Be the Restaurant Employer of Choice

The labor pool generally falls into four categories:

The Transients. On their way to some other career, they’ve stopped off in the industry for a relatively short time. The traditional college student comes to mind.

The I-Don’t-Know’s. They’re in the industry because they simply don’t know what they want to be when they grow up. And they’re trying it out.

The I-Shouldn’t-Be-Here’s. With no innate skills for food or service, they tend to give the service industry a bad name.

The Dedicated. They’re in the industry to stay, but still change jobs on a regular basis, always looking for that leg up, an opportunity to grow and develop or make more money.

Obviously, it would be beneficial to attract the Dedicated and the I-don’t-knows, provided you can convince the latter that this is the industry to be in and that yours is the operation to work for.

With that in mind, think of your recruiting plan as a marketing plan. Not selling the traditional products you’re used to selling, but selling yourself and your business. Your aim is to be the employer of choice.

Excerpted from Staff Up! Assembling a Team that Sticks and Clicks. Click here to read more ideas from this restaurant management handbook.