The Importance of Employer Branding in the Restaurant and Service Industries

In an industry where high turnover rates and staffing shortages are ongoing challenges, employer branding has emerged as a crucial factor in attracting and retaining top talent. More than just a marketing buzzword, employer branding defines how a company is perceived by both current employees and potential candidates. It is the foundation of a company’s ability to hire effectively and build a loyal, engaged workforce.

What Is Employer Branding?

Employer branding is the process of shaping and promoting a company’s reputation as a great place to work. It involves communicating the organization’s culture, values, mission, and employee experience through various channels. Just as businesses market their products to customers, they must also market their workplace to prospective employees.

Why Employer Branding Matters in the Restaurant and Service Industries

  1. Attracting the Right Talent – A strong employer brand helps businesses attract individuals who align with their company culture, reducing the chances of turnover.
  2. Encouraging Direct Job Searches – When job seekers recognize and trust your brand, they will search for your company by name rather than browsing general job listings, increasing the likelihood of attracting motivated and aligned candidates.
  3. Reducing Hiring Costs – Companies with a compelling employer brand spend less on recruitment because job seekers actively seek them out, lowering advertising and recruitment agency costs.
  4. Enhancing Employee Engagement – Employees who resonate with their company’s values and feel a sense of belonging are more likely to be engaged and productive.
  5. Boosting Retention Rates – A clear employer brand fosters loyalty, reducing the costly cycle of hiring and training new employees.
  6. Differentiating from Competitors – In a crowded job market, employer branding helps businesses stand out, making them the employer of choice for top talent.

How Talentral and ZippyApp Elevate Employer Branding

Building a strong employer brand requires strategic planning and the right tools. Talentral provides expert recruitment marketing consulting to help businesses craft an authentic and compelling employer brand. By leveraging digital strategies, employer storytelling, and data-driven insights, Talentral helps companies create a brand that resonates with job seekers.

A key component of this strategy is ZippyApp, a leading recruitment marketing platform tailored for the restaurant and service industries. ZippyApp allows businesses to showcase their company culture, employee testimonials, and job opportunities in a visually engaging way. Features such as mobile-friendly applications, employer profiles, and automated engagement tools ensure that businesses present a consistent and attractive employer brand across all hiring channels.

With Talentral’s strategic expertise and ZippyApp’s cutting-edge platform, restaurant and service industry employers can build an employer brand that attracts, engages, and retains top talent—ultimately creating a more stable and successful workforce.

Take control of your employer brand today! Let Talentral and ZippyApp help you build a reputation that attracts the best talent in the industry.

The Power of Recruitment Marketing in the Restaurant and Service Industries

The restaurant and service industries are the lifeblood of the economy, delivering exceptional customer experiences and creating millions of jobs worldwide. However, one of the biggest challenges these industries face is hiring and retaining top talent. With high turnover rates, seasonal fluctuations, and an increasingly competitive job market, traditional hiring methods are no longer sufficient. This is where recruitment marketing comes into play.

Understanding Recruitment Marketing

Recruitment marketing is the strategic approach of applying marketing principles to attract, engage, and hire the right talent. It involves employer branding, targeted job advertising, candidate experience optimization, and leveraging technology to reach potential employees effectively. In essence, recruitment marketing is about treating job seekers like customers—creating an appealing, engaging, and informative journey that makes them want to work for your brand.

Why Recruitment Marketing Matters for the Restaurant and Service Industries

  1. High Turnover Rates – Restaurants and service businesses often experience turnover rates exceeding 70%. Recruitment marketing helps build a talent pipeline, reducing the time and cost of filling vacancies.
  2. Employer Branding – A strong employer brand attracts top talent. Showcasing company culture, employee testimonials, and career growth opportunities can make businesses stand out in a crowded hiring landscape.
  3. Reaching the Right Candidates – Recruitment marketing utilizes social media, job boards, and search engine optimization (SEO) to ensure job postings reach the ideal candidates.
  4. Improved Candidate Experience – A streamlined application process and clear communication create a positive impression, increasing application completion rates and retention.
  5. Cost-Effective Hiring – Traditional recruitment methods can be expensive and ineffective. By leveraging targeted marketing strategies, businesses can reduce hiring costs while improving the quality of hires.

