The Talent Hunt: Learning to Look to Non-Traditional Sources

BY Emily Nonko | December 15, 2022

While no industry dodged the effects of the pandemic, almost none was impacted as much as leisure and hospitality, which saw its unemployment rate peak in April 2020 at a staggering 39%. 

“It was a gut-wrenching time,” recalled Jin Ivacic, global head of talent acquisition for Hyatt Hotels. Even as the industry recovers, she added, “We’ve experienced the challenges of uneven supply and demand.”

Ivacic joined Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton, a business reporter for the Denver Post, for a fireside chat on the evolution of the industry’s talent hunt, which includes looking to non-traditional sources, part of From Day One’s November virtual conference on workforce diversity. “It’s more of a candidates market than we’ve ever seen before,” Ivacic pointed out, so it’s up to companies to step up.

The underlying theme of the conversation was the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) to the talent hunt. “It truly needs to be embraced at all levels, starting from the top,” Ivacic said. “It should be a company-wide initiative, not looked at as something for HR to do and champion.”

As the industry ramps up again, it enjoys the benefit of having many roles that don’t require a high-school diploma. “Our hires have traditionally come from diverse backgrounds and experiences,” said Ivacic.

The industry focuses on employee potential, including transferable and adjoining skills. “With additional training we can bring people on board,” Ivacic said. “We’re really looking to see what’s intrinsic within them that has the potential, if you invest the time and energy in what could really become something special.” 

Two initiatives proved successful for Hyatt in recruiting from non-traditional sources.

A fireside on talent acquisition, from left: moderator Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton of the Denver Post and Jin Ivacic of Hyatt Hotels (Image by From Day One)

RiseHY is the company’s goal to hire 10,000 “opportunity youth” globally by 2025, defined as people being between the ages of 16 and 24 who are not in school or employed. “We partner with local nonprofit organizations and have had a number of successes over the years–there’s actually very high loyalty and retention among this population,” said Ivacic.

The company also set a commitment to hire refugees and piloted a program hiring them for remote, customer-service positions at its global contact center. “Knowing that transportation can often be challenging, we thought this would be a great way to alleviate some barriers,” said Ivacic. “The test was successful and we’re looking to launch more cohorts in the coming months.” 

When companies recruit from non-traditional sources, and increase the diversity of their workforce, a truly inclusive culture is imperative, alongside liveable pay and benefits. “It’s really non-negotiable and needs to be truly embedded in the company culture and the strategy of the business,” Ivacic said. “If there’s a strong culture that recognizes people as individuals, and there’s a place for them and they are seen, and that they have a voice, they’re more likely to stay,” she added.

Emily Nonko is a freelance journalist based in Brooklyn, New York. In addition to writing for From Day One, her work has been published in Next City, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian and other publications. 

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