For your restaurant to be successful, it is essential to hire the right people. Your staff is your most valuable capital, and with the lack of resources in the industry, you must have an approach to finding the best prospects before you even start hiring.
Making a concerted effort to put a hiring strategy in place may take a lot of effort, but not doing so will be more expensive in the future due to the high rate of staff turnover, the lack of positive customer experiences, and inconsistent brand identity. This article goes over ten steps to getting the right people for your new restaurant.
Determine what constitutes greatness
The difference between an ok restaurant experience and a great one boils down to the staff. The purpose of eating out is mainly to have an experience and you can’t deliver that without a team ready to give your clients a personalized touch. Before beginning the interview process, it is important to meet with the managers to decide on the basic qualities that the restaurant employees and team members must have. It is not safe to assume that they all share the same idea of what would make a great employee.
Publish detailed and informative recruitment ads
Your job postings should include keywords that reflect your organization’s ethos and the restaurant’s concept, style of service, expected launch date, and details about any job responsibilities and scheduling prerequisites. Ads for open positions should be composed in a professional manner and should be shared using a variety of means, such as online job boards, word of mouth, and social media.
Have two managers interview each applicant
Missing out on a great potential hire can be just as detrimental as taking on a terrible one, so it is important to consult multiple people when making the decision. To protect yourself against bias, managers can communicate with each other after the interviewing process to identify any issues that need to be further investigated. Furthermore, this practice establishes a sense of consensus within the team so no one is hired simply because one manager wanted it.
Generate a basic list of interview questions
Formulating a comprehensive list of questions to ascertain whether a person is a good match for the company’s values, as well as to get information about their work history, will enable more effective interviewing. It will also help you maintain objectivity throughout the process. This will also show the job seeker your level of professionalism and make the interviewing process more efficient.
Record observations
Meeting with potential hires for a new team is an activity that can be taxing, as it’s easy to misremember how you felt about a candidate or to confuse them with somebody else. Therefore, it’s wise to take extra care and take any necessary notes when interviewing.
Attitude is critical
Knowledge and expertise can be taught, but someone’s attitude is typically not something that can be changed. When hiring, don’t be deceived by an impressive resume if the individual doesn’t have the values your team has determined as essential. Bear in mind that an interview is a regulated, planned presentation of a person; if they don’t appear to be in a good light in this situation, how will they respond when under pressure?
Instruct supervisors to evaluate physical cues
When an applicant mentions their warm, hospitable manner of service, yet has barely smiled since arriving, do not expect them to suddenly change when they are with customers. When you ask why they left their last job and they do not look you in the eye, it is necessary to probe further.
Ensure that interviewing is a mutual process
During the interview process, it’s essential to remember that you’re not the only one assessing candidates but they are evaluating you as well. Ensure that you always give the best first impression. This includes arriving on time, being familiar with the candidate’s resume, and dressing appropriately. Your managers should be equipped to impress any qualified candidate in order to maximize your chances of hiring them.
Ensure that no references are overlooked
No matter how much you like a job applicant, be sure to request three professional references prior to moving forward with the hiring process. Inform them beforehand that you will expect to receive feedback from a minimum of two of the references. It is important that you take this step, as learning the lesson the hard way is not the best experience.
Pursue balance
In terms of team building, a mix of backgrounds is beneficial; this includes expertise, talents, prior work experience, and individual character. Note the importance of having a balanced team, as a diverse and energetic staff, allows everyone to benefit from each other’s knowledge. Avoid recruiting too many individuals from the same place; you desire to create your own atmosphere, not copy someone else’s.
When assembling a team, it is essential to identify the characteristics needed to successfully represent your brand and bring a positive atmosphere to the workplace. Restaurants provide a unique opportunity to bring together individuals who align with the company ethos, so it is essential to have a well-defined selection process to make sure the right people are recruited.
It can be a challenge to build the team you require to succeed, however, it is still achievable. Get practical advice from those who’ve done the business before you, leverage data, and value experience to recruit in this fierce job market.
This article was published by LevelUp Recruiting LLC.
A quick plug of our services 🙂
We help you discover top talent ready to help you scale your business.
Good talent can be hard to come by, we get it. That is why we specialize in sourcing candidates not found on the internet.
We would love an opportunity to have a conversation with you and see if we are a good fit.