When you show up to work, and put on a uniform, you’re there to do a job. Whether you’re a cashier, a car mechanic, a movie store clerk, or a server, you’re being paid to perform a task to the best of your ability.
While some of us really enjoy our jobs, it’s important to remember there’s an invisible wall around you when you’re on the clock. You’re here as the bargain basement superhero Professional (Wo)Man, and not your secret identity of Average Customer.
Unfortunately, it’s sometimes hard to keep millennials from compromising that secret identity. Worse, though, it isn’t necessarily their fault.
Always The Customer
The facts show that millennials, as a generation, are employed at numbers greater than both Generation X and the Baby Boomers were when they were that age. Millennials are used to having an income of their own, but more than that, they’re used to being treated like customers.
That sounds obvious, but we don’t really think about how complete that customer experience is in a millennial’s life and how little face-to-face interaction they have with the workforce compared to past generations.
Think about college as an example. In the past, students would send their transcripts, and out of the flood of applicants, the college would allow in the best and the brightest. Nowadays, though, like many other businesses outside of the service industry, educational institutions are managed more like service-oriented companies with customer service at the forefront. This means that management is more concerned with keeping students happy than ever before, only furthering the customer mentality of those in attendance. You can see examples such as this throughout the culture that millennials were born into, from how advertising starts targeting people before they’re even old enough to be considered customers to the multitude of services that are provided via the internet, which require little to no face time with workers.
For millennials, their primary experience in the world before they show up to their first day of work is as customers, which is a hard role to step out of if that’s all you know.
Just imagine applying for a job at your favorite restaurant. You know the place, and you’re familiar with the sort of experience a customer expects when they come in. Being in those surroundings where you’re used to being a customer yourself can make it difficult to break out of that mindset. This can be a challenge for managers who are trying to groom their employees to be the best they can be.
Workplace Translation
Because of the culture they’ve grown up in, and their general experiences, millennials often view themselves and their abilities like a form of currency. When they come to the table for a job interview, they want to know what to expect, and what they’ll have to pay in terms of time, energy, and dignity in order to earn their paycheck.
They’re often eager to get to work, and to gain experience, but aren’t willing to just take whatever they’re given.
They are still in a customer head space, and as a result, if they’re not getting what they need, they will walk away in order to find a place where will. On the one hand, this can make millennials seem unwilling to work, or like they expect preferential treatment. However, managers who can work with millennials will find that they are one step ahead of the game when it comes to their employment. They understand that a job is transactional and that they get what they put into it. All you have to do to ensure that millennials put in 110 percent effort is give them the correct incentives to be good employees.
A business can’t function without customers, and it can’t run without good employees; the key is to make sure that the latter isn’t trying to be the former when they’re clocked-in.
Need some ideas on how to make this happen? Check out our blog post on boosting employee engagement for some tips!
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Finding top talent to fill the vital roles of a company often requires hospitality management and operations to extend their recruitment strategies. Placement of career opportunities on a broad platform to recruit is good, but making a distinct effort to allure top talent to relocate could net even better results.
Selling the Reality Life Enhancement
There’s more to offer beyond salary and benefits.
Successful companies in the hospitality industry understand the positive impact of bringing quality individuals to the table. While offering a competitive salary and benefits is effective in many ways, even more important is to offer a holistic life enhancement opportunity.
Instead of this person being a tourist, desiring to be entertained and dazzled with the sites and events of a location, they’re going to respond better to clear picture of what day-to-day reality will be.
Finding the Employee Who Doesn’t Want to Relocate
The interest is not in relocating, but in working for the company.
See, the person who is immediately on board with relocating is likely going to be the person who then relocates again within a short time. The optimal candidate is the person who doesn’t have a mind to relocate but is the best fit for your company.
The point here is to expand the talent pool from which a company recruits by appealing to those who hadn’t considered relocation, but became open to it after the allurement strategy was employed.
Creating a Movement of Like-Minded Individuals
The world is a smaller place than before the Internet, yet is still large enough for even the most broad-minded people to become location-centered.
While it’s good to have an orderly, unified set of standards to compose the direction of your organization, ultimately a business is most effective when it appreciates and utilizes the innovative creativity of its employees. Holding on and letting go at the same time is a good analogy of the process of best using the diverse talents in your employees.