How Talentral and ZippyApp Drive Recruitment Marketing Success

Talentral specializes in recruitment marketing consulting, helping restaurant and service industry employers create compelling talent acquisition strategies. With expertise in employer branding, digital advertising, and data-driven recruitment solutions, Talentral ensures that businesses attract and retain top talent efficiently.

At the core of this practice is ZippyApp, a leading recruitment marketing platform designed specifically for the restaurant and service industries. ZippyApp simplifies job postings, streamlines applications, and enhances employer visibility, making it easier to connect with qualified candidates. With features like mobile-friendly applications, automated communication, and powerful analytics, ZippyApp helps businesses optimize their hiring process and reduce turnover.

By integrating Talentral’s expertise with ZippyApp’s technology, businesses can build a sustainable recruitment marketing strategy that keeps their workforce strong and their operations running smoothly.

Ready to transform your hiring strategy? Discover how Talentral and ZippyApp can help you attract, engage, and retain the best talent in the industry.

Building Robust Teams for QSRs and Fast Casual Restaurants

Future-Proofing your Workforce in an Ever-Changing Industry

The Quick-Service and Fast-Casual dining world, a vibrant sector dancing on the stage of modern business, is in the throes of transformation. This dynamism is twirling to the rhythm of tech evolution, customer trends, and labor flows. Pivotal to weathering this whirlwind is cultivating an effective and forward-thinking approach to managing your workforce.

A challenge that emerges from this dance, as illuminated by the insightful report by Trail in 2023, is the pressing shortage of labor in the hospitality sector. The heart of this challenge beats not just in securing the right personnel, but also in ensuring they remain within the fold. This predicament of retention is accentuated in the fast-paced ballet of Quick-Service and Fast-Casual eateries, notorious for their high turnover rates.

The secret to triumphing over these labor hurdles? A sterling employer brand. Remember, the reputation of your restaurant stretches beyond the taste of your cuisine and the aesthetic appeal of your premises. It permeates into the realm of your perception as an employer. With the advent of online reviews and social media, your reputation as an employer lies in the open, making brand management a necessity rather than an indulgence.


Crafting an impressive employer brand is akin to a well-rehearsed ballet—it takes time, patience, and careful execution. The opening act is nurturing an inclusive and supportive workplace. Champion your values, develop the talents of your staff, and provide opportunities for growth. Make open communication the norm, invite feedback, and respond with action. Show your employees they are the heartbeat of your enterprise and their contributions matter. Such fulfillment not only increases productivity but also turns your staff into advocates for your business, painting a positive image for potential talent and patrons.

A note-worthy trend cited by Exploding Topics is the blossoming of ‘Ghost Kitchens’. This model centralizes kitchen operations, reducing the need for customer-interfacing staff, offering an alternative solution to the labor puzzle. But let’s not forget, even in such setups, the power of a dedicated team is irreplaceable.

To waltz smoothly through the obstacles the Quick-Service and Fast-Casual industry presents, businesses need to orchestrate a comprehensive strategy. A rhythm of efficient hiring, effective retention tactics, and a striking employer brand could form the symphony of successful enterprises.

But the choreography gets complex. This all needs to be performed on a stage where labor regulations are tightening their grip. Be it minimum wage stipulations or workers’ rights regulations, businesses must keep a keen eye on the evolving regulatory environment to stay on the right side of the law. Striking the right balance between business profitability and legal compliance is now the name of the game.

The uncertainties that the future holds should be perceived not as looming shadows, but as spotlights on opportunities waiting to be seized. As we guide you through this fascinating dance of change, remember to stay nimble, stay flexible, and keep your people at the core of your strategies. They are not just the challenge – they are the keys to the solution.

Breaking News: ICE Ends Form I-9 Virtual Remote Inspection

July 21, 2023

The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has made a significant announcement, putting an end to the Form I-9 virtual remote inspection. Initially introduced as a measure to help employers navigate the challenges posed by the pandemic, the flexibilities will cease to be in effect as of July 31, 2023. Employers now have until August 30, 2023, to comply with the in-person Form I-9 document inspection requirements.

The temporary COVID-19 flexibilities allowed employers to remotely inspect I-9 documents for employees working from home due to the pandemic. However, as the situation has improved, ICE is phasing out these virtual inspections. Employers who have been relying on this policy must act promptly to ensure all I-9 forms completed under this exception are physically inspected by August 30, 2023.

