Coromel's View

2010 has arrived and I am seeing a pick up in searches for restaurant same store managers.  A little movement at the  multi – unit level and still nothing in hospitality construction.  The recovery is on but in my mind not a strong gang busters one.  Clients seem to be trading up on their managers.  I don’t see them looking for new people as much as they are looking to replace non performers.  Its an employer’s market and this is what that means for you the candidate.

Jim

I was reading a report today in Restaurant News by Paul Frumkin entitled “Industry criticizes report’s suggestion that fast-food bans will curb obesity” It seems the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council has come out with a report recommending quick service food chains should not be allowed near schools.  This according to them would slow down childhood obesity.  This also lends fuel to the argument certain cities and states have of raising the tax on so called “bad foods.”  Making them more expensive and thus less attractive for people to eat.   Here is the problem I have.

The quick service chains have given us choices now.  Salad’s, green apple slices with kid meals.  You can actually walk in to a Micky D’s and if you want,  eat healthy.  The problem in my mind is not so much about the food as about whether or not parents are teaching personal responsibility.  There is not a kid who doesn’t know apple slices are better for you than fries!  What parents need to focus on is being more diligent in teaching their kids personal responsibility.   Is it really the restaurant’s fault when a parent allows their kid to eat thousands of calories at one sitting?   Groups that go after forcing the person’s choice by taking it away or penalizing the consumer with extra taxes on what they deem inappropriate foods miss the point.  Educating people and teaching about personal responsibility gives them the tools to make the right decisions and wins the day.  By penalizing them all you do is decide the average person is too dumb to make an intelligent decision about their eating habits.  I understand the State’s interest,  it’s more tax revenue, plain and simple.  But as a nation we are stronger the more we educate and teach personal responsibility.    Allowing people to be grownups making their own decisions based on an educated assessment of the choices is more difficult at first.  In the long run  it is key to changing the eating habit of our children.

More and more casual dining restaurant companies are realizing the importance of general managers who know how to market their restaurants to the local areas. This is new for some and old for others. GM’s have always needed to understand operations, finacials, employee and management staff motivation, as well as in store guest relations. But here is the kicker, more and more, success is defined in the casual dining industry by putting in place general managers who know how to market. Knowing how to market is a whole other skill set all together. You can’t be successful if you are an introvert.    Success comes with your ability to reach out and interact with other businesses and groups in your local area. You need to become involved with your community. Charity work, local sports, schools and area businesses. People in your community must not look at your restaurant as “XYZ Bar and Grill” but as “Your Place.” Your face has to be synonymous in your community with your company. You need to get out and be the “sales guy.” On the other hand companies, you need to give your GM’s some tools to compete. Because its the company who allows their separate locations to react locally who will win the day. Case in point in southern New Jersey their are two national restaurants side by side. One of the restaurants is a “Phillies” bar. They organize Phillies parties on game day. They have the TV’s tuned to the game. They have specials. The staff is motivated and wears the teams hats. It’s a real fun time. The other restaurant can’t get the games on the TV because their home office feels the expense to upgrade to a sports channel on their satellite TV is too cost prohibitive. Guess which restaurant is packed on Sunday afternoon?

But it’s not all about sports. Its about the GM’s getting out and interacting with the local area. And it is here I think many companies are missing the boat by not having older GM’s on their team. Let’s face it you really don’t see older managers in the casual dining concepts. GM’s are mostly in their mid to late 30’s a few in their forties. I would argue that General Managers in their late 40’s and 50’s are much better equipped to interact with the community. Their life experiences are greater and they move with ease when it come to socially interacting with the community. They are better for the most part in being able to reach outside of their restaurant. Companies would be wise to recognize this as they alter the formula for what makes a successful GM and restaurant.

