The Gold Coast hospitality market continues to attract experienced operators from across Australia and internationally, but finding the right leadership talent for a high-profile, high-volume venue can still be challenging.
Recently, Hastings People partnered with a leading hospitality venue on the Gold Coast to appoint an experienced Restaurant Manager.
The venue required a hands-on leader who could thrive in a fast-paced restaurant environment while maintaining the premium service standards and exceptional guest experience the business is known for.
With a competitive local talent market, Phil Cooke knew the search needed to extend beyond the obvious candidate pool.
The Challenge
For a busy, premium restaurant operation, finding an experienced Restaurant Manager is about more than identifying someone who can run a service.
The successful candidate needed to be comfortable leading a large team in a high-volume environment, maintaining consistently strong service standards and creating the kind of guest experience expected within a destination venue. They also needed to bring a leadership style that would complement the existing team and culture.
With experienced hospitality leaders in high demand across the Gold Coast, relying solely on candidates already active in the local market would have significantly narrowed the search.
The Search
Rather than limiting the search geographically, Phil looked beyond Australia and tapped into Hastings People’s international hospitality network.
This led him to an experienced operator based in London who was already preparing to relocate to Queensland.
The candidate had built their career across premium hotels, private members’ clubs and high-volume hospitality venues, developing extensive experience in team leadership, operations and guest experience.
Their background also included playing a key role in the opening of a globally recognised private members’ club, where they helped establish operational and service standards from day one.
With plans already in place to relocate to Queensland, Phil recognised an opportunity to introduce the candidate to the client before they entered the local employment market.
The Hire
The candidate brought a combination of experience that closely matched what the business required. Their international career had given them exposure to premium hospitality environments where service, consistency and attention to detail were fundamental.
At the same time, they had the practical operational experience required to lead a busy, high-volume restaurant.
Their hands-on leadership style, premium service background and ability to build and lead teams made them a strong fit for both the role and the wider business.
The Outcome
The result was the appointment of a Restaurant Manager whose international experience and leadership capability aligned strongly with the needs of the venue.
For the candidate, the opportunity provided an ideal next step as they relocated from London to Queensland, allowing them to bring experience gained across some exceptional hospitality environments into the Gold Coast market.
For the client, looking beyond the local candidate pool opened the door to a calibre of operator they may not have encountered through a traditional recruitment process.
The placement reinforces the value of a deliberate search strategy.
The strongest candidates are not always actively looking for their next role, and they are not always based in the same market as the opportunity.
Sometimes the right person is building their career on the other side of the world. You just need the network to find them.
If you are looking to strengthen your leadership team, speak with Hastings People about your next appointment.