Understanding the Temporary COVID-19 Flexibilities

The Form I-9 is a vital component of the hiring process, serving to verify the identity and employment eligibility of new hires in the United States. Employers must complete the I-9 form within three days of hiring an employee and retain it for three years from the date of hire or one year from the date of termination.

To accommodate pandemic challenges, ICE introduced a temporary policy in March 2020, allowing for virtual inspections of I-9 documents. This policy was later expanded in April 2021, providing further flexibility to companies as they gradually brought back employees. However, it’s essential to note that these flexibilities were never meant to apply to permanent remote employees.

Ensuring Compliance and ZippyApp Onboarding as the Solution

With the expiration of the temporary COVID-19 flexibilities on July 31, employers must now prioritize accuracy and compliance in handling their I-9 forms. Any errors or omissions must be promptly corrected within ten days of discovery to avoid severe penalties and legal repercussions.

Enter ZippyApp Onboarding, the cost-effective and expedited solution for handling I-9 forms. As you transition back to in-person inspections by August 30, 2023, ZippyApp Onboarding offers a secure and user-friendly platform for employers to create, manage, and store I-9 forms with utmost accuracy and security. Its electronic I-9 system includes automatic error-checking and alerts, ensuring compliance and quick identification of any issues that may arise.

The Time to Act is Now

As an employer, it is crucial to be aware of these changes and take immediate action to ensure compliance with the updated Form I-9 requirements. Don’t let the deadline pass without proper verification of your employees’ I-9 forms. ZippyApp Onboarding is your reliable partner in this endeavor, making the process seamless and hassle-free.

Stay ahead of the game, make the switch to ZippyApp Onboarding, and ensure your Form I-9 compliance is airtight. Avoid potential risks and focus on your business’s growth and success with the help of this cutting-edge solution.

Remember, the deadline for in-person Form I-9 document inspections is fast approaching – August 30, 2023. Act now and embrace the efficiency and security offered by ZippyApp Onboarding. Ensure your company’s compliance and keep your workforce moving forward confidently.

Visit our website
www.zippyapp.com to learn how ZippyApp Onboarding can streamline your I-9 process and provide a secure, user-friendly platform for managing all your I-9 forms.

Inquire today here to get started and discover how our electronic I-9 system will make your Form I-9 compliance journey seamless and stress-free.

Don’t miss the August 30, 2023 deadline – Ensure your Form I-9 compliance with ZippyApp Onboarding now!


Navigating the Dynamic Landscape of Hourly, Service, and Hospitality Labor

Welcome to another exciting discussion on the ZippyApp blog, your go-to platform for all things related to the hourly, service, and hospitality labor markets. Today, we’re going to delve into some fascinating data trends that are shaping these sectors, courtesy of a recent study by Reuters. Let’s strap in for a journey filled with insights, trends, and useful tips that can transform your business landscape.

Understanding the Labor Market’s Shifting Currents

Jobs have always been the lifeblood of any economy, and this couldn’t be truer for the hourly, service, and hospitality sectors. The labor market can feel like a roller coaster ride at times, with factors such as technological advancements, economic fluctuations, and now, global pandemics, throwing in unexpected twists and turns. Knowing how to navigate this landscape effectively can help your business not just survive, but thrive.

In 2023, we’re seeing some fascinating trends emerge. The top professions, when analyzed on a state-by-state basis, present a mosaic of opportunities. For instance, in the hourly sector, many states such as New York, Texas, and California are witnessing a high demand for retail salespersons and cashiers. In the service industry, personal care aides, home health aides, and registered nurses are leading the pack, especially in densely populated regions like Florida. This data highlights the importance of tailoring your hiring strategies to match regional trends.

The Impact of Wage Growth on the Job Market

When it comes to wage growth, it’s a mixed bag. Many roles in the service industry are seeing a boost, which is great news for employees in this sector. But here’s a twist: while higher wages can attract more potential candidates, they can also cause a bit of a conundrum for businesses looking to balance their budgets. For businesses operating in states with high minimum wage rates, it’s essential to adopt innovative strategies to maintain profitability while still offering competitive wages.