This culture of like-minded individuals can be an effective selling point during this allurement process. Prospective applicants need a reason beyond salaries and location benefits, and this culture of individuals can be the tipping point in their decision.
As a part of your unique recruitment process, designing a window of insight to show the unique philosophy of your organization will solidify an understanding of your company’s like-minded cohesiveness.
Taking advantage of the reach of your recruitment efforts is an effective strategy for finding top talent. With such a large prospective base of people looking for a career in the hospitality industry, finding the right ones for long-term commitment is more likely than ever.
Enticing talented individuals to relocate is worth the effort because finding that one in a million will bring innovation and positive energy to your workforce.
The hospitality industry is uniquely positioned to attract top talent who would, at least, consider relocating, but, by the same token, is subject to a shifting workforce. This trend can be reconciled by including relocation incentives in the recruitment process. By reaching those beyond the natural recruiting sphere, you’re tapping into a unique pool of talented employees by offering an unmatched opportunity.
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Recent economic trends have led more and more talented individuals to seek employment in the service sector, which is great news if you’re looking to hire employees for your service-related business. Nevertheless, turnover in the industry remains high, which means that even if you score great talent, it’s likely they’ll leave within the year, but not if you know how to pick them, and keep them satisfied on the job. These are the tips to do just that.
1. Think long-term
You might need a restaurant hostess right now or a concierge for your hospitality business, but what will you need in the upcoming months or next year? Thinking more long-term, like investing in continued education and promoting from within, can help you hire someone who can fulfill the position you need right now and then move into another position later on down the road.
Talented employees, whether they’re working in a restaurant, hotel or corporate office, need to stay motivated not only with a sense of purpose but also mastery.
They’ll stay at the place that provides this; where they have a chance to work towards a goal, learn new skills, and grow professionally. So, next time you’re hiring, do so with the intention of future promotion and make it known that this is what you’re seeking in potential employees.
2. Offer good benefits
Many people look at service jobs as just that- a job, not a career. That’s because some employers don’t offer crucial benefits that more traditional offices and career-focused places do. If possible, provide high-level employees with health care, retirement savings, or, if you’re a public company, stock options, so they can remain in the industry instead of going corporate out of necessity.
If you can’t do any of these things, at least not right now, then think about what else you can offer for benefits because these perks can make all the difference. Paid time off, extra pay for holidays, or even a shift meal can make your place of business more appealing than the others down the road.
3. Define your culture
Workplace culture, from how a business looks to employee attitudes and communication, reinforces how an organization operates. It’s a fundamental element that can have a huge impact on the satisfaction of not just your customers but your employees as well.
Even the best employees are nothing without a supportive work environment.
Those who want to build a career in the industry will look to work somewhere that has clearly defined values, priorities and communication, otherwise known as an attractive and inviting culture. So, if you haven’t already, work on building a positive workplace culture that will improve customer experience and employee satisfaction.
4. Ask your best employees for references
Great employees probably surround themselves with people who have a similar work ethic. Take advantage of this, and make the most of your employees’ networks when hiring next. Ask your best employees if they have any references or know anyone looking for a job. This will show your staff that you trust them, value their opinions and could lead to an exceptional hire.
5. Appreciate your employees
Employees talk about their jobs, so it’s going to be well-known if you’re a gracious employer or a hellish one.
Keep your reputation rock-solid by showing your appreciation.
Hosting company events, giving praise publicly and even just being understanding when mistakes are made can go a long way in expressing gratitude.
Beyond what your employees say, customers can tell the difference between a well-treated staff and one that’s under-appreciated. If it’s the former, service will be great, customers will be happy and business will be good. If it’s the latter, at the very least, you’ll have some pretty bad yelp reviews to deal with.
Hiring is one of the most difficult aspects of the service industry, which is why spending the time to source talented employees and dedicating resources to maximize job satisfaction is crucial to the success of your business. And, we’re here to help. Find more info and tips in our Management section.
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The world is saturated with advice for job seekers in the hospitality industry about how to come out of interviews ahead when seeking new employment, and as any manager who has held more than one round of interviews can confess, that shows. However, smooth talk and instant likability during the interview don’t always translate to the workplace. So how can management see past the shine to choose the best possible person for a position? We’ve got the answer…
Here are five tips for smart hiring in the hospitality business:
Determine whether or not the candidate has done his or her research
Hiring managers often begin an interview by telling the candidate about the business, both its history and current positioning in the industry. Instead of going traditional, break the mold and ask the candidate to explain what he or she knows about the company.
