How Skype & Digital Technology are Advancing Hospitality Hiring

How Skype & Digital Technology are Advancing Hospitality Hiring

by | May 9, 2016 | Business Toolkit, Management

Choosing hospitality as a career has some great benefits, but, in the past, the hiring process and HR in general has not been a strong point. However, that’s all changing with the advancement of digital technology specifically made for the industry.

Take Skype for example, which is being utilized to conduct interviews remotely helping job seekers to apply for more jobs and allowing businesses to expand their talent network.

Skype is the most accessible video communications technology on the market and it’s making interviews possible from any distance. One of the benefits of working in the restaurant and hospitality industry is the ability to find work in any city across the world. In any given month,

In any given month, workers who are willing to relocate are looking for these job openings, but the holdup is not being able to get in front of managers.

Skype is changing that by making it possible for hiring managers to conduct interviews with prospective applicants at any time and from anywhere.

The interview is critical in any industry, but especially in hospitality, where workers not only have to get along with co-workers but also interact with patrons.

Skype enables decision makers to assess potential hires in real-time. Not to mention, it can be used from a desktop, laptop, smartphone, or tablet.

As Skype is creating an innovative solution for interviewing, Sirvo is using technology to streamline the application process.

Sirvo is a premium recruitment service for the hospitality industry, where finding qualified applicants and choice companies to work for has never been easier. If you’re interested in learning more about our service, please contact us today at [email protected].

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How Gamification Can Help Restaurants Exceed Goals

How Gamification Can Help Restaurants Exceed Goals

by | Apr 29, 2016 | Business Toolkit, Management

Gamification, you’ve probably heard this buzzworthy term more than a few times over the past year, and there’s a reason. From learning new skills to breakthroughs in scientific research, the use of gamification in business is drastically rising because of its effectiveness. Now, it’s time for the restaurant industry to take advantage.

Ameego, the premier online scheduling and labor control platform made specifically for the restaurant industry, recently published an article detailing how restaurants can use gamification to exceed their goals, and it explains gamification perfectly.

Boiled down, gamification is essentially taking an often boring activity, and transforming it into a fun game to achieve high productivity.

And, as of late, leaders in the restaurant world have been utilizing gamification to solve industry-wide problems from high turnover to low sales. Here are just a few that you might want to know about.

Improving employee performance

With the help of gamification experts Guest Engine, CARA, one of Canada’s leading franchise operations, developed a gamified program called #Connect in the hopes of increasing employee performance.

The program is based on the concept of “cooperative competition” in which employees work together to achieve individual goals such as exceeding sales numbers or receiving a positive review.

using gamification in restaurants to increase employee performance

When those goals are met, the gamification comes into play and employees earn points which they can then redeem for rewards, such as badges that signify an accomplishment, perks like writing your own schedule and monetary rewards.

The results: more sales, higher productivity and increased staff morale.

Boosting customer engagement

The use of gamification can extend beyond operations, and a great example is the Dominos ‘Pizza Hero’ app that, among other things, gamified the ordering process.

The app, which was a virtual pizza “slot machine”, would randomly generate a pizza for its owner after shaking the app. To top it off, the pizza could be ordered directly from the app.

using gamification in restaurants to increase employee performance

It was a hit amongst indecisive eaters and within just two weeks of its release, the app generated over 140,000 downloads, doing wonders for their engagement.

For more ways to leverage gamification in your restaurant, check out the Ameego Blog →

Attract Top Talent With Relocation Incentives

Attract Top Talent With Relocation Incentives

by | Apr 18, 2016 | Business Toolkit, Management

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.

One in a Million is More than Enough

Create a culture of success with successful hires.

