Operators don’t need a too-large or too-qualified pool of applicants; they need to hire the right people to be the face, heart and soul of their concept. Finding employees who go “above and beyond” to delight restaurant guests is more important than ever. That’s because today’s increasingly picky consumers make a more complex calculation of the restaurant value equation, based on skill sets in the kitchen, efficient service and experience factors that set a restaurant apart from its competition. Research proves that diners will pay more to receive superior service in a warm, friendly environment.

Operators can increase the resonance of their concept’s value equation through:

• Enhancing the basics of hospitality with inclusivity, approachability and empathy.
• Boosting the energy level—creating an electrifying environment whose elements include staff interactions with customers and with each other.
• Clearly conveying the concept’s essence and meaning—a sense of community and a warm environment for socializing.

None of these is achievable unless you hire, retain and reward the best possible staff. Good talent is your #1 business asset.

Find the Right People

Use situational interview questions.

Seek out employees who instinctively align with your company culture. In-N-Out Burger asks open-ended questions that make it possible to assess how potential employees will interact with both customers and fellow employees. Potential discussion points include:

Tell me about your former employer.

• Tell me about your former position.
• Tell me about your former supervisor.
• Tell me about your former coworkers.
• Tell me about the customers with whom you interacted.
• What were the most challenging parts of your job, and why?
• What brings you to the interview with us today?
• Why are you interested in being part of our company?

Conduct on-the-job interviews.

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf has a “Day in the Life” program whereby non-hospitality management candidates can:

• Try out a shift (and get paid minimum wage)
• Observe, ask questions of and shadow other workers
• Get a 360-degree evaluation

Tap into the social network.

Monical’s Pizza has an excellent reputation as an employer.

• Hourly job applicants are considered based on references from existing employees.
• Current employees recruit others to take their position when they leave.

The biggest mistake hiring managers make is being impatient and unprepared. It is imperative to select employees who represent your business well. Hire people who have the right attitude; you can and train them to acquire the necessary skills. Remember: If you don’t want to hang around this person, your customers won’t either.

Nurture and retain the right people

According to restaurant employees themselves, staffers become ambassadors for your brand when they receive:

• Respect
• Good communication
• Chances for professional growth

Good training and on-the-job experience are of paramount importance. Retaining employees is a hallmark of a well-run organization. Fair, supportive treatment not only functions as an excellent employee retention tool but also increases the quality of your operation.

• Start off with a full-scale orientation that immerses each employee in company culture, values, mission, service culture and history. Initial training should build functional expertise and relational competence, and should take place both in a classroom setting and on the job.
• Train holistically to create an employee who understands your whole business—from service to technical aspects, front-of-house and back-of-house.
• Show interest in your employees. Make it clear from the start that communication is a two-way street in your operation. Increase manager presence for impactful leadership—when managers spend time on the floor, it makes a huge impact on both customers and employees.
• Trust in your staff’s ability to executive their jobs and empower them as they earn more trust—something that has been shown to increase speed of service and decrease costs. Put the interests of your employees even before those of your customers. An employee who does not feel motivated, enthusiastic, confident, proud and at peace cannot provide an optimal hospitality experience.
• Over time, even the best employees can lose some of their edge. Use ongoing training to burnish employees’ skills, help them to recapture their edge and push them on to greater success.

Know how to say goodbye

Saying goodbye to employees provides closure for both you and your employee. When it’s appropriate, a friendly, low-key exit interview can give you a perspective on that employee’s experience with your concept that you might not have gotten earlier. Recognize that it’s important to your brand that employees leave on good terms. Regardless of the reasons for parting ways, it is important to terminate the employment with the minimal amount of employee dissatisfaction. Former employees are likely to remain in the industry, and you want to make sure that when they discuss their job experiences with others in the industry, they have something positive to say.