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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Training and Certifications Required For Bartenders

Training and Certifications Required For Bartenders

by | Apr 13, 2016 | Career

Serving alcohol is a big responsibility, both in the eyes of the law and in terms of safety. Because of this, if you’re going to be bartending, or serving alcohol in any capacity, the proper training and certifications are not just advisable but most likely mandatory. While the specifics vary from state to state, here are some of the general rules to be aware of as a bartender or server.

The act of serving alcohol is hedged around rules to keep people safe, so many municipalities require bartenders, servers, or anyone else who physically handles/serves alcoholic drinks to have certification in responsible alcohol serving. Furthermore, most places require that training be completed and certification be in hand within 30-60 days of starting.

The course can go by many names depending on the state. For instance, those in California call it Responsible Beverage Server Training while Texas folks call them Texas Alcohol Bureau Control Classes. Whatever the name, they are all about the same thing: making sure everyone complies with the law and that they’re safe while doing so. As for specifics, here are the topics covered:

  • Current state and local laws
  • When and how to check IDs, including how to spot the fakes
  • Legal consequences of serving someone who is under age
  • Effects of alcohol and signs of impairment
  • Intervention methods and techniques

Most of the time, these classes have to be in person and you will want to check with your local government to make sure the town will accept that particular class’s certificate especially if you’re moving elsewhere.

Where can you find such training programs? Sometimes the local police or state alcohol boards provide classes as well as the certificate, but you can get it just as easily from certifying bodies such as ServSafe and Server Certification Corp. These certificates can last a year or two, depending on the issuing body and municipality.

Fortunately for bartenders and others serving alcohol, the legal requirements end there. There isn’t any place that requires a bartender to take classes or be certified in drink-making, just to be trained in safety, which is always the #1 priority.

Need to get certified?

Click here to get all of the information you need, including training options, class dates and times and links to register.

Get ServSafe Certified in Denver

Get ServSafe Certified in Denver

by | Apr 12, 2016 | Career

The ServSafe Program leads the way in providing comprehensive educational materials to the restaurant industry through face-to-face and online instruction. Certification classes are provided monthly by the Colorado Restaurant Association. If you’re not located in Colorado, check your State’s Restaurant Association website for event information.

ServSafe Alcohol

The purpose of the ServSafe Alcohol ® is to ensure that servers, bartenders, and managers have the information they need to understand and implement the skills of responsible service. Participants should leave the program confident in their ability to make sound decisions and handle potentially intoxicated guests. A workbook is provided as a reference tool for your operation.

 

Next Class:

9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Colorado Restaurant Association
430 E 7th Ave
Denver, CO 80203

 

Who Should Attend: Managers Supervisors Bartenders, Servers, Barbacks, FOH, Owners, Operators
Cost: $40 CRA members, $55 non-members
Registration form (REQUIRED): View/Download here

 

ServSafe Food Safety

ServSafe Food Safety® is a program of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. The Manager Certification course is a 1-day immersion course, offering basic food safety concepts. This program has a certification exam; passage of the exam is acceptable in 95% of American jurisdictions with a training requirement.

 

Next Class:

8:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Colorado Restaurant Association
430 E 7th Ave
Denver, CO 80203

 

Who Should Attend: Managers, Supervisors, Chefs, Line Cooks, Prep Cooks, Kitchen Managers, Owners, Operators
Cost: $140 CRA members, $180 non-members
Registration form (REQUIRED): View/Download here
7 Things To Know About Wunderkind ‘Bar Chef’ Shaun Traxler

7 Things To Know About Wunderkind ‘Bar Chef’ Shaun Traxler

by | Apr 6, 2016 | IndiNews

All it takes to know that Shaun Traxler is one of the most creative up-and-coming bartenders in the industry (aside from tasting one of his concoctions), is checking out his Instagram account.

