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“Fair, consistent and accurate — ThriveMap is exactly what Hilton needs in early-career hiring.”UK Recruitment Lead |
Entry-level roles keep hotels running, but they’re also the most unstable.
Hospitality turnover is 2.5× higher than the UK average, driven largely by mismatched expectations.
1 in 3 new starters leave within 90 days, creating constant retraining and service gaps.
Over 60% of candidates apply via mobile, so fairness and clarity make or break completion.
54% say job descriptions are unclear, a major cause of “day-one shock.”
Neurodivergent candidates are 40% more likely to drop out of complex or inconsistent hiring processes.
Getting entry-level hiring right stabilises teams, improves service quality, and reduces costly churn across every hotel.
The hospitality group we worked with to standardise entry-level hiring.
Splendid Hospitality Group operates well-known UK hotel brands, including Hilton and Holiday Inn Express, where hiring never stops. Thousands of applicants apply each year for roles where reliability, service and attitude matter more than what’s on a CV.
The sticking point was expectation mismatch. Many entry-level candidates liked the idea of hotel work but not the pace, pressure or physical demands. Hiring processes also varied by site, leading to uneven outcomes. The net effect: higher early attrition and inconsistent decisions.
Splendid appointed ThriveMap to design a hiring system that identifies candidates who are both competent and committed, making it easy to hire people who understand the realities of the role and want to do it.
Working with HR and operations, ThriveMap redesigned the entry-level hiring process with a single goal: reduce attrition by making the process more job-realistic and consistent.
Real context, not hypothetical questions
Candidates step into job-specific scenarios aligned to role families:
🍽️ Front of House
👨🍳 Chef & Kitchen
🧹 Housekeeping
🔧 Maintenance
Skills + motivation, mapped to real behaviour
A capability and motivation framework that tracks what actually predicts success on shift — not just what sounds good in an interview.
Clear, objective scoring
Simple, structured indicators that reduce bias and keep decisions consistent across sites.
Fairness by design
Reasonable adjustments built in from day one, so accessibility isn’t an afterthought — it’s part of the system.
One standard, everywhere
Ongoing guidance and calibration so hiring managers apply the same bar, whether they’re hiring in a city flagship or a regional hotel.
Putting realism and structure at the centre of selection delivered three clear benefits:
Fewer early leavers
Candidates arrive knowing what the work involves, which reduces quick drop-outs driven by unmet expectations.
Consistent standards
Assessors evaluate capability and commitment the same way across brands and locations, improving confidence in decisions.
Stronger candidate experience
Candidates receive a fair process and actionable feedback, supporting employer brand—even when the outcome is a “no”.
With ThriveMap’s job-realistic approach, hiring managers spend less time reviewing candidate experience and more time welcoming people who are competent, committed and a strong fit.
See ThriveMap in action
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