How to Hire Quality Employees

When you’re running a foodservice business, employee turnover and temporary restaurant staffing is something you’re going to need to effectively manage—and that comes with its own set of challenges.

According to a recent study, 68% of restaurantsThe average person felt that the task of hiring managers and other service personnel has become more challenging, as well as financially risky. Average salary Turnover cost for a front-of-house worker is $2,000 and for a manager, it’s a whopping $14,036.

Yet, there’s no way around it—the restaurant industry has one of the Industry with the highest turnover ratesIn 2016, the percentage of women in this industry was 70%. Operators of restaurants and other businesses will always need to consider their workforce needs, including front-of house, kitchen and managerial staffing.

Whether you’re preparing to cater for a private eventSearching for servers or cooks who can support additional tables patioKnowing how to locate candidates with the right cultural and technical fit for your job is crucial during summer.

Here are some tips to help you hire temp workers and make them successful.

 

Attracting great candidates

Before we cover how to determine whether or not a candidate is a fit during the interview (scroll down if you want to get straight to that part), let’s cover how to attract great candidates.

For temporary employees in restaurants, it is best not to start your search. You can alsoFar in advance. Candidates for temporary roles see the role for what it is—temporary. They aren’t heavily invested and won’t be looking for temporary roles months in advance. It is best to start looking for the right role as soon as possible.

Note: If you’re hiring for a full-time role, however, you should start looking as soon as possible. It may take longer to find the right candidate for your full-time position. Candidates will be more invested and this could mean that it is harder to keep them onboard.

Create a job advertisement that is a winner

It is important to write a strong job posting to get as many applicants as possible for the temporary hiring process. After you’ve gathered a good number of potential candidates, it is possible to filter them through and decide which will be invited for an interview.

An solid job descriptionShould be honest and exact.

Ensure that whoever reads your job description effectively communicates the role’s responsibilities and the timeline of the contract. You want it to be easy to understand for potential employees, but not overly detailed. It can be a deterrent to quality, temporary employees if the job description is too long. Below are some basic details you need to add in your job posting:

• A few words to describe the establishment and highlight what makes it special
• The role should be described in no more than four sentences
• A list (bullet points are easier to scan) of the role’s day-to-day responsibilities
• The required qualifications and bonuses skills are listed below

Here’s an example:Serving at Full-Service Restaurants is a great experience

• An email address or link to which the candidate can send his/her resume

Your job description should be clear and concise. This will help candidates to make informed hiring decisions and increase your potential pool.

Additionally, mention whether or not there’s an opportunity to be hired in a full-time role after their temporary contract expires. Some great candidates might see the temporary position as a way to get a permanent job.

Post your job advert

Post your job advertisement on the appropriate sites. Here are some suggestions:

Your establishment should have the following: Facebook account and Instagram account, consider publishing a post or story to let your followers know you’re hiring. They’re your biggest fans and might be interested or know someone who’s interested. Your posts should be easily shared, and your followers can spread the word.

Refer your employees to you

Employees who are good will know others. Ask staff members if they have any connections to people who might be qualified. If the person they refer stays around, and it is a great fit for you both, encourage your staff to offer a bonus referral bonus.

 

What to do when you need temporary employees for a restaurant

The first step is to create and distribute a job advertisement. Next stepep—Screening your potential candidates—It is crucial. To find a candidate that’s both competenA strong cultural match is essential.

If you are looking through resumes spelling errors should immediately be flagged. If someone doesn’t pay attention to how they represent themselves, how can you trust that they’ll pay close attention to your guests and their needs?

Look for work experience, extracurricular activities and other relevant information that will help you get a sense of the person. Once you’ve got a list of potential candidates, it’s time to move to the interview process.

Cater your interview to the role you’re hiring for

Different roles within the restaurant industry require different personality and skill sets. Whether you’re hiring a chef, bartender, server, host, or manager, you should structure your interview so that you Have a clear understandingIt will tell you how that candidate performs in the job.

