Ninja Gig has put together the list to help stop restaurant turnover and get your food business back on track. Last week we highlighted some of the top things you can do to ensure that you attract and retain better employees. We highlighted making sure that your job descriptions are accurate, implementing an interview process that matches your job requirements, having interview questions that pertain to the actual job, why not having a top-tier culinary education shouldn’t eliminate potential candidates and why eliminating applicants strictly based on background checks is something to reconsider.
This week we want to discuss the remaining five systems you can implement to help boost your employee retention and stop restaurant turnover by hiring candidates that are more qualified.
- Networking – Consider networking with local culinary instructors so you can get the scoop on new graduates. The better you know the instructors, the more likely they are to give their honest opinions and more accurate recommendations for qualified candidates.
- American Culinary Federation chapter (ACFC) – Most ACF chapters are a resource for restaurant owners, giving you access to qualified students, instructors’ recommendations and much more.
- Training Facilities – While most community colleges and major culinary academies receive accolades for producing top-quality chefs, consider looking at government-sponsored or non-profit training courses that also have culinary programs. Recruiting high school graduates that participated in local culinary competitions and programs are an excellent option.
- Internal Promotions – You may have qualified candidates in-house! Look at your current dishwasher and prep cooks. They already know your operation and how to work the line. Maybe you have a line that has some potential candidates to promote to sous chef. Your current employees are familiar with your policies, systems and procedures, as well as your current menu. Promoting from within can boost employee morale, as well as your bottom line.
- Attitude – Instead of only hiring employees that have the necessary skills, consider hiring employees for their attitudes. Hard-working employees that have awesome attitudes don’t focus on starting on the bottom. They want to work their way up, succeed and learn from those people that surround them.
Ninja Gig specializes in helping take your company to the next level by incorporating online job applications into your job descriptions, website and social media profiles. Our program allows you to accept applications online, keep track of qualified candidates and comply with federal and state resume retention regulations. Sign up today for a 14-day free trial!