The number one comment we get from restaurant hiring managers is “how do I get more qualified applicants for my job?”
We look at these numbers on a daily basis– this is what we do, it is all we are focused on, the top of the funnel, of the hiring process.
An easy answer would be for us to pull some levers, push some buttons and get those Position Application numbers to go up. But that is really not solving the problem, and in fact, it seems to create more of a problem for our GMs, who are already stretched thin.
Looking more closely at the above question, our customers are not looking for “more applicants,” but rather they are looking for “more qualified applicants.”
So how do we do this? How does software go out into the world and find the individuals who fit a certain skill set, personality and work ethic that will not only gel seamlessly into the existing team, but add value, making the team better than it was before. This task is made more complex by what can seem like a perennial revolving door of staff at many locations; therefore, finding the right fit can be like chasing clouds.
Enter the Job Description. For as many years as I can imagine, this facet, much like the resume for job seekers, has remained unchanged, unevolved, some might say un-informing.
Can we improve the quality of applicants by improving the “Job Description?”
What do you need to know about the description of being Bartender? A Line Cook? If this is already your skill set, do you need to read about the nuances of taking drink orders from customers, making the drinks and then accepting a payment from the customer? And my favorite element of the job description: “Be Friendly to the Customers.”
We think that Job Descriptions should read more like a readers digest of the story that is “What it’s like to Work Here”: the team members, the reporting structure, the management’s view on individual creativity and ownership of outcome.
Ultimately, a job seeker wants a peek into the future of what their life might look like working there. How can we better script our Job Descriptions to efficiently and effectively paint a picture of a day-in-the-life?
The exercise of writing that job description might reveal some aspects of your culture that you aren’t too proud of and therefore, uncover the bigger issue of why you need to hire. It’s all related.
Curious?
Let’s taco bout it!
