Modern Day Job Listing Advice for Hospitality Employers

Modern Day Job Listing Advice for Hospitality Employers

by | Dec 7, 2016 | Business Toolkit, IndiTips

One of the main ideas we emphasize when training new restaurant and hospitality employees is the importance of making a great first impression with guests, but are we living by that same rule when it comes to our hiring practices? Are we making an effort to provide job seekers with that same great first impression?

Most job listings read the same way and it’s hard for job seekers to differentiate one group from the next. With an influx of a new generation of workers, newly arrived residents, and an expanding restaurant market, we need a renewed focus on how we brand and market ourselves to this vast amount of applicants. Here are a few key points that will help make your open listings as attractive as possible.

Be specific about the position

Posting a job for “All Positions” will do you more harm than good. It scares off a lot of potential applicants who see through the guise of posts like these. You may have a need to fill several positions at once, but your typical applicant may fear being pushed into a position in which they will not be happy nor successful.

Stop trying to hire for today and start hiring for tomorrow.

Why is this important? Because you don’t want to invest in a “maybe”, you will be wasting time and money trying to pawn off less attractive positions to applicants who are not interested. Need a Dishwasher? Then create a listing for that specific position, there is someone out there looking for that type of work who has the background you need.

Emphasize your culture

What makes you different than everyone else? Do you throw employee parties a few times a year? Are you a “green” restaurant that that has a good sustainability program? Then say so because job applicants not only want to know these things but these are the aspects that make one job more attractive than the next. You have invested a lot of time creating and fostering that culture, so tell your story and engage the type of individuals you want to work for you.

Learn more about Sirvo’s tools to increase your candidate reach and engagement.

We need to come to one realization above all else, WE ARE COMPETING FOR TALENT. While you may know that your group is the best to work for, job seekers will have no clue unless you market yourself that way.

Focus on compensation & upward mobility

We understand that compensation isn’t always something a company wishes to reveal. No one wants to write an open check to an unknown entity in fear that it may be exploited. However, you should be confident in the incentives that your group offers.

If there are opportunities for advancement and higher pay, advertise that within the job listing. Do you have employees who started as support staff and are now in management? Tell those stories! Paint that picture in your listing and show job seekers that there are ways to move up within your company.

Often times most job listings read the same way and its hard for job seekers to differentiate one group from the next.

Need-based hiring vs. effective hiring

We need to stop trying to put a band-aid on our hiring issues and instead put a long-term plan together. Everyone keeps looking for that quick-fix, meanwhile, labor costs are rising and our turnover rate is through the roof! We need to reevaluate our hiring practices and plan for the future. Stop trying to hire for today and start hiring for tomorrow. It will pay dividends in the future and ultimately save you a lot of headaches and money.

The days of simply saying “Now Hiring Line Cooks” and watching applicants pour in are over. Now it’s time to modernize hiring efforts so that the focus is on retention, and Sirvo can help.

While you may not have taken advantage just yet, online hiring platforms like Sirvo offer employers the tools and reach they need to effectively recruit in this day and age. That said, job listings must speak for themselves and sell job seekers on your company. Need some help? Use our job listing templates to get started. Your new hires are waiting for you, so post your open jobs today! 

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Developing Your Restaurant HR Strategies

Developing Your Restaurant HR Strategies

by | Dec 6, 2016 | Business Toolkit, IndiTips, Management

With the new year just around the corner, it’s time to review the numbers from the last 12 months, identify where to improve and set goals and expectations for 2017. As you look at this past year, metrics relating to human resources, including hiring, scheduling and the like, will most certainly be under the microscope, as they should be. The hospitality industry as a whole suffered from a 72% turnover rate in 2015 and while numbers haven’t been compiled yet for 2016, we anticipate an increase for a sixth year in a row.

With this in mind, your HR strategies moving forward need to be optimized and that’s why we’re laying out a few of the best digital solutions to help you make this next year a great one for business.

Restaurant Accounting Solutions, Inc. (RASI)

RASI’s goal is to free operators from behind-the-scenes activities, such as payroll and inventory, so that they can focus on their guests and employees. RASI has a variety of digital solutions, HR and otherwise, that can help ensure the success and financial wealth of their clients.

Their HR-related software includes payroll and taxes as well as staff performance and knowledge, which ranges from onboarding and training to HR compliance. RASI’s tools can optimize your staff-related programs so that your customers are satisfied and your cash register full! Check out their restaurant solutions here.

ZUUS Dynamic Scheduling

As the name suggests, ZUUS’s software is focused on staff scheduling with the main goal of reducing your customer wait times and driving profit. ZUUS not only provides restaurant and hospitality employers with a staff scheduling tool but does so by incorporating customer and sales demand forecasts for ultimate precision.

ZUUS also includes performance management reporting so you can optimize regardless of business changes. ZUUS can help improve staff morale, reduce staff turnover and maximize revenue. Learn more about their platform here.

HyprLoco

HyprLoco is all about personalizing the customer experience by understanding who is in your store in real-time, then providing staff with intelligence so everyone is treated as a regular, whether it’s their first or hundredth visit. HyprLoco’s software analyzes customer data and integrates with your POS systems, mobile apps and digital menu boards enabling team members to provide personalized service from upsell items to promotions.

