The National
Restaurant Association’ s Manage My Restaurant has
articles in categories such as Marketing and Sales, Workforce Engagement, Food
and Nutrition and Operations. Visit Manage My Restaurant here
for this and other helpful tips.
Consider applicants from other
career paths for strong candidates in your restaurant
Some applications that come across your desk are
relatively easy to identify with. Perhaps the person has several years of
experience at another eatery and glowing recommendations from a former manager.
Other candidates pose a bit more of a challenge.
Lacking a background in foodservice, they may be harder to immediately envision
as “restaurant material.”
However, open your mind to career-switchers and you
may find the answer to your workforce dilemmas. There are many people seeking
employment after working in other areas who have the skills and experience to
step into a restaurant position.
Here are some tips for finding talent:
Listen carefully to answers during an
interview. Does the potential employee discuss his or her “team” experience or
usually respond with “I”? The latter type generally doesn’t interview
exceptionally well — especially when talking about the qualities necessary for
restaurant work, Guinn says. “When I start hearing ‘I’ did this or ‘I’ did
that, I tend to wonder if the person can relate to what is required for
successfully working in a restaurant environment.”
Look for open-minded people who
are extremely good at being team players, says Tania Mavrakis, owner of Leona’s Pizzeria, Chicago. It’s possible
to find people new to the restaurant world who are still right for your
establishment. “What's important is that they have a strong work ethic,
excellent customer service skills and a go-getter mentality,” she says. “They
will shine if you provide them the additional training needed to really
understand your restaurant brand.”
Think about what qualities you value
for a given position. Then, examine the candidate’s background for examples of
these traits — regardless of the industry. Key transferable skills include
customer service, team-building, problem-solving, sales, negotiation and
purchasing, says Amber Hurdle, CEO and president of Amber Hurdle Coaching &
Training in Lebanon, Tenn. Restaurants are dynamic environments, and vendor,
employee and customer relationships affect the bottom line, she says. “A
candidate with a diverse background could be just what a restaurant needs to
enjoy success.”
Need a little more help making the connection
between a candidate’s past career and the possible value to your restaurant?
Restaurant coach Cheri Schweitzer, president and founder of Credible Consulting
in Madison, Wis., offers these potential correlations:
- Teachers and nurses are some of the most patient people around, and they are used to listening and calming people down when situations get tense. They make great servers and hosts.
- Looking for a great bartender? Hire a former salesman. Sales people are fantastic conversationalists; they make it their business to learn all about you and remember everything. And, of course, they love to sell. A bartender who remembers everyone’s names, upsells them on liquor, and lets customers talk about themselves while he/she listens equals a full, profitable bar.
- Every place needs a fantastic host. It’s the first impression and the last, and it holds a lot more weight than most restaurants give it. If you want the job done well, find a great former administrative team member to answer phones, be diplomatic, organize, keep the details straight and all around juggle the workings of the front of the house. A person like this can be well worth the salary because you end up getting much more than you bargained for.
- The restaurant industry and the retail industry share many similarities, so it’s an easy transition for retail specialists. Their day is all about customer service — dealing with difficult people, giving advice, and helping them pick what they want. Retail people generally have good memories and personalities and are chatty about the things they are passionate about. Find the right one that fits with your restaurant’s concept and he will be a walking, talking billboard in and out of your restaurant.
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