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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Tips for Hiring & Retaining Talented Service Employees

Tips for Hiring & Retaining Talented Service Employees

by | Apr 5, 2016 | Business Toolkit, Management

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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How To Avoid Burnout For Hospitality Managers

How To Avoid Burnout For Hospitality Managers

by | Mar 25, 2016 | Management

Hospitality management is one of the most rewarding fields in the industry, with the potential for strong earning power, industry accolades and public recognition for a job well-done. With all of its benefits, however, the field is definitely not all sunshine and rainbows. The challenges of a busy work environment, long (and odd) hours, and dealing with customers nonstop could easily lead to a career rut. But it doesn’t have to. Here’s the 411 on staying focused and engaged in your hospitality management position. 

Make learning a career-long endeavor

One of the best aspects of being in hospitality management is that there is always more to learn. Why’s this an advantage over other careers? Because, as a manager, it’s actually part of your job to learn as much as possible. Not only will it advance your career, it will also keep you stimulated at work. Plus, staff will appreciate you all the more!

There are a few ways to go about this. The first is with experience, so spend time alongside those working in areas beyond your own. Shadow them, ask questions and get to know their day-to-day responsibilities, the challenges they most often face and the roles they play in the business as a whole.

The second is with good old-fashioned studying. After all, there are some things that are best learned in a classroom setting. The most up-to-date standards and practices, trends in guest expectations, marketing innovations and business strategies are just a few of them. While you most likely don’t have the time to actually go to a traditional school, you can easily access areas of interest with online courses or free classes.

Pro-tip: It can be hard to get the ball rolling on continuing education, so choose an area that you’re actually interested in and think you’ll enjoying learning more about.

Enlist the help of a mentor

This tip is as relevant to the industry veteran as it is to the newbie because there is always someone who has more experience, more expertise or is just outright better (in a good way). So, take advantage of their know-how by developing a mentor-mentee relationship.

Whether it is official or casual, reach out to someone whom you respect and admire, and make checking in with them a regular habit.

This person can be a great source of knowledge and advice, especially when you hit a rough patch because they likely had a similar experience. Another benefit of cultivating this type of relationship is the possibility of a recommendation, formal or not, from a verified source that has industry clout.

Be the best you can be

Yes, it’s a slogan for the army, but it’s also a great piece of advice to keep in mind while on the job. Why? Because it means you’re working towards a goal. This equates to purpose, focus and motivation. Basically, it keeps work interesting.

This requires more action on your part than you think.

Yes, do the very best at every task and go above and beyond to take on new unassigned responsibilities. But also, engage with the industry at large outside of working hours as well as during them. Attend conferences and networking events, read trade publications and engage in industry-specific social media groups. Not only will you excel in your career, you’ll also meet great people along the way.

Keep lines of communication with other staff wide open

A surefire way to that career rut is by being in conflict with coworkers. The best way to keep this from happening is by communicating openly and honestly with both owners and more senior managers as well as colleagues and employees that are in more junior positions.

Keeping everyone on the same page by sharing as much work-related information as possible will go a long way toward preventing problems that miscommunication can cause. Give clear instructions and directions, ask for clarifications and explanations from other staff when necessary and address concerns and problems promptly.

Whatever you do, do not avoid the difficult conversations because this tactic will always make things worse in the end.

Make good hiring decisions

Taking the time to hire the right people for every position is especially important in the hospitality industry where the job performance of every person is evident not only to co-workers and management but also to guests and reviewers as well.

While taking shortcuts may seem to save time initially, the consequences of failing to hire competent, qualified, honest employees will be the time wasted cleaning up the metaphorical messes that they make.

Take the time to complete a thorough interview process, find the funds to pay the salaries that qualified candidates command and do not hesitate to fire employees who have proven themselves to be incapable, untrustworthy or unreliable. This will pay off in the end and save you plenty of those headaches that inevitably lead down the road that you’re trying to avoid.

The hospitality management field is ripe with long-term opportunity for those professional men and women who are not only willing to put in the effort to excel but also the effort to remain engaged. By following the tips above, any manager can get started down the path to continued job satisfaction and success.

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