Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - November/December 2022 - 12

1 HR
MANAGEMENT C ONNECTION
LEVELING UP
CE
CBDM APPROVED
GIVE YOUR OPERATIONS A BOOST
BY LEVELING UP YOUR TEAM
BY R. ANDREW BRAUN, CDM, CFPP
STAFFING. For some of you the very word will cause
an instant migraine. Recruiting and retaining quality
candidates is more challenging than ever before. An
unprecedented 93 percent of companies are currently
hiring, which rounds up to... almost everyone!
Candidates are scarce, and they can afford to be picky.
Running short is stressful, with salaried managers
choosing between poor quality output, picking up the slack
themselves, or paying expensive overtime, and in some cases
all three. This leads to a downward spiral, where stress and
overwork cause the remaining employees to look elsewhere.
They don't have to look far because the average time a decent
candidate spends looking for a job is just 10 days. The reality
is that your employees can find another job in a week and get
more money by doing so.
These are frightening statistics, but money is only part of the
story. The top reason people change jobs is for a better career
opportunity. The chance to learn, to grow, and to develop
as a person is more important than the paycheck, because
nobody wants to be stuck in a dead-end job. Years ago, as
a young aspiring chef fresh on the scene in Orlando, Fla.,
this realization was a powerful one. Top chefs at prestigious
restaurants did not pay their employees more money than
chain restaurants, they paid about 20-30 percent less, and
still had fewer open positions and better-quality candidates.
They were offering knowledge, skills, a better resume, and
a brighter future. You want to be a chef in 10 years or still
working the fry station at TGI Fridays? You don't have to
be Gordon Ramsay to take advantage of this in your own
operations, and I will explain how in this article.
EVERYONE WANTS A BETTER TOMORROW
As managers, we must understand the goals and dreams of
our team. You cannot motivate people without knowing
what they are working for. Once you understand the goals of
your team, you are now in a position to help them get there.
This has a powerful and lasting impact on the people whose
lives we change for the better, but it has an impact on your
operation as well. When employees see others thrive, it can
be very motivating and inspiring for the whole team.
When an employee expresses an interest in management,
always sit down with them and take them seriously. