Finding culinary staff is not an easy task, especially when a club hires for so many different roles. Between salaried, hourly, part-time, and seasonal employees, a club needs several different strategies and resources to attract top talent. The restaurant industry is also notorious for high turnover rates, getting kitchens stuck in the hiring, training, and replacing cycle. With the right recruitment strategies and showing a club’s values, a club will attract better candidates that they can keep around for longer.
When posting available culinary jobs, a club wants the best possible candidates to immediately notice the positions being advertised. First, a club must define who their ideal candidate is by creating a candidate persona which includes their characteristics, skills, qualifications, educational background, where they’re from, interests, etc. When a club knows exactly what they are looking for in a future employee, they can tailor their recruiting strategies toward attracting the right people. Job descriptions should stand out from the competition and be exciting and detailed. If a job description is not thorough and engaging, a club is missing an opportunity to show off why it is a great place to work.
Attending or hosting a culinary networking event is a great way to meet possible candidates, along with starting an internship program. Most likely, the best chance of finding talented culinary interns for a club is by having a relationship with any school with a culinary program, both local and non-local. Being involved with an internship program has many benefits as well as resources to finding interns for a club’s kitchen.
Employee referrals are a main source of quality hires and one of the most effective recruitment strategies. An employee referral program is a structured program in which employers ask their employees to recommend suitable candidates for open positions. Because employees know the types of candidates needed better than other sources, employee referrals can make a better match right from the beginning. This means a lower turnover rate, reduced recruiting costs, faster time to hire, and better workforce planning, among other benefits.
Many companies now rely on recruiting companies, social media sites, job boards, online forums, and blogs to find candidates. For members, potential members, employees, and future candidates, a club should be actively involved across all social media platforms with posting and responding. Everything a club posts should directly or indirectly highlight what the club stands for, for both members and employees.
Besides posting any available job openings, a club should also give potential employees a snapshot into what it feels like to work for the club through their social media. In today’s highly competitive job market, having a positive employer brand is a top way to dominate the hiring process. Competitive wages, appealing benefit packages, and creating a positive culture within the kitchen and throughout the club will also be appealing to candidates.
While hiring the right culinary talent will help a club grow, finding qualified talent is among the biggest challenges. With a surplus of professional kitchens, exceptional culinary talent can be hard to come by. However, finding strong culinary talent and avoiding turnover is possible with quality recruitment strategies.