Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - July/August 2022 - 31

day after concluding the interviews
to go back over my notes and think
about which individual(s) I want to
move on. If you try to hire as you
interview, you may have to pass up on
a better candidate that is scheduled
later in the week. Oftentimes, the
better candidates are the ones that you
are having trouble trying to schedule
because they are busy with their other
jobs. Make sure that you collect enough
resumes over a defined period of
time to ensure you have an adequate
pool from which to choose the best
person. Then after a period of careful
reflection, make your choice(s).
Identify an Alternate
This is a real time-saving step. At my
present job, our Human Resources
department takes over once I decide
on a candidate. Everything is in their
hands once my paperwork hits their
desk. They negotiate salaries, do
background checks, and all the " fun "
things. Even when I worked in places
where I did all the " fun " stuff myself,
identifying a second choice during
my interview rounds was a good
time saver. Why? Because it seems
like there's always something that
pops up and sends the first choice off
track. They fail the drug test, don't
pass the background check, or they
may be directionally challenged
and just can't seem to find their way
to campus to do their onboarding
paperwork. This is becoming more
identify a candidate that works just
as well as your first choice. Don't
misunderstand, you're not looking
for someone that is just " okay, " you're
seeking someone that is the next best
thing to the candidate you have in first
place.
THE 'STAR' METHOD
will help you to be more
efficient in your hires
by getting them to
reveal a truer picture of
themselves.
and more common for me. So then
by having someone " on the bench, " I
don't have to spend time going back
through applications, possibly doing
additional interviews; the work is
already done. The difference of a day,
or even a couple of hours, can make
the difference in getting someone
in the next orientation and on the
schedule quickly. It's unlikely that
the differences between the first and
second candidates are that extreme.
And if you are starting your interview
process with finding an alternate
in mind, then you will be able to
SUMMING IT UP
These five tips have helped refine
my hiring process over the years. If
your staffing situation is anything
like mine, you're looking for any
advantage possible. The goal of
these tips is to help you be more
efficient and effective in your hiring.
Remember that your time is valuable!
When you allocate specific time to
hiring, you can still do all the other
things to run your department. Doing
first interviews online is a huge time
saver. Guard your time against the
no-shows that are so prevalent. The
'STAR' method will help you to be more
efficient in your hires by getting them
to reveal a truer picture of themselves.
Better hires lead to less hiring in
the future. Don't rush through the
process. Take the time to mull over
the candidates you have talked to and
pick the best ones for you and your
organization. Finally, always interview
as if you need one more person than
you do. Use this candidate as an
alternate in case any of the others
don't come to fruition. Best of luck to
you! E
DAVID VOELZ, CEC, CWPC, CCA, WCEC, CDM, CFPP, FMP, FSWC | david.voelz@charter.net
David Voelz is the Food Service Director for Holly Hill Hospital, Raleigh, N.C. He is Chair of the
American Culinary Federation's National Certification Commission, and Chair of the Board for the
ACF Raleigh-Durham Chef's Association.
NUTRITION & F OOD SER VICE EDGE | JULY-AUGUST 2022 31

Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - July/August 2022

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