Candidates who have put in the extra work to learn as much as possible about the company prior to the interview are more likely to go above and beyond when it comes to time to work. Not to mention, it’s a good sign that the candidate is interested in actually working for you and not just finding a job.
Hospitality is sometimes unpredictable, so it’s essential for employees to show overall good judgement, quick decision-making, and flexibility. However, a large portion of any hospitality job is predictable, which allows you to get a glimpse at how candidates would approach their daily tasks.
Start by asking general questions that touch on part of the position for which the candidate is interviewing. After a few of these, move on to more specific questions having to do with the same topic.
You’re not only testing their ability to handle the job, but also their sincerity by opening up the opportunity for inconsistent answers.
For example, part of a general manager position is firing employees, so start by asking questions about handling conflict in the workplace. Then transition to specific questions about firing responsibilities and handling confrontation.
If a candidate is either unable to answer your questions or inconsistent in their responses, it’s unlikely they’ll thrive in the position.
Test the candidate’s industry knowledge
Even the most experienced interviewers can’t weed out all unqualified candidates solely based on resumes, so count on some slipping through the cracks. Most often, these are enterprising problem solvers desperate for any job at all who have no prior experience in hospitality.
Thankfully eliminating these candidates can be as simple as quickly quizzing each person who sits in the interviewee chair on basic industry knowledge.
For example, nearly anyone will be able to explain what a server does during service, so skip to what’s behind-the-scenes. Ask about the post-service tasks to gain decidedly more insight about the candidate’s true level of industry know-how.Discuss industry trends
Discuss industry trends
Another type of candidate to look out for is the person who does have industry experience and is qualified, but who does not want a career therein for the long-term. While it may be more difficult to ascertain this than other factors, it’s an important piece of information. So how to tell?
A candidate who is serious about a successful future in the hospitality industry should be able to speak about current trends and latest news.
Ask which of latest industry innovations he or she is most excited about. But don’t stop there. Also inquire about what trade publications or events the candidate has found to be the most and least helpful in his or her career and which connections have been the most fruitful.
Someone who is unable even to name a trade magazine, for example, probably does not view hospitality as his or her permanent field. Finding this out now will save the company time and money on repeating the hiring and training processes in the future.
Ask Other Staff For Impressions
It is natural that every job candidate do his or her best to make an excellent impression during the actual interview. However, good behavior doesn’t always extend to the waiting room or with other employees not conducting the interview.
Asking other staff members who had a chance to interact with candidates before or after the interview can therefore provide valuable insight. This alternate perspective can reveal what would otherwise remain unknown and lead to more informed hiring decisions.
It is never possible to completely eliminate the risk of hiring someone who turns out to be ill-suited in the long-run. But, by following the tips above, every hiring manager can make the most of his or her time with each candidate and increase the likelihood of choosing the best possible person for the job.
We’re very excited to announce DiningOut as our new media partner! This partnership will allow us to provide our users with even more news and updates about the restaurant industry, and give DiningOut readers easy access to open jobs in the industry. With our new public API and WordPress plugin, all of Sirvo’s job postings are displayed and searchable directly on DiningOut.com. We think this is a double win for those looking for restaurant jobs in the Denver/Boulder area and businesses hiring on Sirvo.
We’re also collaborating with DiningOut to create more content for members of the industry, such as posts about the best local restaurant companies to work for, round-ups of awesome Denver restaurant jobs, and insider tips and tricks. Stay tuned for this content on our site under “IndiNews”
Since 1998, DiningOut has been bringing you the best of the Denver/Boulder culinary scene with stories, interviews, and recipes from the best restaurants in Denver, Boulder, and beyond. DiningOut publishes two issues annually in the winter and early summer, and tracks breaking news on its website (diningout.com/denverboulder) daily.
Sirvo, named “Best New Startup 2015,” is a modern web app for hospitality recruitment. Sirvo helps better connect employers and job seekers by providing easy access to business and talent profiles, powerful search, as well as collaborative hiring tools for a smooth, streamlined hiring process.
