Assemble a Topnotch Team to Win Over Guests, Increase Profits
by Pam Simos, Five-Star Training

Did you know that the restaurant industry employs more than 12 million people, making it the nation’s largest employer outside of government? At the same time, the food industry experiences the highest employee turnover of any industry, typically between 100 and 300 percent.

Taking the time to set up a successful interview process to hire a topnotch team and to avoid hasty, rush decisions will pay off in the long run. Hiring the right employees will slash turnover and hiring costs and will stimulate guest loyalty and positive word-of-mouth advertising.

The steps outlined below will help guide you to making the proper hiring decisions.

Step One: Invest in the upfront work:
Set yourself up for success by dedicating the proper amount of time to be organized and structured throughout the entire hiring process. An established, organized system will allow you to conduct interviews throughout the day. You can risk losing a highly qualified employee by limiting yourself with overly restricted hours for interviews. Follow the suggested steps below when beginning the initial work required:

1. Decide what positions need to be filled to ensure you are meeting your budgeted staffing requirements.
   
2. Establish a job profile with specific criteria. Ask yourself, “What kind of person is the best fit for this job position?” and “What type of experience and background should he or she possess?”
   
3. Determine a well-rounded set of questions and develop the questions based on the information you want to elicit from your candidate in order to meet your hiring goals. Ask open-ended questions that will not provoke a simple “yes” or “no,” but instead will initiate conversation. You will formulate additional questions as you begin the interview process. Probe deeper to get clarification as the interviewee replies to your original questions. When a candidate provides a generic or broad answer, don’t be afraid to dig deeper and ask for examples. Do not ask any illegal questions relating to gender, age, race, disablement or any form of discrimination.

Here are three types of questions that will help you retrieve the information you require:

Ice-Breaker
The ice-breaker question relaxes the candidate and gives him or her the time to warm up before you ask detailed, job-related questions. These questions are easy to answer and not intimidating to the candidate. Sample questions: “How is your day going thus far?” or “How was traffic on the way in?

Patrick Pendola, owner of the Whistle Stop Grill restaurant in Safety Harbor, Fla., says, “Helping the candidates ease is crucial in the interview process … the more relaxed and comfortable they feel, the more they will speak freely, letting their guards down. This way, we can acquire as much information as possible and take full advantage of the interview process.”

Background
The background question gathers more information from the candidate’s work history. Sample questions: “Why did you leave your last employer?” or “How long were you unemployed during that hiatus?”

Behavioral
The behavioral question identifies behavioral traits and characteristics about the candidate, so you can learn about the way he or she behaves and what traits he or she possesses. Sample questions: “Please give me a specific example of a time when you had to conform to a policy with which you did not agree.” or “Tell me about a recent situation in which you had to deal with a very upset customer or coworker.”

Step Two: Examine the resume/application to see if there is a potential job fit. Scrutinizing a candidate’s resume/application will determine if the candidate warrants an initial screening or interview. Here are some suggested tips when examining the resume/application:

1. Be realistic and fair without being too eager to discard a resume/application because of a few minor concerns. Being too critical will limit your choices and shrink your pool of candidates. Think about the position’s job responsibilities and necessary education level before eliminating resumes/applications. For example, a few typos should not justify ruling out a candidate applying for a position as a cook.
   
2. Identify and focus on your deal breakers and most important criteria first, keeping in mind your established job profile. For example, if part of your profile requires candidates to have previous experience in the restaurant industry, aim to discover this first.
   
3. On a separate piece of paper or on a copy of the resume/application, note any concerning red flags or areas that warrant further clarification, and be prepared to discuss them with the candidate. Then, prepare the proper questions that will help you probe further and uncover the clarification you need. Never put any comments in writing that could be viewed as discrimination such as young and cute or heavyset.

Step Three: Conduct an initial screening.
In many situations, it is helpful to the employer to conduct an initial screening on the telephone prior to setting up an interview. The initial screening will help determine if the candidate warrants an in-person interview. This is a good time to inquire about the person’s job history, the best indicator of an employee’s future job success. Some of the areas to inquire about include start dates, end dates and reasons for leaving previous jobs. Also, the initial screening is a good opportunity to confirm the number of hours and days the candidate plans to work. Directly after the initial screening phase or later in the interview process, you can call the candidate’s references listed on the resume/application. Keep in mind that employers are limited by law to the type of information they can release about an employee.

Step Four: Prepare for the interview.
Being prepared for your interview will demonstrate to your candidate that you are professional and take the hiring process seriously. Be prepared with the following for the interview:

• Notebook
  
• Pen
  
• Interview questions
  
• A copy of the resume/application with notes

Step Five: Conduct the interview process.
While the previous steps are important to perform in the hiring process, the interview process is a solid way to determine if an employee fits well and possesses the ability to be a solid performer in your company. Follow these steps when conducting the interview process:

1. Ensure your mindset is open and without any preconceived notions.
   
2. Find a quiet location in your restaurant that will cultivate a relaxed environment and one where you will not be disturbed.
   
3. Do not plan to sit behind a desk. This can create an intimidating situation with you in a power position. Instead, aim to position yourself to be on even ground with the candidate by sitting side-by-side.
   
4. Upon the candidate’s arrival, shake his or her hand and offer him or her a beverage.
   
5. Be prepared to listen, deliver steady eye contact and observe body language. Make a note if the candidate turns away or looks at the floor when speaking. Also, note if he or she displays any poor habits, like chewing gum.
   
6. Engage in small talk and ask some ice-breaker questions to relax the interviewee.
   
7. Ask the interviewee to explain any areas of concern or red flags. For example, if the candidate’s application reveals he or she left several jobs after a short period of time, make sure he or she clarifies the reason.

Step Six: Closing the interview.
It is important to close the interview on a strong, positive note and to end it only after you have acquired all of the information you need. To save time, shorten the interview if you are 100-percent certain a particular candidate is not a good fit. Here are some guidelines for closing the interview:

• Ask the candidate if he or she has any questions.
  
• Explain the “next steps” to the candidate. For example, inform the candidate that you will be interviewing several other people for the position and you will call with his or her status within a week. It is a good practice to follow up with all candidates; however, if your time does not permit this, you may tell applicants that you will notify them if they will be considered for a second interview or if their credentials/qualifications are a fit to move to the next step.
  
• Shake the candidate’s hand firmly and thank him or her for interviewing for the position.

Taking the time to hire the right way will help you easily and fairly assess job candidates. Hiring employees who are the right fit for your restaurant will require less time to manage, train, coach and develop. And most important, assembling a top team will win over your guests and create a memorable experience, resulting in increased profits.

Please note: Five Star Training’s representatives are not employment law specialists. The above information is meant as a guideline only. Please confer with a labor attorney in your jurisdiction for employment law and legal matters.

Pam Simos, keynote speaker and founder of Five Star Training, has more than 20 years of hospitality training experience and a B.S. degree in hotel/restaurant management. Since 1987, Five Star Training has specialized in reducing costs and driving profits through training. Five Star Training offers a full line of 20 training services for executives, managers and staff, including 15 seminars, keynote speaking, 12 manuals on CD, management coaching/mentoring, train-the-trainer programs, new restaurant training and business solutions. Five Star Training is based in St. Petersburg, Fla. Contact Pam at www.five-startraining.com, contact-us@five-startraining.com or 800/385-7827 (STAR).

Copyright © 2008. Five Star Service & Products Inc. All Rights Reserved.