Embracing the Rise of Flexible Work

One trend we can’t ignore is the growing popularity of flexible work. The rise of the gig economy is creating a seismic shift in the labor landscape, especially in the hospitality sector. In this fast-paced digital age, people are seeking the freedom to choose when and where they work. Businesses that adapt to this trend can tap into a pool of enthusiastic, flexible, and talented individuals ready to help your enterprise shine.

Making Smart Moves in a Dynamic Landscape

With the labor market in a constant state of flux, it’s crucial to stay one step ahead. By leveraging data-driven insights and following these key strategies, your business can effectively navigate the evolving trends of the hourly, service, and hospitality sectors.

  1. Monitor regional trends: Keep a close eye on job trends specific to your business location. Tailor your hiring strategies to match these trends and meet your staffing needs effectively.
  2. Balance wage and budget: Understand the implications of wage growth and its impact on your business. Ensure that you’re offering competitive wages while maintaining your budget.
  3. Adapt to flexible work: Embrace the gig economy and offer flexible work opportunities. This will help you attract a pool of enthusiastic workers, ready to take your business to new heights.

In this exciting and ever-changing world of work, your journey is just beginning. Stay tuned to the ZippyApp blog for more insights, tips, and trends on navigating the dynamic landscape of hourly, service, and hospitality labor. Remember, the key to thriving in these sectors lies in adaptability, innovation, and strategic foresight. Happy navigating!

ZippyApp Seizing the Day

By Michael Beck
By Michael Beck

Leading the Charge in a Booming Job Market

July 6, 2023

In a world where economies are swiftly adapting to post-pandemic realities, the American job market in May 2023 has delivered a pleasant surprise, outperforming expectations and painting a promising landscape for the future. And right in the middle of this exciting upswing stands ZippyApp, a rising tech star transforming the hiring landscape.

As reported by CNN, the May 2023 jobs report has defied the odds, indicating an addition of 559,000 jobs — a stark contrast to April’s discouraging numbers. This bounce-back has been embraced by a wide range of industries, but the most fascinating story is arguably that of ZippyApp’s role in this economic revival.

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ZippyApp, an innovative mobile application and online hiring solution, is setting a new benchmark in the hiring ecosystem. Through its strategic approach to connect job seekers with employers in real-time, the platform has become a crucial player in the resurging job market, especially within the service and hospitality sectors.

The resilience of the American economy, which has rebounded despite the setbacks of 2022, and the optimism coursing through its veins, is commendably reflected in ZippyApp’s exponential growth. An increasing number of employers are turning to this revolutionary platform for its multifaceted benefits – speedy recruitment, effective applicant tracking, and superior match-making algorithms that link the right talent with the right job.

As the country witnesses a surprising uptick in the labor force participation rate, ZippyApp is successfully addressing one of the most critical challenges in the post-pandemic world – unemployment. But the work doesn’t stop here.

The company has amplified its commitment to being a reliable ally for job seekers and businesses alike. ZippyApp has crafted comprehensive resources for job seekers to enhance their skills, write compelling resumes, and ace interviews. For businesses, it offers an efficient hiring platform, reducing the time-to-hire while ensuring quality candidates come on board.

This wave of hiring hasn’t come without its set of hurdles, though. Companies are facing pressure to offer higher wages and better benefits to attract and retain workers in a competitive market. Here too, ZippyApp plays a pivotal role. By providing a transparent platform where employers can showcase their offerings and job seekers can easily compare them, it’s helping ensure that the benefits of the improving job market reach workers.

With the unemployment rate tumbling to 5.8%, its lowest since the pandemic began, ZippyApp’s influence on the economic resurgence is apparent. The platform is not just facilitating employment but is reshaping the landscape for a post-pandemic world.

As ZippyApp soars, it serves as a reminder of the boundless possibilities of technology in a recovering economy. The platform embodies resilience, innovation, and adaptability – the same qualities that are propelling the American job market forward. In the face of an evolving economic narrative, ZippyApp stands tall, committed to powering the nation’s recovery one job at a time.

The road to recovery may be long, but with ZippyApp leading the charge, it seems a little less daunting. As the job market continues to show signs of robust health, we can only expect ZippyApp’s star to shine brighter, illuminating the path for millions of job seekers and businesses. In a world that’s zipping towards recovery, ZippyApp is making sure nobody gets left behind.