First off,  I love my job.  Let’s make that clear. I wouldn’t trade it for a second. Looking back at my childhood my mother would would swear I had Attention Deficit Disorder.   Back then we didn’t call it that.  We called it “day dreaming.”  And I liked to day dream.  I imagined all sorts of things.  Being the hero, saving the day.  The whole enchilada. Jump ahead to 2009,  guys with A.D.D. are a perfect match with Recruiting!  I mean think about it.  If you had A.D.D. as kid, come the 21st century you’re king of multitasking! You have 15 candidates working at a time in 15 different searches going on all over the country!   Boredom never enters into your life!  The landscape is always changing and it’s fun!  What is also fun is all the different people you get to speak with in a day.  People from the CEO level right down to an Assistant manager.  There are people who are so focused their thought process is like a laser beam.  They challenge you as a recruiter.  You really have to be on your game.    As a person who judges talent you can see what separates the different levels of people.  You need to be able to hear and understand what they are all looking for.  What is important to them.  Most of the manager level candidates who are early in their careers are saying they want growth and a place that treats them well.  There are also candidates who are shopping for the next job solely for a means to raise their pay check.  9 out of 10 of these candidates are  ”job hoppers.”   Two years ago it was so tough for clients to find people that job hoppers had it made.  They knew the demand for a manager was high.  Now move to Summer 2009.  New ball game.  The folks who have been in 3 companies in 4 years are not even looked at.  The ones everyone wants  are the people who have held on and shown longevity.  Which brings me to the whole reason for this blog entry. I interviewed a young man who was zeroed in on the salary.  While I was trying to figure out what kind of manager he would be.  He kept making sure I knew; “I gotta be hittin’ a “G” a week.”  I smiled and said we were all set.   If he was focused on his job; “He’d a been hittin’ 2 “G”s a week.”  But you can’t see the forest through the trees….I gotta write a book.

Talk with you soon,

Jim

While some of you restaurant managers are dusting off your resumes and deciding it’s time to venture out into the job market.   Some of us, would like to give you some pointers.    I am writing this article because the guys who work with me begged me to do it.  Their begging wasn’t pretty, but in order to stop them from whining,  I had to commit to writing about it.   That in mind, buckle up.  I’m going to say some things some of you might not want to hear.  Ah, but say them I must.  don’t worry karma will bust my chops.  It always seems to happen that way.   Lets get down to it.

The first thing a hiring manager or recruiter does is look at how long you stayed in each job.  No, the rule is not at least a year and it’s okay. We look at the history of your longevity.  If you have five jobs in seven years that’s not good.  It tells us you have commitment issues, or you have been fired a lot. You have to realize a company will spend a lot of money on your training, salary included.  If I think you are going to bolt in a year, I’m going to keep looking for someone else who won’t.  Longevity is very important.  Most of us want to see a candidate who has stayed 4 or 5 years minimum in each of their jobs.  Also, about your work dates…put the month and year you were at your job.   2007 to 2009  looks like two years but if its December 07 to January 09 it’s basically one year.  We’re going to ask you so just put it down and we won’t think you’re trying to be cute and hide something.

My most hated phrase in a job description is ” I was in charge of all aspects of the restaurant.”  It is way too vague.  What you want in your job description is some exact form of measured success. For example.  If you are a culinary manager it might be something like;  I lowered my BOH labor costs 4% by adjusting the kitchen in times and cross training cooks to other stations.    We want to see something measurable.  A project you completed.  An award you received from the company.  Some people group the awards at the bottom of their resumes.  If you won an award at Joe’s Bistro for increasing wine sales  let me know under the job heading.  I also want to know if you can read a P & L.  What were your inventory numbers.   Make sure you really did the things you said you did.  You know we are going to ask your references.  Nothing makes quite the impression when a reference you gave us  sounds dumbfounded after we ask specific questions about what you said you did.

Don’t put your street address on your resume.  Your phone number and your e-mail are fine.  If you give your resume to a manager in a restaurant and he or she leaves it out in plain sight you don’t know who is going to see it.  Protect your personal information. Never, and I have seen this,  put your Social Security number on your resume!

Next, and this might just be me but, don’t put an “objective” on the top of your resume.  They never sound good and are not needed.

