By Nicole Attias
Finding and retaining the right staff is always a challenge in any business. There are no guarantees. The hospitality industry is notorious for high employee turnover, and the recent pandemic hasn’t helped the situation. Adapting a new recruiting strategy is a start. Employers should prepare job descriptions that attract qualified participants, offer unique employee benefits and maintain competitive salary offers.
Here are five quick tips for hiring the best staff for your restaurant:
- Ask at least two managers to interview each candidate.
- Develop a set of basic interview questions.
- Take good notes if you hire chefs, servers, managers, cleaners, dishwashers, etc.
- Train managers to assess the level of interest and suitability of candidates.
- Make interviews a two-way street by having open conversations.
Samir Marji, owner of Optimum Staffing Solutions Inc., a Toronto-based staffing firm, says his team takes a multi-pronged approach to finding the right employees for a restaurant franchise.
“We have a few approaches to find candidates. First, we do a quick search of our database to identify all candidates who have worked in the restaurant and food industry,” he explains. “The second way is to post on our website and social media. We have subscriptions with job boards that we can post to, and they can offer these jobs to qualified candidates. We also have access to their database, which consists of millions of candidates.
“Once we have candidates from any of the sources mentioned, we shortlist some candidates and do a quick phone screening, then we shortlist up to five candidates,” he continues. “We invite them to our office for an individual interview and we select those who we believe have the necessary skills for the position. After that, we submit a minimum of three successful candidates to the client for a second client interview, and once they have made their selection, we provide the final candidate with a job offer. »
Using an outside recruitment firm, whether to hire chefs, servers, managers, etc., requires prioritizing positions and maintaining open communication for any restaurant franchise position. For example, Optimum Staffing Solutions believes in an open dialogue with its clients and candidates in the franchise industry to find the right person for a particular position and the right position for a particular candidate. Both perspectives are important because each must be satisfied in the long term.
When asked if it was easier to fill positions for a franchise rather than an independent restaurant, Marji replied: “In my opinion, it makes no difference, because you are always looking for the most suitable candidate. with the best qualifications for the position. The one thing I can mention about hiring franchisees is that they will always keep you busy. The volume of orders is higher with franchisees than with independent establishments.
Restaurant activity is expected to resume shortly, as disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic appear to be easing. Many restrictions have already been lifted and in the future more will be too. However, the rising cost of living could have an impact on the growth rate. The rising cost of employee wages will likely weigh on smaller restaurants, increasing the price of a restaurant meal. Working with a third party could be part of the solution for many. Fast hiring, flexibility and reduced risk of hiring the wrong candidate, that’s what it’s all about.
Benefits of working with a third party
According to Marji, “the advantage of working with a third party is that it gives the client more flexibility.” For example, employees may not be the right fit for the role or environment. Letting people go is easy and profitable. The customer also does not have to worry about the cost of an incident or accident, as the third party company will cover it. Finally, “trial periods could be longer than a few months in order to make a decision to hire a particular candidate.”
Outsourcing services through experienced third-party companies can improve service quality, increase operational or financial efficiency, and reduce overall costs.
Hundreds of thousands of restaurant industry workers have been laid off due to restaurant closures. However, many experts agree that the restaurant industry is showing signs of recovery. Having the right hiring process in place will be a big part of that turnaround.
[BIO] Nicole Attias has a YouTube channel and is a columnist for the Toronto Sun. She has extensive business development experience, from cold calling to industry networking. His skills include writing articles and cases, delivering presentations and public relations. Attias is also an entrepreneur who has worked in different industries before real estate including: recruiting and corporate training and helping businesses grow their customer base.