A server needs to be outgoing, able to multitask, and can smile under pressure. Ray Camillo is the CEO and founder of Blue Orbit Restaurant Consulting. He suggests that potential candidates for server roles be put through an interview. Timed assembly test.

“Replicate Friday night pressure and see whether or not they handle it gracefully,” Camillo says. If they get flustered or frustrated, there’s a chance they can’t handle the role. You could find a good fit if you take it all in stride, and keep your cool.

Once you think you’ve found the right person, do your due diligence and run a background check. To get an insight into their past performance, ask for referrals from former employers. You may just have found the perfect candidate if everything is in order.

 

Before you extend an offer

Learn the law

Every country has its own rules and regulations for part-time and temporary hires. If you’re not too sure of those requirements, do your research and also check out these resources:

Decide your salary

Don’t make the mistake of arbitrarily picking a number. Pinpoint a salary that’s competitive and that you can afford.

Which restaurants are paying similar employees? Temporary staff typically get paid at an hourly rate, plus tips. This can differ depending on what type of establishment they work for. You can learn more Your dishes can be very expensiveThe higher the tipping expectations, the better.

Offer a wage that’s competitive with what others are offering to maximize how many qualified candidates you attract.

Train your restaurant temporary staffing employees

After you’ve extended your offer and the candidate accepts, you need to train them They should be taught everything necessary to excel in the role they have at your company. Although training is different depending on what role they are being hired for, there are some commonalities in how to train your employees.

1. Education

When it comes to your establishment’s processes and workflows, Fixed menuA great resource is an educational booklet that you can give to your new hire. You can standardize the way each hire operates and the information they are familiar with. The following should be the focus of your educational brochure:

• Restaurant facts: the type of food you serve, your busiest hours, most popular menu items, most profitable menu items, how and where your food is sourced, as well as the head chef and owner’s information. Your staff can create a story about your restaurant for guests to use.
• Instructions to the operator: You can also explain the communication and collaboration between the front and the back of the house, and the roles and responsibilities for each member of the team. These details will help new hires identify the right person to contact if they require assistance.

2. Demonstration with shadowing

It can be a big help to your kitchen and server staff. To get a feel for the job, assign your new hires to work alongside one of your permanent employees. Visual learners are often quick to pick up new skills, so this can be a good way to show them how it works.

3. How to make the most of your technology

Your establishment’s Point-of-sale (POS).The heart of any operation is the kitchen display system (KDS). Your new employees should be able to show your younger staff how to use these tools.

ToHosting, consider showing them how to check in a guest that made a reservation and how to pinpoint where they’re sitting in your floor plan. Also, teach them how to modify the floor plan for late-night walk-ins or reservations.

ToServers, show them how to input orders and fire them to the appropriate workstation, check on a table’s status, and process payments.

To kitchen staff, teach them how to properly use the KDS, particularly how the color codes for a plate’s preparation status. You can use this example: Small Biz Sense’s KDSThese are the most common uses of this:

• Grey: New orders
• Orange: Cooking
• Green:Do it

Whenever they start preparing a dish or it becomes ready to serve, their first instinct should be to change the dish’s status so that your servers know when it’s ready for your guests.

To ManagersShow them how you can customize your menu. This is very useful for when your business launches. Menus for the Season( inventory, tips, staff,End-of-day close 

One of the best parts about using a restaurant POS system like Small Biz Sense Restaurant is that it’s so easy to use that even temporary restaurant staffing hires should be up and running in quickly and easily.

 

How do you hire seasonal workers of high quality?

How you approach hiring and training temporary workers in a restaurant will determine how successful they are. Absolutly determine the quality of your applicants and whether or not they’re successful in their role.

Use this guide to ensure that your hires, whether they’re full-time, part-time, or temporary, are a fit and that they have a positive experience working at your establishment. Even temporary staffing can make you the strongest advocate. In small towns, a great working arrangement in a temporary capacity can bring you a lot more goodwill. If they enjoy their experience, they’re more likely to stay on board long-term if the offer presents itself, recommend your establishment to their friends, or apply for another seasonal role down the line.

Best of luck