Staffing

Why Hopdoddy is embracing boomerangers to solve labor shortages

Kelly McCutcheon, VP of People for Hopdoddy Burger Bar,

Provided

November 1, 2021

By Kelly McCutcheon, VP of People for Hopdoddy Burger Bar

Like so many of us in the restaurant industry, I've spent the past nie months conjuring up strategies to combat the current labor shortage. I'm talking really digging deep to get beyond the table stakes of wage increases and retention bonuses. We've all seen these have minimal impact when it comes to recruiting and retaining great people.

While our industry's current situation has caused all of us to rethink who and how we recruit, it has made me even more proud of Hopdoddy's people-centric culture. In fact, we're leveraging that strong culture to reach a different group of potential recruits…former team members.

And it's working!

Our unique approach has already brought nearly 100 team members back. According to their exit interviews, over 50% of past team members have said they would work for their restaurant again. I attribute this success to the strong culture we've built. With the right culture, restauranteurs can combat ongoing hiring challenges by implementing this tactic to attract and retain talent.

There are several benefits of hiring of these "boomerang" team members who left on good terms. Rehired staff members are familiar with the restaurant's processes, expectations, and responsibilities, which results in a more cost-effective onboarding process when they rejoin the team. There are no surprises.

At Hopdoddy, whether we are a career choice or a stepping stone, we want our team to think of us as a place to grow, prosper, have fun, and make a difference. We've been a career choice for many – with our half of our current managers starting their journey as team members. But in those occasions when we are a stepping stone to somewhere else, we celebrate with our departing team members. Many times, that's the differentiator that brings them back.

To recruit former team members, we:

1. Run a report of all rehire-able team members and share it with our general managers.
2. The GM calls or texts the former team member to genuinely check in on how they are doing. If the conversation presents the opportunity, we discuss return to work options. We've found this works significantly better than a cold call or email-based approach.
3. When the team member rejoins the team, we make sure they have the training and support to hit the ground running.

We've found that many team members want to return to Hopdoddy even before we've contacted them. They'll reach out and ask to come back, and often return with a renewed value in Hopdoddy after venturing out to see if the grass is greener elsewhere.

For this strategy to be successful, you need to ask yourself if past team members would want to return to your restaurant. Have you built a culture to come back to? Hallmarks of a desirable culture, which we happen to offer, include:

• Health benefits: Employees are attracted to companies who offer health, dental, and vision insurance.
• PTO: Offering parental leave and paid time off for full time hourly team members is highly desired in today's work climate.
• Self-expression: Don't suppress your team members' individuality, instead celebrate it!
• Career development: Ensure your restaurant offers growth opportunities.
• Scholarships: Scholarships are an excellent way to inspire team members who hope to advance their experience in culinary arts by furthering their education.
• Likeable co-workers: Work is more enjoyable when team members can have fun while also taking service seriously.
• Philanthropy: Today's workforce places tremendous value on corporate responsibility and would rather work at businesses that actively give back to their communities.

At Hopdoddy, we believe that there is an "I" in team, and that it stands for individuality. Team members should feel comfortable expressing their authentic selves when they arrive at work, promoting a positive work environment and making it easier to deliver hospitality from the heart. If the company culture described above resembles your business, it may be worth reaching out to past team members to see if they're interested in returning to their old positions. If you are looking to add or enhance these values to your company culture, consider first conducting an internal evaluation to find opportunities to improve. These changes ultimately attract new and returning team members, in a time when we need it more than ever.