As we approach a future ripe with opportunities, now is the time for both employers and job seekers to take the reins and capitalize on the momentum in the job market. Explore the dynamic world of ZippyApp today and let it be your navigator in this exciting journey.

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If you’re an employer in need of the right talent, or a job seeker ready to take the leap, start your journey with ZippyApp. Experience a hiring solution designed with your success in mind, powered by innovation, and dedicated to connecting aspirations with opportunities. Visit ZippyApp.com to join us now and step into a brighter future. Remember, in a world that’s zipping towards recovery, with ZippyApp, you’re never left behind.

The Delicious Dance of Leadership and Culture in the Restaurant Industry

Leadership, as an ever-evolving subject, has had its fair share of ink spilled in recent times. You would think with the vast ocean of resources – a buffet of books, a banquet of articles – we would have the recipe to cook up effective leadership down pat. But that is far from the case. Leadership continues to be an enigma, a secret sauce that changes its flavor depending on the culture it marinates in.

Danny Meyer, the restaurateur extraordinaire and author of ‘Setting the Table’, serves us the perfect metaphor in the restaurant industry. Think of leadership as the head chef and culture as the kitchen. The chef can introduce new recipes, but if the kitchen isn’t well-stocked or the sous chefs are stuck in their ways, the new dishes may fail to taste as good as expected. So, is it the chef who shapes the kitchen, or the kitchen that influences the chef? A resounding “yes” would be the answer to both!

A Dash of Culture on Leadership

Meyer, in his storied career, would often come across long-serving managers saying, “I’ve been here longer than any chef, and I’ll outlast this one too.” This flavor of resistance is a common ingredient in large, established kitchens.

Negatively seasoned cultures can spoil even the most positive leadership recipes. However, good leadership, much like slow-cooking, can gradually turn the sour taste of negative culture sweet. All it needs are a few successful dishes and some patrons singing their praises.

In contrast, poor leadership can quickly ruin a deliciously positive culture. Meyer often recounts the tale of a previously successful eatery that plummeted under a profit-hungry owner. The man overworked his staff and underinvested in quality, eventually leading to a mass walkout of staff and, ultimately, shuttered doors.

Leadership as the Secret Recipe of Culture

A restaurant, much like any other company, mirrors the values of its leader. As we’ve seen in recent times, patrons and employees respond strongly to restaurants that neglect social issues or fail to address discrimination.

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Leaders, like head chefs, need to ensure their kitchens are places of respect, safety, and equality. Danny Meyer himself exemplifies this principle, making sure his restaurants aren’t just diverse in their menus but also in their thinking and representation. His commitment to hospitality and service excellence shapes the culture of his entire restaurant empire.

Obstacles to Changing the Menu

The true roadblocks to changing a restaurant’s culture are internal – inflated egos, fear of the new, complacency, or rigid old beliefs. When a new recipe is introduced, there’s often pushback, even if the change improves the taste. Staff members might stick to the old recipe or gossip about the new one, actively resisting the change.

In a restaurant, just like in a remote work landscape, there’s less room for such negativity to brew. But as any experienced chef knows, if there’s even a tiny crack in the pot, the broth might leak. So, the question boils down to this – how can a head chef positively change the kitchen culture?

The Perfect Recipe for Positive Culture

People are drawn to a captivating vision, just like they are to a beautifully plated dish. They wish to follow a chef who values what they do. A good leader will extract 100% effort from their team, just like a good chef extracts 100% flavor from their ingredients. Here are some essential ingredients of a good leader:

Vision and Strategy: Just like a chef doesn’t merely instruct, a leader inspires. By setting a clear vision and strategic roadmap, leaders create a culture of engagement where everyone knows the restaurant’s direction and their role in its journey.

Ethics over empty words: Meyer always insists, “It’s not about what you say; it’s what you do.” Like the tantalizing aroma that wafts from a dish, the ethics of a leader permeate through their actions, laying the foundation for an ethical culture.

“It’s not about what you say; it’s what you do.”

