The Perfect Career Pivot: From Hospitality to Recruitment
As someone who works in the hospitality industry, you already know what it means to think on your feet, keep customers happy, and juggle a dozen things at once. What you might not realise is how well those skills transfer to a career in recruitment.
The recruitment industry is fast-paced, people-focused, and results-driven — much like hospitality. Whether you’re serving tables, managing hotel check-ins, or running events, you’ve likely built a skill set that’s perfectly suited to thrive in recruitment.
In this article we’ll cover five transferable skills that could make you a great recruiter.
1. Customer service & problem-solving
In hospitality, your day revolves around keeping customers happy — answering questions, managing expectations, and resolving issues quickly and professionally.
In recruitment, the same principles apply:
- Clients want reliable solutions to their hiring problems.
- Candidates want to feel valued and supported.
If you can stay calm under pressure and find fast solutions, you’re already thinking like a recruiter.
2. People skills
Recruitment consultant jobs are all about relationships — and so is hospitality. You’ve learned how to build rapport with all types of people, adapt your tone to the situation, and communicate clearly and politely, even under pressure.
Those people skills are critical when you’re guiding candidates through interviews or advising clients on hiring decisions. Emotional intelligence and persuasive communication go a long way in recruitment success.
3. Multitasking & organisation
Ever managed a full section of tables on your own during a busy dinner shift? Or juggled check-ins, bookings, and last-minute requests at a hotel reception? Then you know how to prioritise and stay organised.
Recruitment is deadline-driven, and you’ll often be working on multiple roles at once, publishing job advertisements, coordinating interviews, chasing feedback, and updating records. Strong organisational skills and the ability to multitask efficiently give you a real edge.
4. Resilience & adaptability
Hospitality can be high-pressure — from tricky customers to last-minute changes or being short-staffed on a busy night. The same goes for recruitment. Candidates drop out. Clients change their minds. Timelines shift. Your ability to stay calm, bounce back, and keep things moving is incredibly valuable in this environment.
5. Upselling
Have you ever upsold a dessert, recommended a more expensive wine, or encouraged a room upgrade? That’s sales. Recruitment consultant jobs are ultimately sales roles — selling a job to a candidate, and a candidate to a client. If you’ve used persuasive language and understood customer needs to guide a decision, you’ve already used sales techniques without even realising it.
Could browsing recruitment consultant jobs be your next step?
If you’re ready to take the people skills you’ve honed in hospitality and apply them to a new challenge, recruitment could be a great fit. You’ll still work with people every day, but with better hours, more progression, uncapped commission, and the chance to make a real impact on someone’s career.
Want to find out if recruitment is right for you?
Send us your CV or drop Elle a message on WhatsApp.
