Article

4 ways to attract high-quality managers

Managers are most happy when offered certain intangibles that can make a big difference when working in the restaurant field.

June 18, 2013

By Patrice Rice, president, founder and CEO of Patrice & Associates

The restaurant industry is showing signs of significant growth. Feeding more than the bellies of its consumer — it's feeding job growth. In fact, the recent jobs report indicates food service industry businesses added 38,000 jobs in May and 337,000 during the past 12 months.

Additionally, the report suggested higher employment in the private sector, which signals stronger consumer confidence and an overall rebounding economy.

As the owner of a national hospitality recruiting firm, I can see firsthand the impact the industry is having on the job market. The growth of the job market is helping fuel the economy's recovery, providing jobs across all segments. In fact, the industry has been adding nearly 1,000 jobs daily since the start of the year.

While all of us in the restaurant industry should relish the moment given our challenges in recent years, the opportunity is upon us to safeguard against losing the momentum we've achieved.

Hiring and retaining great managers at your restaurants are critical components of keeping the good times rolling. We're in an operations-heavy industry, and quality leaders can make or break the progress that has been building in your business.

Patrice Rice

So how do we keep our high-quality managers around? What incentives should we give new management hires to make them feel like we're interested in their futures?

From my experience I have found managers are most happy when offered certain intangibles that can make a big difference when working in the restaurant field. Ask yourself the following questions.

1. Are you offering a good work-life balance? The simple gift of time could change an employee's mood about their place of work. Unfortunately, time off is difficult to come by in the restaurant industry. Many individuals find themselves working 60 to 65 hours per week with two non-consecutive days off, and vacation days honored only after a year of employment. A schedule such as this makes it difficult to find work-life balance.

2. Will you provide health benefits? Over the years, I have found that most employees would prefer stronger health care coverage benefits over bonus opportunities. Life can be unpredictable, and most individuals want to know they would be protected during the unforeseen moments in life, routine appointments and illness. This is a big deal breaker, especially when a candidate has a family at home. Even if candidates are young, you must remember that they are not invincible.

3. Does the position allow room for growth? Nobody wants to feel stuck in a position. It is important you are offering an opportunity that allows room for advancement or ownership.

4. Are you listening? Feeling like just a number can be downright degrading. Managers want to be heard and not just seen. Their voice is important and they could offer invaluable advice to executives since they are on-site and oversee the day-to-day activities. The on-site managers see what goes on behind the scenes, which top-level management can sometimes overlook. They have a better understanding of how problems could be averted and inefficiencies corrected. Thus, it is important that they feel like their voice is being heard.

Success is the result of hard work and there is no doubt that restaurant industry professionals have been working overtime to achieve such results. However, in order to maintain and exceed our goals we must be proactive and extinguish any problems before they ignite. This includes attracting and retaining quality talent. An industry is only as good as its workforce. It is important to maintain an environment of value and respect in order to preserve a high quality workforce.

Patrice Rice is the president, founder and CEO of Patrice & Associates, a hospitality recruiting service in the U.S., operating since 1989.

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