Danny Meyer

Empowerment: Great leaders, like seasoned chefs, understand that the perfect recipe for empowerment involves three ingredients: responsibility, accountability, and authority. Leaders who encourage their team to make impactful decisions and shoulder the outcome of their choices inspire a culture of distributed leadership. Conversely, a kitchen with a micromanaging head chef is a kitchen where creativity is stifled and efficiency is bottlenecked, with all decisions waiting for approval from one person.

Lightening the mood, Meyer often shares a fun anecdote of his own. He once appointed a sous-chef to be in charge of creating the special for the night. Nervously, the young chef whipped up a dish that turned out to be a hit. The gleam in his eyes when Meyer complimented him was worth more than any praise or tip from a customer. It was a small yet significant step in transforming the culture of his kitchen – from micromanaged to empowered.

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The dynamic dance between leadership and culture in the restaurant industry, as anywhere else, is an ongoing one. However, once leaders learn to create a harmonious rhythm between the two, they’ll find that they’re not just setting tables, they’re setting the stage for a culture of excellence, respect, and success.

The 8 Crucial Must Haves of Your Talent Acquisition Solution

In a world where mobile phones have completely taken over, there’s an app for everything. Even those aspects that have primarily been web or email-based are now thriving in the mobile world. One such area is that of recruitment. With talent shortage looming large across industries (42% of employers are worried they won’t be able to find the talent they need and 72.8% are struggling to find relevant candidates), a modern and innovative recruitment solution brings your hiring campaign across to people who are looking to join your company to hone skills, upgrade their knowledge, build a career and achieve growth. Whether you are hiring people from 1 establishment or 20, a good recruitment solution can enable you to seamlessly manage all your hiring needs in one place: from multiple business locations and positions to applications you receive for each one.

Here are 8 crucial elements your talent acquisition solution must have:

  1. Comprehensive: If recruiting candidates requires you to jump between spreadsheets, email, job portals and social media, it’s a clear indication that you need a comprehensive recruitment solution to streamline your hiring process. A good recruitment solution brings all candidate data in one place; it allows you to collate data from resumes and social media profiles, view well-organized candidate profiles, communicate with them and keep track of the process.
  2. Easy to set up and use: One of the primary requirements of any recruitment solution is that it should be easy to set up and use. An ideal recruitment solution makes the hiring process not just for you, but also for your job applicants. An intuitive and elegant solution is sure to accelerate adoption and enhance candidate experience.
  3. Mobile-enabled: With almost every candidate now owning a smartphone, it is imperative that your recruitment solution is mobile enabled; 56% of businesses are in the process of redesigning their HR programs to leverage digital and mobile tools. This allows applicants to apply for jobs from anywhere, at any time using the device of their choice. With many hiring signs now including a unique QR code, applicants can easily scan codes with their mobile device and submit their application with the touch of a button. Alerts and notifications can enable them to stay up-to-date with new job postings as well as help them track their submitted applications.
  4. Job Distribution: If you don’t have the right applicants in your pipeline, you can never hire the right people for the right jobs. Having the proper distribution can help in enriching your pipeline and hiring for hard-to-fill roles; when the job distribution functionality is far-reaching, optimized and accurate, you can be sure to combine information from multiple sources into one, unified system. You should be able to review applicants with ease, search for suitable candidates and contact them directly with just one quick click.
  5. Analytics: Analytics is an integral aspect of modern recruitment solutions. Through innovative, self-learning algorithms that improve with usage, you can match the perfect applicant to your job and significantly reduce application processing time. Modern management and tracking software can enable you to manage all of your applicants in one place; you can know what stage of the hiring process each of your candidates is. You also should be able to rate, tag, sort, filter and save applicants for future hiring needs.
  6. Flexibility: In today’s highly dynamic world, a one-size-fits-all solution doesn’t work. Since every organization’s hiring needs are unique, your recruitment solution should offer flexibility to meet the distinct business needs: from custom career pages for each location to personalized plans for each business depending on their size or location. Customization can enable you to get the information you need to make informed hiring decisions; you can attract the perfect applicant for every position with a career page that is personalized for your company/location(s) and its needs.
  7. Search Engine Optimization (SEO): With millions of web pages and websites today, ensuring your recruitment solution meets ranking criteria and rises to the top of a search result page is important to get noticed. With the right SEO techniques in place, you will be able to witness a definite increase in application numbers and maximize recruitment efforts. The right techniques can also enable you to discover data about what jobs applicants are searching for the most and use appropriate keywords to your advantage.
  8. Integration: Integrating talent acquisition and recruitment management solution with other technology systems is essential to streamline the flow of information across the organization. In order to achieve extreme visibility, you need to enable robust integration mechanisms into your recruitment solution.

