Help Wanted in 2019

Help Wanted in 2019

We hope your 2019 is off to a good start but is it really any different than any other recent year in the hospitality industry, here’s a case in point.  Let’s reflect upon an industry headline from just a few years ago, “Hospitality employee turnover rate edged higher in 2016” (NRA, 3/16/17), so what’s any different than the present day?  Facts are that next to retail the hospitality industry struggles annually to recruit, train and retain staff regardless of position.  As we do every month we hope to shed some light on these operator challenges and offer some suggestions to ease the pain!

A fellow industry veteran I know, who’s transitioned from operations to consulting, recently shared with me that in his experience the employee on-boarding process can cost the average independent operator from $2,500 to $3,200 / employee with anywhere from a two to three week process along the way.  So what are the options for these operators and how do they find “warm bodies” when the labor market is tight and only becoming tighter as other industries hire away more of them on a monthly basis?  We have suggested in the past, and is may still apply, that for operators who are flexible in their service style change for different meal periods throughout the different day-parts.  If they offer all three meal periods perhaps breakfast is only counter service for a grab-n-go menu, followed by a fast-casual model at lunchtime when you want to turn over seats quickly anyway.  This can be followed by a dinner where the tablecloths come out and guests who are ready to “dine” may do so at a more leisurely pace and the operator can focus on building the check as well.  Again if the flexibility exists for the operator this suggestion, or a mix of them, may ease the issue of labor.

Industry leaders have taken notice and are attempting to reach out to portions of the labor force who may not have considered working in foodservice as they may not have any of the requisite skills.  At a recent industry meeting the NRA started the conversation regarding a project to offer this under-skilled portion of the labor market an opportunity to learn those skills and perhaps take a step-up from the lower wage jobs they may have worked in the past (NRA, 12/10/18).  Called “Restaurant Ready” this is a program offered with accreditation from the NRAEF to train the 1 in 9 teenagers and young adults in the U.S. currently out of school or unemployed.  Will a program such as this be a “cure all” for the many operators caught in the labor crunch, well the results aren’t in yet but we believe it’s a great start and overall good idea.  The program offers not only work skills necessary for the industry but also life skills to accompany them so these under-employed and under-skilled individuals may obtain the foundation necessary to get that all important “starter” job. 

Some other options for training are offered through the America Culinary Federation in the form of traditional apprenticeship and accreditation by their educational branch (ACFEF).  Just as important as training is the recognition that employees have obtained the knowledge and skills necessary to step up from line-staff to management and both the NRA and ACF offer certification programs to insure operators they are ready for that next phase leading to a career (NRA, ACF) respectively.  Sometimes operators can recruit staffers but may be challenged in the training / retaining segment of the process and need an assist as well.  Their options are to create their own program or seek industry vendors who can offer online training to both speed the training and staff retention process.  Online training speaks to these same youth as its’ second nature for them to seek answers online, the operator can follow their progress as they learn and test online freeing managers for other tasks.  As former industry operators and Chefs we understand challenges to restaurateurs and hope to assist as necessary, please reach out to us at www.themenuspring.com and best of luck!