“Average” is not a word any hotel or restaurant owner wants to see written in a review of his or her establishment—yet many continue to hire “common,” “ordinary,” and “typical” professionals to fill important job positions. According to the 20/60/20 rule, they actually make up 60 percent of today’s workforce—even though the top 20 percent, the high achievers, actually complete 80 percent of the work. Whether you’re hiring a new restaurant manager or searching for a concierge, consider these suggestions to improve your recruitment process and get more top talent looking at your hospitality job.

Don’t disregard passive hospitality candidates.

Few—if any—of the top 20 percent of professionals in any industry are unemployed. This means the best executive chefs, kitchen managers, and servers probably already have jobs. They may even have jobs at great restaurants that offer excellent pay and competitive benefits. However, while these high achievers are not actively searching for new job positions, they may be open to discussing exciting opportunities. Known as “passive” job seekers, one recent survey by a major recruiting services company found that they account for 69 percent of today’s employed professionals.

Get to know your top hospitality performers.

Whether you’re pursuing passive candidates or pouring through a stack of resumes, the simplest way to train yourself to identify recreation supervisors, room attendants, and front desk agents with the potential to become top performers at your hotel is to get to know the best 20 percent already on your payroll. Examine their backgrounds and skills. Build relationships and explore what drives this group to work as hard as they do. Then recruit hospitality job seekers with similar characteristics.

Ask your best workers for introductions.

In addition to serving as a model of top-notch talent, your best performers can also connect you with others who are like them. They aren’t going to refer to “average” hospitality professionals because they don’t want to work on an “ordinary” team either. Ask them for introductions to highly qualified guest services managers, night auditors, and sous chefs in their social circles. Then put these individuals at the top of your recruitment list.

Do be afraid to play dirty.

“All is fair in love and war,” or so the old saying goes. When restaurants compete for top talent, it can feel much like war—so don’t hesitate to dig for dirt on the other establishments in your area. Have they suffered financial setbacks? How are their reviews? Is the owner good to his or her employees or is there room for improvement? Spend some time learning everything you can about your top candidates’ current employers. The more you know about your enemy, the better your ability to shine a favorable light on the job opportunity you have to offer.

Advertise hospitality jobs in the right place.

In addition to soliciting referrals from your best employees, advertising your hospitality jobs strategically can connect you with top performers. Industry-focused job boards guarantee active candidates with the background and expertise you need to fill the job position. When you choose one—such as Hcareers—that offers hotel, restaurant, and other hospitality professionals a library of career development resources and dynamic job search tools, you increase your chances of reaching those valuable passive candidates as well.