Assessing an overseas hotel candidate works best when the hotel decides what evidence it needs before meeting applicants. Use the same job-related criteria, explore each person's actual experience and record what remains uncertain. An accent, a familiar qualification name or a confident interview manner is not a substitute for evidence of the work.
The recruitment guide explains how to prepare the role and offer. This guide focuses on the selection decision and the handover to the manager who will supervise the successful employee.
Agree criteria that reflect the real job
Separate essential responsibilities from skills that can be developed with induction. For a section chef, an essential requirement might be organising an agreed service task; for a spa therapist, it might be evidence for specified treatments. Define what the assessor will observe rather than using labels such as “good fit”.
The WRC explains that employment equality protections cover job applicants. Use its employment-equality guidance when reviewing your process. Arrange appropriate support or adjustments where required and assess the work, not unrelated personal circumstances.
Review experience and qualifications
Ask candidates to describe what they personally did, who supervised them and which decisions they made independently. Explore differences between their previous setting and your operation. The candidate application guide helps explain the evidence you may receive.
Use the chef guide or spa guide for role-specific discussion. Keep qualifications, practical experience and readiness for your vacancy as separate questions. An unfamiliar award needs clarification, not an automatic negative score.
Assess communication and practical skills consistently
Choose short scenarios drawn from the vacancy: a handover, a clarification request or an explanation of a service problem. Tell candidates the format in advance. Record how they handle an unexpected follow-up, including whether they recognise when to ask for help.
Sagesa Hospitality requires at least B1 English. Assess whether the candidate can also communicate effectively in the situations this particular hotel role involves; the responsibilities may require a higher level.
For a practical assessment, define tasks, duration, supervision and payment arrangements. Check the WRC guidance on unpaid work; describing work as an assessment does not by itself settle its legal treatment. Avoid asking applicants to improvise work outside their competence.
Allocate document and reference checks
Use the six-check guide to assign CV, training, English, right-to-work, identity and reference checks. Record the evidence and responsible person, with unresolved points clearly visible. Do not silently treat a check as completed because someone else arranged the interview.
The DPC's data-protection principles require necessary, accurate and appropriately protected data. Restrict access to relevant staff and explain how candidate information is used. Your assessment notes should describe evidence, not speculation about personal life.
Record a defensible decision
Use this proposed scorecard for each criterion: required task; evidence seen; outcome; gap; next action; assessor and date. Suggested outcomes are “demonstrated”, “needs clarification” and “not demonstrated”. These are working labels, not a validated scoring instrument.
For example, a fictional candidate explains a section handover clearly but has not evidenced stock-ordering responsibility. Record those separately. Decide whether ordering is essential on entry or can be taught; do not convert an unanswered question into a claim of incompetence. Give the receiving manager a clear account of agreed support and remaining conditions before arranging arrival.