This next one has two answers.  If you are new and do not have much experience put your education at the beginning of the resume.  If it’s the first time you have applied to a company for management you want them to see you have a Bachelors in Hotel Management first.   It’s not that your bartending experience isn’t of interest. You just need to show it in the proper order of importance.  Now if you’ve been working professionaly as a manager for a few years the education comes after your experience.

When you send out your resume send a cover letter.  Make it short and professional.  One short paragraph is enough.  Trust me if its longer than that it’s not going to be read.  You have to realize we are looking at hundreds of resumes.  We just don’t have the time to read a long letter.

Don’t quit your job before you find another one!  It is much harder to find a position if you are unemployed!   If the restaurant closed down that’s one thing but if you left without a job lined up the first thing I’m going to do is question your judgement.

Finally follow up your resume with an e-mail or a phone call.  This will bring your name back into focus and demonstrate your follow through and professionalism.

I hope that helps.  And I hope my colleagues stop their whining!

By now those of you who know me know I have a cynical streak, and it’s in that flavor of prose I will take you back to the “olden days” before human resources and testing. The days of Sherwood Forest. Let us venture back and look at Robin Hood’s Company,“ RH Merry Men.” The guys who robbed from the rich and gave to the poor.

When Robin needed to hire a Merry Man or Merry Woman, he would talk with the candidate first. Get a feel for him. Perhaps take the guy to a stream with a log spanning it’s width and in simple combat, see how the guy handled himself. Later they might go out and share some of the King’s deer and some grog. A way just to feel him out. Robin would then say his goodbyes to the candidate and go off and talk about him with his trusted Merry Men. I can imagine Robin saying to Fryer Tuck; “ What do you think Tuck? He seemed to know his way around a bow and arrow.” Tuck might have chortled back; “ Yes but would he be as steady against the King’s men?” In the end Robin would make the decision as to whether or not he’d hire the guy based on a lot of human intuition and observation. Lets skip ahead to present day.

Now, the candidate is met with a quick phone call and if she passes a few internet tests about personality, intelligence, math and reading skills, we move onto a face to face interview. A lot of times if one person does not like her during the process, she is sent packing. The idea is if, out of 4 people “Joe” doesn’t like her, we stop moving ahead. If she does not score well on a certain test, The answer is; “I’m sorry she wasn’t a fit.” What is happening is we’re wrapping ourselves up with excuses to not hire a person thereby making no one at fault if the candidate fails. The hiring manager, is protected. “It wasn’t my fault for the bad hire.” “We all liked her!” “She did excellent on her tests.” But hear this. It’s not the hiring manager’s fault. It’s whoever is above them and how they hold them accountable. What the person at the top misses is hiring a candidate once you know they technically understand the job is a totally human intuitive process. By giving up our humanness to the system we are losing some great people. Let’s face it, If the hiring process were left to tests and decisions by committee during Britain’s Darkest Hour, they never would have picked Churchill to lead them out. I’m not saying stop the tests either. I am saying don’t make them the mitigating factor. Don’t let one person on the team stop the whole team if the others all like the candidate. Four years ago I had a great candidate who was passed over by one of my clients during his first interview. He didn’t run a food cost that the client felt he should have. Although very professional he was not as “put together” as the other candidate. I took him to another client. A smaller company who was looking for the right person. They took their time an got to know him. They didn’t even give the candidate a single test! It took two weeks and then they made him an offer. Today his restaurant is one of the top two in the market. He runs an independent and puts it to Olive Garden and Ruby Tuesday, Long Horn, Chili’s and MacGrill all day long. What of the company that did not hire him? Their restaurant isn’t even close.

If Robin Hood had tests he might have wanted to see them. He might have wanted to hear Tuck’s opinion. But in the end he would have made the decision based on what he thought. Companies need to rely on their people interviewing. Hiring Managers are going to make mistakes. Don’t beat them senseless for it and they won’t be afraid go out on a limb for the next Churchill. You will get stronger candidates. It’s really not science. It’s what one person gets when they sit down across from another and take a measure.