Streamline the Hiring Process

With a vacancy costing the average company $500 each day, having a modern recruitment solution in place to improve the recruitment process is more than essential. A recruitment solution offers quick information on candidates and helps notify them faster about new job postings and application status. From job advertising to candidate interviews, applicant tracking to smart search – modern recruitment solutions need be packed with features in order to make the hiring process more efficient. A modern recruitment solution allows you to streamline the process of searching suitable candidates and make it easier for candidates to apply for positions that they see and like – with a simple touch of a button.

The Top 7 Characteristics to Look for in the Next Restaurant Hire

With serious competition, high operating costs and an increasingly high turnover rate, the day-to-day running of a restaurant can be a long and complex process. Since restaurants are usually a challenge to run successfully, it is very important for restaurant workers to possess certain skills in order to achieve the intended outcomes. Therefore, having a good understanding of the key characteristics of the people you are looking for will help in improving the rate of your hiring success, and will also make the process more streamlined for everyone involved.

Here are the top 7 characteristics to look for in the next restaurant hire in order to run a profitable business:

  1. Flexibility: With restaurant food and drink sales in the US reaching $798.7 billion in 2017, restaurant employees often have to work unusually long hours as compared to a basic desk job in order to cater to the demand. Restaurant employees are expected to switch gears if unexpected situations arise: from answering the phone to managing staff, mingling with customers and more. For instance, if there is a sudden surge in patrons, the BOH team might be required to fill FOH positions and quickly get back into the kitchen to prepare the dish.
  2. Creativity: In an age where new restaurants are mushrooming at an extremely fast pace and old ones are closing shop just as easily, creativity is what distinguishes one from another. From beautifying the interiors to making marketing plans, designing menus to creating beautiful food – your employees need to be highly creative in order to offer unique and unmatched restaurant experiences to patrons. With its rustic interiors, concrete walls and hypnotic canvases, LA restaurant Majordomo is a perfect example of what modern American dining could look like.
  3. People-skills: Restaurants often operate with a huge number of guests, vendors and partners on a daily basis. With so many people working in the ecosystem, it is critical that your employees have great people skills. The ability to interact with vendors to ensure optimum inventory, with other employees for better functioning of the restaurant and with customers in a positive, friendly, and professional manner is important for proper functioning of the business.
  4. Precision: In situations of high guest traffic, employees must be able to handle multiple orders from multiple tables simultaneously. Accuracy then, becomes a major challenge. For example, during happy hours, employees might have to put in another round of drinks while fetching food for one table and cleaning the mess from another. Your employees must not get overwhelmed in such situations and must be able to handle multiple tasks with efficiency and poise.
  5. Customer service: Since restaurant success starts with a great customer experience, employees’ ability to make positive and lasting connections with guests is essential. Employing people who possess extraordinary customer service skills can ensure the guest experience is comfortable and high on service. The better the guest experience, the more repeat customers, higher the sales. In 2017, American fast-food restaurant Chick-fil-A earned revenue of $5.7 billion and had a customer satisfaction score of 87!
  6. Cultural fit: When it comes to hiring new people, finding candidates that are a cultural fit is critical. Candidates who share the same attitudes, values, standards, and goals as your restaurant is extremely important. When you have people who believe in what you believe, your outcomes will always be favorable: better operations, better food, and happier guests.
  7. Team player: A good cultural fit also nurtures loyalty and encourages a spirit of teamwork. Since employees are a part of an environment that reflects their own belief system, the sense of shared values helps build robust teams that create stability and decrease turnover rates. It is only when the restaurant environment is stable, that employee engagement is high.

Achieve Higher Levels of Success

Whether you are a global chain operating multiple restaurants, or whether you are just embarking upon the journey, the combination of a robust concept, good food, a comfortable atmosphere and impeccable service style is what defines a profitable restaurant. With over 1.6 million new restaurant jobs to be created in the US by 2027, it is critical you have the right employees on board who know how to make the right business decisions. So, look for these characteristics on your next restaurant hire, cultivate them to reach higher levels of success, and set a good example.

