Millenium Hotels are located in some of the most popular and beautiful locations in the world. The Lakefront Anchorage Millennium Hotel uses an online applicant tracking solution to assist in hiring and onboarding seasonal and year-round talent from a small pool of potential employees.
Hiring & Onboarding Challenges
Lakefront Anchorage has both seasonal and year-round staff. During peak tourist season, the staff grows from about 120 to as many as 180, requiring significant effort in finding, screening, hiring and onboarding new employees. The volume of applicants, interviews, and paperwork can be overwhelming and delay both hiring and productivity.
Further, the Anchorage labor market is tight, and it can be hard to find applicants for housekeeping jobs. Food and beverage jobs and front desk positions are more popular but also more competitive.
In addition, it can be hard to communicate with applicants. “In Alaska, it can be challenging to get people to answer the phone,” says Michele Brennan, Human Resources Director at the Millennium Hotel. Communicating with seasonal workers from out of state or overseas is even more difficult.
Efficient Hiring and Onboarding Solution
The Anchorage Millennium Hotel selected to implement a web-based applicant tracking system to simplify these challenges, and for both its hiring and onboarding needs. Brennan finds it easy to use and very friendly. “It tracks everything for us, every touch, including when an application went to a manager, when interviews are scheduled, when reviews are in and a decision is made,” says Brennan. “This saves a lot of time for all involved.”
Our applicant system now also takes care of all communications, sending an automated email when applications are submitted, and as they move through the review process. All interactions are recorded in an audit trail.
Streamlining Process & Compliance
The hiring process begins with a job description, application, questionnaire and any additional documents that the Millennium Hotel wants to include in the job post. All of these items are managed conveniently online and posted to job boards selected by Brennan. These typically include the company job board, Indeed, Google Jobs, and LinkedIn. All applications flow directly into the system where hiring managers can see both overview and detail through a dashboard.
“The onboarding process keeps us in compliance with our environmental policy by allowing us to conserve resources and reduce the amount of paper thrown away,” adds Brennan.
New hires receive an email that gives them access to all onboarding documents including tax forms, banking details, payroll schedule, policies, and handbook. Brennan says this is popular with new hires, who can complete onboarding on their own time at their own pace.
International hires also feel more comfortable completing the process prior to traveling. “The texting feature is easy to use and has expedited the screening and hiring process,” says Brennan.
“Most of our applicants are more apt to check texts than email or even voicemail. Managers love the new onboarding process because it is so much simpler, hiring time is faster, there is less backtracking and fewer errors. Best of all, employees come ready to work on day one,” says Brennan.
Millennium Hotels in Buffalo, Cincinnati, and Scottsdale also choose to implement an applicant tracking system. Brennan assists in pre-screening applicants, moving some to the interview stage, and marking others as do not pursue. She will often issue an invitation to interview to applicants, and the system makes that process simple. Hiring managers provide feedback which is compiled to ensure that selection can proceed easily.
After an offer is made and the candidate passes a drug screening, onboarding begins. “Before, we would print hundreds of pages of onboarding materials for each new hire,” says Brennan. “Now everything is online. I love it!”
Learn More from Zamp HR
If you have questions about streamlining applicant tracking and hiring, speak with a specialist from Zamp HR to learn more. We hope you'll experience the Zamp HR difference for yourself. For additional questions, please contact us online or by phone.
