How to hire a hospitality specialist

How to hire a hospitality specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step hospitality specialist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a hospitality specialist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new hospitality specialist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a hospitality specialist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the hospitality specialist you need to hire. Certain hospitality specialist roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A hospitality specialist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, hospitality specialists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of hospitality specialist salaries for various roles:

   Type of Hospitality Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Hospitality Specialist	Customer service representatives interact with customers to handle complaints, process orders, and provide information about an organization’s products and services.	$12-23
   Hospitality Internship	A hospitality intern is responsible for assisting the management team in providing the highest customer service for the guests. Hospitality interns also support the human resources team in sourcing candidates for operations and recommend strategies to maximize the productivity of employees and improve operational processes... Show more	$12-17

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • POS
   • Patients
   • Proprietary Software
   • Quality Customer Service
   • Patient Care
   • Surgery
   • Cleanliness
   • Customer Service
   • Reservations
   • Phone Calls
   • Computer System
   • Front Desk
   • Hospital Accounts
   • Food Preparation

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage blood bank solutions for blood plasma expander as well as blood infusion for chemotherapy, emergency room, and trauma.
   • Operate the point of sale terminal (POS) ensuring package handling fees are collect.
   • Target audiences include anesthesia, general surgery, orthopedic surgery, pharmacy and nursing.
   • Maintain orders, stock and cleanliness in the kitchens, catering areas and visiting offices.
   • Present mini topic discussions to preceptors and residents on common ICU conditions and medications used.
   • Execute daily quality monitoring tasks such as food and drink preparation to include cleanliness and sanitation.

   More hospitality specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your hospitality specialist job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A hospitality specialist can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, hospitality specialists' average salary in mississippi is 49% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level hospitality specialists 46% less than senior-level hospitality specialists.
   • Certifications. A hospitality specialist with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a hospitality specialist's salary.

   Average hospitality specialist salary

   $36,217yearly

   $17.41 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level hospitality specialist salary

   $26,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average hospitality specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$47,500	$23
   2	California	$45,594	$22
   3	Washington	$43,955	$21
   4	Massachusetts	$38,718	$19
   5	Illinois	$38,096	$18
   6	Utah	$37,945	$18
   7	Arizona	$37,767	$18
   8	Missouri	$36,618	$18
   9	Colorado	$35,589	$17
   10	Pennsylvania	$35,292	$17
   11	Iowa	$34,923	$17
   12	Ohio	$34,853	$17
   13	Arkansas	$34,558	$17
   14	Texas	$34,531	$17
   15	Georgia	$33,424	$16
   16	Indiana	$32,765	$16
   17	Hawaii	$32,749	$16
   18	North Carolina	$31,829	$15
   19	South Carolina	$30,159	$15
   20	Florida	$29,739	$14

   Average hospitality specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Alameda Health System	$49,245	$23.68	1
   2	Highland General Hospital	$48,123	$23.14
   3	CJ	$45,535	$21.89	1
   4	Southern California Hospitals	$43,183	$20.76	1
   5	Epiq	$42,625	$20.49	1
   6	SpaceX	$40,096	$19.28	10
   7	University of Washington	$38,927	$18.71	5
   8	Sharp HealthCare	$37,904	$18.22	6
   9	FedEx	$37,758	$18.15	42
   10	Goodwin Recruiting	$37,700	$18.13
   11	National Medical Association	$37,625	$18.09
   12	Lahey Health Behavioral Services	$37,599	$18.08
   13	Compass Group USA	$37,412	$17.99	68
   14	Health First	$37,367	$17.96	1
   15	Pennsylvania State Treasurer	$37,339	$17.95	8
   16	Baptist Health Home Care	$37,160	$17.87	1
   17	SMS group	$37,122	$17.85	2
   18	Swagelok Company	$37,090	$17.83
   19	Cushman & Wakefield	$37,045	$17.81	41
   20	Kimball	$36,994	$17.79	4

4. Writing a hospitality specialist job description

   A job description for a hospitality specialist role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a hospitality specialist job description:

   Hospitality specialist job description example

   Work Schedule: Monday to Friday 5:00am to 1:30pm with weekend rotations. Facilitates requisitions, inventory management, receiving, and projects. Ensures orders are filled timely and accurately. Verifies product by description, item number, and quantity. Inspects products for damage, expiration, and proper packaging. Performs cycle counts and physical inventories in an accurate and efficient manner. Coordinates the availability and delivery of products, to include equipment, mail and/or linen. Provides excellent customer service. Ensures aisle/storeroom maintenance and cleanliness is constantly maintained. Effectively utilizes the Warehouse Management System (WMS) or Lawson to document all order filling and stocking activity. This position may require on-call rotation and weekend coverage. This position may require operating a company vehicle.
   High School Diploma/GED required.
   
   * Require 0-3 years of relevant experience.
   * 1 plus years of experience in order stocking and filling is preferred.
   * Some assignments may be required to obtain Material Handling Safety Training certification within 30 days of hire.
   * Some assignments may require the ability to operate manual and motorized material handling equipment.
   * Requires long periods of standing and heavy pushing and pulling.
   * Requires the continuous ability to: lift up to 50 pounds from floor to waist; lift up to 20 pounds from waist to over-the-head; carry up to 25 pounds.
   
   Safeguarding our patients and each other is an important part of how we deliver the best care possible to the communities we serve. As a condition of employment, IU Health requires all new hires to receive various vaccinations, including the influenza and COVID-19 vaccines, barring an approved exemption. New hires will also be provided the option to submit proof of previous vaccination.
   
   We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity and inclusion at IU Health. IU Health does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, national origin, gender identity and/or expression, marital status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right hospitality specialist for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with hospitality specialists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit hospitality specialists who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your hospitality specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit hospitality specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with hospitality specialist candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new hospitality specialist

   Once you've found the hospitality specialist candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new hospitality specialist. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a hospitality specialist?