This not only delivers an exceptional guest experience but also sets your staff up for success and successful employees are happy employees! Find out how HyprLoco can help your HR strategies here.

Sirvo

While RASI, ZUUS and HyprLoco provide solutions for current employee strategies, Sirvo focuses on securing your future employees. With the goal of increasing employee retention and reducing cost per hire, Sirvo provides hospitality-related businesses with intuitive and robust recruitment services.

On the Sirvo platform, hiring teams can post open positions to their media-rich company pages, which are automatically distributed across Sirvo’s partner networks including Indeed, Glassdoor and Zip Recruiter, ensuring your jobs have high visibility. In addition, employers are able to source potential hires by utilizing the search candidates feature, maintain a streamlined process with the applicant tracking system and speed up candidate communication via the messaging hub.

Beyond the app, Sirvo can also turn your website and Facebook page into recruitment tools with a custom career page and Facebook jobs tab add-on. See what Sirvo’s hiring services can do for your restaurant, retail or hospitality business.

Regardless of your specific HR goals for the year ahead, utilizing these software solutions can help your business achieve its bottom line. From hiring and onboarding to scheduling and performance, there is always room for improvement so why not make this upcoming year one in which you optimize your strategies and grow your company!

Learn how Sirvo can help you!

Cut costs and increase employee retention with Sirvo’s tools and services.
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5 Tips for Taking Your Restaurant Website From Good to Great

5 Tips for Taking Your Restaurant Website From Good to Great

by | Nov 16, 2016 | Business Toolkit, Management

A good website is no longer enough to compete in the crowded restaurant environment. To stand out to potential patrons in the age of internet ubiquity, you need a digital presence that sets your business apart from its competition. To help accomplish that goal, here are 5 steps you can take to take your restaurant website from good to great.

1. Make it Responsive

To say that we live in a world of smartphones and tablets is no longer an exaggeration. Mobile internet usage surpassed its desktop counterpart for the first time last year, and the gap is only expected to widen in the near future. Increasingly, your patrons are deciding whether to visit your establishment on the go.

For your restaurant, that means a crucial adjustment: make sure your website looks equally well on all devices and screen sizes. The process, called responsive design, allows the layout of each page to adjust dynamically so that even smartphone users can still find the information they need. The result will be better visibility in search engines in addition to improved user experience.

2. Allow for Online Reservations

Nobody likes even the chance of waiting in line. And yet, especially during peak hours, exactly that might happen for many restaurants. So why not set yours apart with an online reservation system?

A number of platforms, such as Tablein and Nextable, have begun to offer services that allow restaurants to integrate online reservations into their websites. The result is a more interactive experience that allows your audience to more easily reserve tables, and you to better plan your busy evenings.

…don’t underestimate the power of personalizing the web experience for your audience.

3. Add Your Own Style

To be successful online, your restaurant website cannot look like its competition. You need to stand out, ideally in a visual style that is congruent with the brand you’re looking to promote. Above all, that means losing the stock photos and using photos of your own locale, staff, and guests instead.

Try to use the website to convey the actual atmosphere and type of food your audience will encounter when they visit. We’re visual learners, so a large percentage of your web visitors will never bother to view your menu or read your writing if you cannot grasp their interest and attention within the first few seconds on your website.

4. Include Social Proof

Nothing is more convincing to potential guests than their peers telling them about the greatness of your food and atmosphere. Social proof in all of its forms is scientifically proven to work, thanks to our subconscious need for social validation.

Customer testimonials on your website are a crucial first step in leveraging the power of the masses. But so are social shares, especially if you decide to feature dynamic content such as blog posts or videos. The more easily your visitors can share the content, the larger of an audience will find out about your restaurant and be prompted to visit your website.

You need to stand out, ideally in a visual style that is congruent with the brand you’re looking to promote.

5. Share Behind-the-Scenes Content

Finally, don’t underestimate the power of personalizing the web experience for your audience. Especially first-time visitors, who can only rely on your website for information about your restaurant, will appreciate learning more that helps them better understand what they’re in for.

For example, you may want to share a profile (or even cooking video) of your cooks to give your audience a better understanding of how their food is made. You can do the same for servers, or even include a timelapse video of a typical night that better conveys how popular your restaurant truly is. The more of a peak behind the curtain you allow your audience to take, the more likely they’ll be to actually visit and check out your restaurant for themselves.

Do you have a good restaurant website? Don’t rest on your laurels – your competitors might as well. Instead, work to make it great, using the above tips. Ultimately, your audience will have to decide whether they want to eat at your establishment or at an alternative down the road. An effective website can make all the difference in helping them make that decision.

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Hospitality Hiring: Why Utilize Online Hiring Platforms

Hospitality Hiring: Why Utilize Online Hiring Platforms

by | Aug 15, 2016 | Business Toolkit, IndiTips

Believe it or not folks, but with every new restaurant opening and new opportunities lying around every corner, we are competing for talent.

