I'm getting ready to open my own restaurant next week, as a franchisee of a fairly small chain, and like you I faced the realities of recruiting. After years of preaching how to do it, it was time to actually test the concepts.
All around I continually hear how hard it is to hire. Having now successfully navigated staffing a fast casual restaurant where the average income is over $200,000 within a 3-mile radius, the key learning is to build your brand as an employer.
Being a new brand in town, or taking over an existing restaurant that might not have a good reputation, is a tough thing. People looking for jobs know the reputations of Chick fil-A and Starbucks and gravitate toward them. When you are new in town or trying to do damage control, the key is to build that employer brand and let people know why you are different. Why should they work for you?
A few success tips:
Go into the schools--bring them food, ask to set up a table at lunch, make a PA announcement (during homeroom or at the football game), sponsor/deliver some teacher lunches and get involved by teaching a class for kids on how to interview.
Use online sites such as snagajob.com, mySpace, YouTube and craigslist. Today's generation doesnt hang out at the mall or go to movies. They are online, so be where they are.
Find a few good employees and pay them handsome referral bonuses.
Create a unique marketing message to set yourself apart from the sea of Now Hiring and Help Wanted banners. For example, “Bonus Potential for All Employees. ”
Have a recruiting website with an online application and pre-employment test. Show the applicants you are professional and not a one-off. The test helps screen out the weak applicants and removes the temptation for you to hire them!
Be persistent. Play shorthanded to get the right people in. Once you do, they magnetically attract more. Getting the first few is the hardest, and then it picks up steam. Dont sacrifice quality for quantity.
Visit www.smartrestaurantgroup.com to see how we attracted talent out of the pool of people where kids dont have to work. They may not have to, but if you create the right environment, theyll want to.
Meet TJ Schier at Dine America, where he'll lead a panel session on takeout sales, including the latest trends and best practices in operations, technology, and online ordering.
About the Author
TJ Schier is the president of Incentivize Solutions, former President of CHART (Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers), a noted industry speaker, and author of books and training videos that you can find at http://www.hospitalitytrainingvideos.com. Reach him by email at
