Episode 7: Getting the (Work) Family Together: Ken Burgin’s Advice on Recruitment

The staff of a café or restaurant is kind of like a big family. Unlike a family, however, you’re able to choose who you think is a best fit to join in. Ken Burgin spoke with me about how to take advantage of this ability to choose, especially since restaurants and cafes are very people-focused businesses. If your own staff doesn’t get on, customers will take note.

Ken’s been in the business since the 1980s, starting out as a café owner, so he shared with me a lot of advice about recruitment and staffing. From running Café Troppo in the ‘80s and ‘90s to his work today with Silver Chef and Profitable Hospitality, Ken has amassed great success and valuable experience in the hospitality industry, and has a lot of advice to share.

Putting together a happy family that gets on well is easier said than done. Staff are not only the most expensive resource, but the most variable. One can reasonably expect frozen chicken filets to not answer back and bottles of wine to remain in place until they’re needed. The same can’t be said of human resources. Lots of people are looking for jobs, but most of them, in all likelihood, are not a good fit for your business. At the same time, there are people looking for the right job – and that could be your workplace.

The first challenge, then, is finding the right applicants. Rather than list off the clichéd attributes of ideal employees, mention what’s great about your workplace in job ads. Is your place of business close to public transport? Have flexible or daytime hours? Is it a modern kitchen? Be sure to promote what your business has to offer them.

Once you’ve got applications pouring in, efficient management of the inquiry and interview process is key. When getting in touch for the interview, keep the conversation direct and to the point, with all the relevant information for getting there and the meeting time clearly communicated. But the interview itself should not be rushed through. Ken says to keep in mind that it’s more of a two-way interview. Both of you will be considering whether you will want to work with the other.

The third tip Ken had to share was keep your promises. When people hear something like $20 an hour, they expect to be paid that much after taxes, and if they finish at 10:00, they’ll be clocking out, not cleaning up, at that time. Being clear and straightforward about such things as wages and hours will get the best people coming to you. Managing recruits’ expectations so that they will be met or even surpassed, just as with customers, will ensure that only the best will join your family, and maybe even stick around for the long haul.

With new staff coming on, some level of training is necessary. However, Ken says, there’s no need to have a half-day or full-day staff training workshops, which can be costly and tricky to manage, time-wise. He prefers what he calls ten-minute trainings. If some staff need to be taught about one item on the new menu, he’ll ask them to come in a bit early the next day and show them how it’s made, have a tasting, and so on.

You don’t even have to do the training yourself. If possible, designate a staff person as the lead trainer. While they may need their own training on how to train other staff, having a staff member fill the role of keeping track of who has to learn what can free up your time to manage and run other aspects of the café. Often, Ken says, people don’t like delegating things – especially owners attached to their baby of a business – but as a business grows, delegating tasks can help you be a better business owner.

When training, Ken keeps in mind that “what we learn with pleasure we never forget.” Training does not have to be serious or dull. If you communicate the necessary information in a light and even fun way, it will make a hell of a first impression on new employees. They should go home at the end of their first day at work feeling great about their new workplace, boss, and co-workers, and it’s up to you to make that happen.

Even if you find the best people around, employees won’t always work out perfectly – they may be a bit slow, or prone to certain errors, or perhaps they’ve stopped greeting customers with a smile. Addressing such issues early on is essential to maintain good employee relationships. Emphasize that you’re here to support them, and employee morale may improve. Even when things go sour and they must be let go, managing staff with grace and care can go a long way.

The hospitality business is all about people, and it starts with the staff as well as the owner. Finding the right people for the job is a difficult task, but in the long run you’ll have a happy, healthy family working together to make the business a success.

You can find Ken Burgin on LinkedIn and Twitter @kenburgin. You can also find out more about his business, and seek out more hospitality advice, at his website profitablehospitality.com.au, and the Profitable Hospitality Facebook page.

Ken ‘s Key Takeaways

When placing job ads, mention all the qualities about your business that make it an attractive place to work – you’ll attract more of the recruits you want.
In the interview phase, keep in mind that it’s a two-way conversation, with the both of you asking questions of the other. A small skills test may not hurt, either.
While interviews should not be rushed, communicate scheduled interview times and follow-up calls in the most efficient way possible, such as text message.
Be honest about the parameters of the job, such as wages and hours, so that employees’ expectations are met or even exceeded.
Train a little and often. Ten-minute trainings every now and then will likely improve employees’ ability to absorb the information, and not take up too much of your own time.
On the first day, keep it light and maybe even a bit fun so employees have a good first impression.
Create a welcome pack to help make a good first impression on new employees as you welcome them into your restaurant family. Read Ken’s advice on what to include in this package at

http://profitablehospitality.com.au/how-to-create-a-welcome-pack-for-new-employees/
YouTube videos can be a good resource for ten-minute trainings.
If your time is tight, it’s okay to delegate training tasks to another experienced staff person.
If employees are having problems, identify the problem and work with them to correct it. There’s no need for an iron fist.

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