Head of Recruitment

Job role : Head - Talent Acquisition Location : Mumbai HO Experience : 10+ years Role overview: As a “Talent acquisition head” at The Hosteller, you shall be leading the entire team of acquisition specialists hiring for India’s largest backpacker hostel brand. This role requires a strategic thinker who can build a super-efficient team and processes having a sound understanding/experience in the hospitality sector, specially in domains like manpower agencies/campus hiring/facility management services/etc. supporting the face paced human resource requirement of the company. The role shall also require experience in P&L management, attrition controls, pan-India knowledge including regional/national expertise, labour laws, manpower forecasting, etc. in order to attract and retain the best talent in the hospitality sector. Key responsibilities Design and execute The Hosteller’s pan-India full scale talent acquisition strategy in line with growth plans (new property openings, functional scale-ups, and seasonal hiring cycles) Partner with leadership to anticipate talent needs, skill gaps, and organizational design changes aligned with business goals Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing talent acquisition team including regional leads, recruiters, and manpower partners Establish KPIs, hiring metrics and dashboards for TAT (time-to-fill), cost-per-hire, attrition forecasting, conversion efficiency, etc. Develop a centralized manpower forecasting model (property, F&B, housekeeping, community, ops, and support roles) and lead recruitment across functions Build partnerships with campuses, training institutes, and skill development centres (e.g., IHMs, hotel management schools, NSDC-affiliated institutions) Activate mass recruitment drives through job portals, agencies, job fairs, and regional collaborations Activate and manage manpower supply partners, recruitment agencies and facility management vendors across North, South, East, and West zones Negotiate and optimize contracts to balance cost efficiency and hiring quality Oversee P&L management of the recruitment vertical including budgets, agency commissions, onboarding costs, and productivity ratios Standardize SOPs for job postings, screening, interviews, offers, and onboarding across all levels Implement scalable ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) and digital hiring tools for better transparency and reporting, including the ones developed by The Hosteller Analyze attrition data, identify root causes, and co-create retention strategies with HR Business Partners Ensure adherence to state and central labour laws, minimum wages, PF, ESI, contract staffing regulations, and HR audits Liaise with compliance and finance teams for vendor documentation, agreements, and renewals and develop frameworks to prevent non-compliance issues in multi-state hiring and staffing Qualifications MBA/PGDM in HR or related field (Tier 1/Tier 2 institutes preferred) 10+ years of proven experience in hospitality/facility management/retail/QSR/ manpower supply/multi-location operations Strong pan-India recruitment exposure with understanding of regional hiring dynamics and language diversity Experience managing large-scale blue & grey collar hiring pipelines Demonstrated success in P&L ownership, attrition control, and manpower forecasting Knowledge of hospitality org structures, shift dynamics, and service standards Familiarity with ATS tools, HR analytics, and recruitment automation systems Excellent negotiation, stakeholder management, and team leadership skills Up-to-date understanding of labour legislation and contract workforce regulations across states Excellent communication, analytical, and stakeholder management skills Certification in labour laws, HR analytics, or talent management is a plus Strategic thinker with an execution-first mindset