interact quite closely with guests and often in private settings, such as hotel rooms and dining areas. Ensuring your staff members have clean backgrounds and a history of reliable performance is essential for guest safety and satisfaction. Verifying their past employment and conducting reference checks to confirm their ability to handle interactions professionally is important for ensuring your patrons always receive excellent service.
Employees in the hospitality sector often have access to sensitive information, such as guest credit card details and personal data. Conducting a thorough background check can help ensure you don’t hire individuals who might misuse this information. A global study by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) found that hospitality companies lose an average of 5% of their revenue each year to fraud-related crimes. Having strong and diligent hiring practices can help keep your patron’s sensitive information and your profits safe.
Various positions in the hospitality industry, especially those involving alcohol service, require adherence to specific legal and regulatory standards. Having background checks as part of your hiring process can help you ensure your candidates have the necessary qualifications to comply with these requirements and have no prior criminal history that disqualifies them from working in the position. These checks can help stop your business from getting caught up in legal issues and ensure a safe working environment for all your patrons and other staff.
In 2024, the AiGroup found that accommodation and food service businesses had the highest job turnover rates (15.7%) in Australia. Having continuous turnover in your business can be costly, with time and money needing to be spent on advertising, interviewing, onboarding and offboarding departing staff. Having background checks in place can help ensure candidates have the necessary experience and training to complete the job, flag if a candidate has a habit of jumping from position to position and confirm if a candidate is looking for a long-term role or simply something to fill in time while they look for their dream job.
Pre-employment screening is essential for keeping your hospitality business safe from potential risks that can cost you time, money and your reputation. Ensuring you have rigorous background checks and pre-employment screening procedures can help you build a trustworthy and competent workforce that contributes to your long-term success.
At Checkmate, we specialise in helping businesses minimise risk and maximise their potential through our comprehensive pre-employment screening services. Our detailed and compliant screening software ensures you hire the best candidates, every time.