Advice From An HR Expert

Restaurants can often have high staff turnover, yet many diners return to their favourite food spots over and over again because of the staff. Terry Gillis, President and CEO of Ahria Consulting in London, Ontario, shares his expertise with a couple of worried restaurant operators who are experiencing familiar challenges with staff recruitment.

Q |Dear Terry,

I’ve been working in the restaurant industry for over 20 years, currently as a GM at a locally owned neighbourhood pub. In the last two years, we’ve had a really difficult time getting good applicants to fill positions – both in the front and back of house. We aren’t getting many applications when we have job postings, and the ones we do get don’t necessarily have the experience we’d like. Our existing team has stepped in, picking up extra shifts and working long days but we need more team members to help carry the load. I’m starting to worry about the quality of service and the impact on sales if I don’t have a skilled team. What should I do to find the right people?

A |Finding the right people is probably the biggest challenge you’ll encounter in today’s job market. To truly succeed, you’ll need a multi-pronged strategy, a serious investment of time and effort, and possibly a mindset shift. Here are a few smart tactics you can employ that will not only help you resolve your current issue, they’ll also help ensure that staffing never becomes a crisis again:

WRITE YOUR JOB DESCRIPTIONS FIRST. Most people wait until they’re actually hiring to write descriptions for each position, but it’s a good idea to do them all at once and have them ready to go for when a position opens. A good job description gives candidates a clear picture of what they can expect. List the job’s day-to-day tasks and responsibilities, explain whom they report to and who (if anyone) reports to them. Then list any education, experience, or technical skills that the job requires. Finally, be clear on what you’re offering. Some people don’t like to include things like compensation and benefits in a job description, but these are the things employees care about the most and it’s a fair consideration for those looking for a stable job.

THEN, POST THEM WHERE PEOPLE CAN SEE THEM. If you don’t have a “careers” page on your website, you should. While the rest of your site will give prospective hires a good idea of the experience you’re creating for your diners, this page should focus on what it’s like to work for you. What are your values? Your aspirations? What kind of culture have you created and what qualities and soft skills are you looking to cultivate and reward? Add lots of photos and videos too. Give a virtual tour of the restaurant. Interview a few of your team members and get them to talk about your culture and why they love it. You might even want to film your staff and your regulars interacting and show people exactly how much fun it is to work there. And, of course, whenever a position opens, post it to your site.

You’ll also want to post to job search sites like Indeed, and LinkedIn, and/or the smaller sites that are focused on the hospitality industry, like HCareers and RestoJobs.

To turbocharge your search, try reaching out to your local culinary school. They’re always looking to hook their new graduates up with great jobs. You’ll also want to enlist your employees. Get them to leave reviews on websites like Glassdoor. You can even create a referral program and reward them with a cash bonus for every successful hire they help recruit.

Q |Dear Terry,

Owner/operator of a homestyle cooking joint here! Looking for some advice on how to keep my staff happy and committed to their roles. We get a lot of regulars who have built rapport with our team, I sometimes think they come for the connection and the food is just a nice bonus. We have an AWESOME team right now, but I know from experience that those working in foodservice can leave at any given moment. Is there anything I can do to make staying here more enticing for my staff while still being a profitable business?

A | Retaining great staff can be almost as hard as finding them – especially in the restaurant business. And while most of my suggestions come with a cost, they’ll all help you stay profitable in the long run, because hiring new staff is much more expensive than retaining your current staff.

• MORE HOURS: Most restaurant jobs are part-time, which means many restaurant workers work multiple jobs. By ensuring that your existing workers get full-time hours, you’re removing the need for a second or third job – and making it more likely that they’ll stay.

• MORE MONEY, MORE PROSPECTS: The number one thing that will lure your workers to a new job is the opportunity to make more money. By increasing your hourly rate, you’ll make staying with you more attractive. You’ll also need to give them room to grow. What kind of career paths do you offer? Create management tracks for your team members and give them the training they need to climb the ladder with you, so they won’t need to look for opportunities to do it somewhere else.

• BENEFITS: Restaurants aren’t known for their health benefits. By creating a benefits package that truly benefits you’re workers, you’ll stand out among the competition and create value for your staff. This one could be expensive, but you can offset the cost increase by cutting down on food or utility costs, or by small price increases on your most popular menu items.

• PERKS: Do you serve a staff meal? It probably won’t cost much to whip up a communal meal and serve it at the shift change, but it will mean a lot to your staff members who will appreciate the money it saves them. A staff meal also has the added bonus of building camaraderie and boosting morale.

• REWARDS: Who are the superstars on your team? Do you do enough to recognize them? When people feel recognized and rewarded, they’re more likely to stick around. Start an Employee of the Month program – complete with a cash bonus –to motivate and reward your top performers.

• A BETTER PLACE TO WORK: It sounds like you already have this one under control, but it’s still worth mentioning. People are less likely to leave if they’re happy. When you invest in workplace culture, you’re investing in your employees’ happiness. Prioritize healthy relationships – with your customers, among their teammates, and even with you. Create a family vibe and let them know that they’re part of the family.