From images of his “Bedrock Breakfast”, the aptly titled alcoholic interpretation of Fruity Pebbles to “Deez Nutters” with butter washed rum, egg, salted peanut and honeycomb syrup, Traxler’s creations are anything but standard happy hour fare.

For those who know Traxler, however, this comes as no surprise, since the man himself is anything but your typical bartender.

In fact, he sees himself as a different breed completely, preferring to refer to himself as a “bar chef” instead of a mixologist.

From his professional beginning as the winner of a statewide mixology contest in Arkansas to his current full-time gig running the bar Sideways on Dickson in the same state, Traxler has still managed to fit in making guest-lecturer appearances at national conferences and keeping up a continuous flow of hard-to-believe new adults-only drink recipes.

And when he finds himself with a rare block of free time in his professional schedule? That’s easy. He fills it, just as he did in late March 2016 when he partnered with Bay City, Michigan’s bean roaster Populace Coffee to host “Coffee and Cocktails”. In an interview with Bay City Times the day before the event, Traxler shared the reason behind his distaste for the title “mixologist”, where he gets the inspiration for his creations and what he sees for the future of his career. Here are 7 takeaways from the Q&A with the self-titled “bar chef”.

Bowling alley beginnings

Traxler credits a bowling alley job at Pinny Lanes in Pinconning, Michigan with giving him his first taste of working behind a bar. While his official job title was mechanic, his love of bowling kept him wandering the lanes to check out games. There, bowlers would catch him and ask that he fetch drinks for them. While the unofficial orders were more often for soft drinks than beer, the experience gave him his first taste of life as a bartender. From there he worked the bar at a Buffalo Wild Wings, and nearly every position thereafter was as a bartender.

Foodie at heart

Traxler’s professional experience has largely been behind the bar, but his personal passion has always been more for food than drink. As a result, he finds inspiration for new cocktails primarily in the dishes he loves the most.

Traxler attributes the complex and unusual flavor profiles typical of his creations to his love for food.

One example? An arugula-pear salad topped with gorgonzola became the inspiration for a drink that married gorgonzola-washed tequila, pear, balsamic shrub and arugula. The verdict? “It tastes really good,” according to Traxler, which we’re sure is an understatement.

‘Bar Chef’ explained

Aside from the fact that his concoctions sound more like they belong on the light fare menu than they do the drink menu, Traxler shies away from the term “mixologist” for another reason as well. “It’s a term that has…become bastardized,” he opines. “…you’ll see people putting gummy worms in a cocktail and calling themselves a mixologist.” Hence, the title of “bar chef”.

A day in the life

When he’s not hosting events like the one with Populace Coffee or indulging in recipe-inspiring meals with his wife, Traxler spends his time behind the bar at Fayetteville, Arkansas’ Sideways on Dickson.

He laments that the crowd is comprised mainly of college students, but adds that there is also a craft beer and cocktail menu that he is proud to have created. “…you can dip your toes into every market,” he boasts of the 150 beers, 115 whiskeys and 24 ciders Sideways stocks.

Professional endgame

While he is content running Sideways for now, ultimately Traxler aims to open his own bar. He hopes to achieve his goal within three years but stipulates that he has yet to settle on where he wants it to be. While he appreciates the potential in cities such as Detroit, he adds that having a child in Arkansas means that realistically he will probably stay in the state for the long run. What he does know is what vibe he is aiming for.

“It’s going to be super intimate. I’ve always wanted to do something that incorporates live jazz…”

Those with shallow pockets may not want to hold their collective breath, though. Traxler also wants his establishment to be “…super intimate with very expensive drinks.”

Personal favorites

Surprisingly, despite the entire collection of recipes and potential recipes at his disposal, Traxler is a meat-and-potatoes man when it comes to pouring one for himself, preferring whiskey neat (like the bottle of Elijah 18 he got for his last birthday) and, of course, beer.

To check out more of Traxler’s creative libations, drop into Sideways. Even easier? Check out Instagram and take in the photos featuring his newest recipes for some inspiration.

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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