Manager burnout is real, and one of the leading causes is working entirely too many hours due to being short-staffed. Fixing your hiring practices is a game changer, so let's break down some best practices and advice I routinely give my clients.
1.Be thoughtful when drafting your job posts.
There are so many places for people to choose from when they're looking for work. What makes you stand out? Think about what the people you'd want to work with are hunting for in a job and what you can deliver. Know you can offer a flexible schedule; write that. Can you estimate the amount that role will make per week in tips or base; list that (make sure to say it's an estimate, but knowing weekly take-home is huge for people when deciding where to work). How about little perks; do you offer a free meal, discounts on food or retail, partner with any local businesses - you guessed it, put that in there.
Bottom line, what you post is going to draw people to at least start a conversation with you, or scroll by. You want to attract as much potential fit for your business as you can.
2. Have a plan for interviews.
I have a specific format I like to follow with a current organization I'm working with that I have thoughtfully planned to help fine-tune my selection pool of talent. Here's what that means for me:
This is a quick-service client, so I know I am likely to be hiring next-gen staff and they are texters. I know that I am looking for people who aren't daunted by the idea of high volume and fast-paced service. I want people who can communicate and interact respectfully and with agility because I know that's what the business needs.
I translate that into this flow:
- I text my info and ask them to setup time for a quick call (I keep this script in my notes app on my phone so I can do this on the fly)
- I eval their responses for *friendliness *adaptability *respectfulness
- We set up a 10min call so I can ask for their availability, plant the seed about the nature of the business (volume, pace, environment) and read their reactions, ask for pay expectations, and allow them to ask questions of me
- If we both feel it's beneficial to setup an in-person, we do - if not, I tell them I want to respect their time rather than move forward on uncertainty that isn’t beneficial for either of us
- I use a guide for the in-person interview that was created with intentional questions to identify if this person is going to be a sustainable fit for our team
3. Onboard and train like your business depends on it.
Because it does. I've done the math with various clients, and the cost incudes: time to hire (manager time used), onboard (materials, manager and trainee time used), and train (trainee and trainer time plus materials)... is generally costing you $800 (low end for server staff) to $6500 (orgs that train cooks on every station can get pricey).
The solution is:
- Have a solid onboarding checklist and plan
- Make that new team member feel welcomed
- Encourage learning and asking questions
- Make sure your training program and trainers are giving the knowledge and skills needed
Bottom line: the goal is to make your new employee to feel supported during training so they will be confident when training ends they're and actively part of the work.
Want a free cheat sheet to keep this breakdown fresh? Here you go!
If you'd like a full FOH & BOH printable Interview Guide, that's available here for $2.99