Are you ready?
The restaurant industry is one of the country’s fastest growing industries, projected to employ an additional 1.8 million people in the next 10 years. Extending from this, millennials are expected to make up 75% of the workforce by 2020.
What does this mean? That you need to develop a recruiting and hiring strategy to attract these workers. To do this, first take a look at some of the perks and benefits millennials want, and expect:
- Clear growth opportunities and career paths: Career progression is a top priority for this generation — even above competitive salaries. Millennials are committed to their personal learning and development.
- Flexible and lenient work conditions: Millennials believe strongly in work-life balance, and many are enrolled in school. They want flexible working hours to fit those needs. Luckily, the industry is one of the few that offers flexible work schedules.
- A fun and open environment: This generation wants to work in an enjoyable environment where they can have fun and build friendships.
- Brand is everything: Millennials want to be proud of where they work, which means your brand is key. They want to do something that feels worthwhile, and need to believe in the values and vision of the company.
How do you attract millennials?
It’s apparent from their “wish list” above that millennials are motivated by more than just money. Attract millennials by offering more of what they want!
Put them on rotational assignments more frequently to gain a variety of experiences and give them a sense that they are moving toward something. Offer flexible work conditions so they can balance school and other social activities.
Offer fun incentives like work outings and friendly workplace competitions.
And remember, your brand and what it stands for matters. This means sharing your brand voice and workplace culture everywhere: in your establishment, on your website and social media, and in job listings.
How do you recruit millennials?
First and foremost, know that mobile is the device of choice for younger job seekers. So, make your jobs accessible via phones and tablets. Posting your jobs to social and mobile-enabled job sites allows applicants to react quickly to new postings and apply quickly with less barriers. At Sirvo, we’ve found that posting to social media increases the number of job applications and overall engagement.
Every unnecessary step or click in the application process is a barrier and reduces engagement.
This generation is tech-savvy and will spread their love for their workplace through word-of-mouth and social media platforms, which can help recruit local talent. Social recruiting has some benefits that the traditional, print classifieds lack, such as targeting your jobs to those that are likely to be interested in that position/industry/location. To cash in, be as specific as possible in your job listings.
This will enable you to reach a higher number of candidates that are qualified for the position you’re advertising, with the skill set and experience required, making it easier for you to hire in the long run.
Read more about why Sirvo is right for your restaurant here →