5 Tips for Restaurants to Hire and Retain Millennials

Millennials are taking over the world – quite literally! Millennials will soon outsize the Baby Boom generation and will become the largest living generation. By 2030, the Millennial generation will have 78 million people whereas; the Boomer generation will only have 56 million people in the United States. However, ask any restaurant manager what their greatest challenge is, and the unanimous response will be hiring and retaining the millennial workforce! As the demands and expectations of millennials rise, and as they constantly search for something better and different, hiring and retaining millennials is challenging for any industry – especially in the restaurant industry where the annual turnover rate is a whopping 94% – much higher than any other industry.

So what can you, as a restaurant operations manager, do to hire and retain the best people from this lot?

Top Tips

Attrition is never good; not only does it affect your restaurant operations; but it is also costly when your most valuable people quit. Some of the main reasons why millennials quit their jobs are lack of opportunities, unsatisfactory compensation and benefits, mundane work, dull work environment and no recognition or appreciation. Since millennials are imperative to the success of your restaurant, understanding their needs and catering to them is vital. Here are 5 tips to hire and retain millennials:

  1. Offer flexibility: One of the first things you need to do to encourage and motivate Millennials to work for you is by offering flexibility in work hours. Millennials are always looking for flexibility and autonomy while pursuing job opportunities; they like to be in control of their own schedules, rather than be forced to adjust to a rigid schedule. Start by embedding flexibility into the core of your corporate culture and letting millennials set their own schedules. You can choose from a variety of scheduling software and offer an easy way to swap shifts or request schedule changes for a happier and more efficient workforce.
  2. Get smart: With millennials touching their smartphones 45 times a day, it becomes increasingly important for you to embrace and implement digital technology across your operation lifecycle: from using smart inventory management tools to digital training options, smart scheduling to quick ordering through tablets and smartphones. The millennial generation has no time or inclination to operate the traditional way and are more devoted to working smarter. Hence, implementing digital technology is critical to keep up with their pace and motivate them to do their jobs more efficiently.

In your hiring process as well, you need to engage with them through mobile devices – make it easy for them to find you while they are looking for a job and make it easier to apply for the job at a click of a button!

  1. Innovate your training: With 44% of millennials ready to leave a job because they didn’t have the skill development opportunities they wanted, using traditional methods of training can bore and demotivate them. If you want to cater to the technologically-savvy workforce, you need to make a dramatic shift from your conventional training methods and incorporate innovative techniques. Since training is no longer just about compliance or company-mandated policies, by using modern training programs such as micro-learning and AR-driven training, you can offer a multi-faceted learning experience that taps into millennial interests, appetites, and career goals.
  2. Create an appealing atmosphere: In order to alleviate the exhaustion and frustration of everyday work in the restaurant industry, you need to make your work environment interesting and appealing where millennials feel motivated to work and are appreciated for their contributions. Empower them by offering mentoring and professional development courses, give them opportunities to demonstrate their social responsibility, and encourage collaborative and creative efforts for improved morale and satisfaction.
  3. Make work fun: Millennials are always in search of something exciting, challenging and creative; therefore, in order to hire and retain them, you need to create a fun work environment to make every day more appealing, interesting and stimulating. Millennial attitudes are shaped through the several social media connections and by communicating with diverse people and cultures. Although these attitudes can be difficult to address, it’s important to understand that excitement and challenge is what drives them. So, make work a place where they can do their jobs while having fun, being creative and building relationships.

The Power of Now

With millennials making up nearly half of the US workforce, many restaurants are under the impression that millennials will shape the future of their business; the truth is, millennials aren’t the future, but the present. However, with millennials being more demanding and less inclined to follow conventional procedures, you need to develop innovative strategies for recruiting and hiring these seemingly hard-to-please workers. Since millennial turnover can impact your business profitability, making adjustments to your operations and bringing in technology is a great way to cater to their needs. In addition, offering flexible work hours, innovating your training methods, creating an appealing atmosphere and making work fun are equally important. Understanding millennials career aspirations and attitudes about work and doing what’s best to win their hearts, minds, and loyalty is what will define the success of your restaurant.