Hospitality hiring right now

Effective hiring practices within the hospitality industry are more paramount than ever. We have seen a sharp increase in the national turnover rate, which has risen from 56% five years ago to 70% in 2016. This is a trend that has to slow down if we are going to control cost and maintain a consistent level of service in the years to come.

So, what’s the cause? Much of the problem has to do with outdated hiring practices that don’t consider the patterns and behaviors of this generation of workers.  Namely their desire to work for companies whose brands they admire and relate to as well as those that present clear growth opportunities. 

The solution? Utilizing hiring platforms that can simultaneously reach industry professionals on a broad scale and convey the personal message for which they are searching. In other words, hiring apps that are online and mobile-friendly. 

For years we have been relying on paper applications, “Help Wanted” signs and word of mouth to fill open positions at our establishments.

Out with the old…

For years we have been relying on paper applications, “Help Wanted” signs and word of mouth to fill open positions at our establishments. Using professional and modern online hiring platforms that are industry specific will help modernize some of these outdated hiring practices and will assist in providing a solution to our industry’s turnover problem.

There are some key features with sites like ours, that make the hiring process smoother and more efficient. We have built a central network full of industry professionals seeking positions within companies just like yours. One of the first things that need to happen is marketing and branding yourself in a way that attracts top talent.

Marketing your concept & culture

Why should job seekers choose to work for your company over a competitor? What aspects of your concept and culture make you stand out? These are all questions to ask yourself when you’ve decided to create an account with professional online hiring platforms.

One of the best features on Sirvo is the ability to create a business page and to customize it in a fashion that best represents your brand. This is done by being able to post a business profile picture and a cover photo that showcases one of those great Instagram photos you’ve posted over the years. There is also an area where you can break down your style of cuisine, concept or company motto or mission statement.

Posting an open position is another way for you to brand and market your company, by including specifics to requirements, qualifications and benefits of working for your type of establishment. You want to reach as many qualified candidates as possible and the only way to do so is by presenting yourself and your open position in the best light possible. Your business profile page and it’s look is essential to making a great first impression.

Effective hiring practices within the hospitality industry are more paramount than ever.

Streamline the hiring process

Besides the advantages of being inside of a network and broadcasting open positions specific to your industry’s talent pool, is the benefit to utilizing our Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). What is ATS exactly? Well on Sirvo it’s a feature that allows you to do a number of things like:

  • Receive notifications of new applicants
  • View applicant profiles
  • Categorize applicants in a “qualified” or “declined” category
  • Message applicants directly to set interviews

Boom! Our ATS speeds up the process and centralizes communication within one network. No more getting emails with sketchy attachments or from applicants that you have zero background information on. With Sirvo, both the job seeker and your business have a better idea of who they may be partnering with in the near future.

If we continue to only consider the seven people that walked through our doors to fill out a paper application the last two weeks, then we are essentially eliminating a very large pool of qualified individuals online.

Time to enter the 21st century

We need to face the facts here, we are operating within a hiring process that is outdated and is in desperate need for an update. This isn’t a criticism, it’s a reality. We have been stuck in our old ways of doing things and we are an industry reluctant to change. Utilizing online hiring platforms will save you time, money and will assist in creating a well-rounded team of new hires. If we continue to only consider the seven people that walked through our doors to fill out a paper application the last two weeks, then we are essentially eliminating a very large pool of qualified individuals online.

Aren’t you tired of hiring and training constantly? Isn’t day to day business easier when you have a full staff? This is a fast growing, competitive industry, let’s stop trying to fill space and let’s invest in our hiring process so that we hire the actual “best” candidate to join our team!

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Sirvo and The Colorado Restaurant Association Join Forces

Sirvo and The Colorado Restaurant Association Join Forces

by | Jul 21, 2016 | Sirvo Stories

The Colorado Restaurant Association becomes Sirvo affiliate to offer members a streamlined hiring process tailored to the foodservice industry.

DENVER, COLORADO – July 21, 2016 – Sirvo, the premier web app for hospitality and restaurant recruitment, today announced an alliance with the Colorado Restaurant Association, the leading trade organization for the Colorado foodservice industry. As affiliates, Sirvo and the CRA will join forces to meet the hiring needs of the foodservice industry.

Through the affiliation, Sirvo will be the official provider of the CRA job board granting members a streamlined approach to hiring in the foodservice industry. CRA members will not only be offered discounted member pricing on Sirvo’s platform but their job listings will also be posted on the CRA careers site as well as Sirvo and its partner networks for increased visibility and greater candidate reach.

“By unifying Sirvo’s technology with the CRA network, we have blended our strengths to offer food and beverage establishments across the state an easy and efficient process to hire great talent.” – Stephanie Maxwell, Sirvo CEO

For more information about Sirvo’s partnership with the CRA, click here.

About Sirvo

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. For more information about Sirvo, visit Sirvo.com.

About Colorado Restaurant Association

Founded in 1933, the Colorado Restaurant Association (CRA) is the leading trade organization for the state’s dynamic foodservice industry. The CRA represents, educates and promotes an industry comprised of more than 10,800 eating and drinking establishments in Colorado.