round table / FEATURES
T
ake chefs, an HR Manager, a hotel General Manager, a chef/trainer and a recently retired Restaurant Manager and you get a pretty wide view of the staffing issues facing F&B. Whilst all agree that finding Executive or Sous Chefs at the right level is not a problem, it’s how you fill the bottom ranks with motivated and skilled staff that is the poser.
Anthony Cuthbert General Manager C&I, Madinat Jumeirah
Kristyna Reger Ex-Restaurant Manager, Hakkasan Dubai
Francisco Araya Executive Chef, SCAFA
What’s your helicopter view of the issue? Otto Kurzendorfer: I’ve only been in Dubai for two weeks and the answer to me seems quite simple: use the talent that’s in China. There are enough competing people there. Here, it seems different. People need to be trained, of course, but I don’t see it as the major issue that many do. I think the key may be this: salaries have to match expectations. Dubai is an F&B hotspot and it’s probably the easiest city to get work in - there’s an invisible payback right there. There’s no labour shortage, just a motivation shortage. Roni Masri: Yes, I agree with that. Andy Cuthbert: The top level from Sous Chef upwards is fine - no problems there. Kurzendorfer: Ten years ago, I guess Dubai would have attracted kitchen staff from India, Sri Lanka and, to some extent, Egypt. Now it has a global reach and that makes us very lucky. Masri: Yes, you only have to reach out. Nicolas Smalberger: We need to address the problem of entry level staff. Cuthbert: Yes, it depends on the level and you get what you pay for. Masri: I believe we can train skills. Francisco Araya: There’s a gap everywhere. It’s very hard to train people on food safety - they need to be cooking and being trained. If someone hasn’t the background, it’s a struggle to get them to understand why we have different cutting boards and knives. You can have a great induction
Otto Kurzendorfer, General Manager, Ocean View Hotel
www.cpimediagroup.com
October 2013 / The Pro Chef Middle East
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