Run the background check though

Talk with you soon,

Jim

Here we are in the summer of 09 and job loss is not as “God awful” as it was just four months ago.  Don’t get me wrong it’s “awful,” just not “God awful!” Now what about employee retention?   Well in Hospitality it’s never been better! People are staying with their companies and all is rosy right?  Let’s look at it a little more closely.   Say the recession is like a hurricane. When a hurricane hits,  people hunker down in a safe place and wait it out right?   Yep, I know you know where I’m going,  just hang in there, it’s my blog. Once the hurricane is done people come out of their hiding spots and start moving around. Here is what I’m thinking; Come this Fall we are going to see more people start to look around for new opportunities. Not crazy mind you, but definitely with more interest then they are showing now. By Spring of 2010 the spigot will open up a bit more. Summer and Fall of the same year? We are going to see candidates like lemmings throwing themselves off the cliff. You see in Norway when lemmings get that urge to look for greener pastures they all start to move en masse. They come to a cliff above a fiord and things start to back up. Finally there are so many of the little darlings backed up, the urge to jump into the water and get on with it, over comes their fear. Same thing with people who have felt afraid to move to another company because of the recession. As the recovery makes itself more evident they lose the fear that’s kept them holding onto their jobs. They, jump. And when they jump independent recruiters like myself, and company HR departments are going to be busy!

Talk with you soon!

Jim

Happy 4th everybody! Here is how I see the Hospitality Industry shaping up right now. Corporate job orders are picking up for our agency in regards to same store management. Hotels are still lagging. The restaurants however are seeing a bit more business and they are starting to look ahead to the fall. Don’t get me wrong. We are not looking at “gang busters” growth by any means but when a client tells me they need a GM yesterday I feel good! My main concern is the candidate side of the equation. Same store restaurant managers are still staying put and I am hearing that it’s the old, “Devil I know is better than the Devil I don’t know.” This is understandable if you are working for a top notch company. But if you are with a “hurtin’” one, do yourself a favor. Get out! The Good companies are starting to look. We have seen continued interest in quality people for the last two months. The weak companies are still hanging on for dear life and will be pinching the pennies for a while longer. These restaurants will also be behind the curve when the turnaround kicks into high gear. If you’re a candidate you want to identify the great companies to build your career with.  Don’t let yourself get stuck in a comfort zone! Do something about your situation now!!!  Sometimes the Devil you know is all you need to know.  Start your search now.

That’s my view.

Talk with you soon.

Jim

It is important to note while there’s an uneasy feeling about the future of the economy, there are things we can do right now in our restaurants, which will make a difference. Of course you must watch your controllables, labor, food cost and liquor cost. That goes with out saying. Trust me most of your competitors are doing just that. It is actually the easiest part of your job, very black and white. The hard part is this, engaging like never before, on a personal level, your staff and your guests. The winners on the corporate restaurant strip are the restaurants that add the “Personality” to the Hospitality Business. To do this you must be out in the dining room and lounge like a politician, shaking hands and kissing babies. Your guests need to know who the manager is and they need to enjoy saying hello to you. They need to see you are genuine and likable. You cannot fake it. If being genuine and likable are not in your make up, get out of the business. Find your true calling because its not Hospitality. Now what about your staff? They need to know you are in the trenches with them. No more hiding in the office. We have all done it from time to time. The office is safe and no one can yell at you in there. One of my favorite GMs put a sign up on the office door saying; “If your sitting in here your not managing the restaurant.” He was right. Make the pledge to your staff today. You will be at their beckon call and visit any guest they want you too. Promise them you will not roll your eyes and sigh when they need a guest visit. Be positive. It’s your job to turn around the bad situations and make those guests walk away impressed! It’s your job to let the staff know they are not by themselves. Be proactive. Meet and greet your guests at their tables. Thank them for coming. If the conversation allows, find out a little more about them so the next time they are in your place you can engage them again. If you do this they will be with you always.

Times are tough and people are not going out as often as they used to, but one thing is for sure. When people decide to go and spend their hard earned money on a night out, they’re going to pick the place they feel most welcome. Now, more than ever, you need to get out and into the trenches.

Talk with you soon,

Jim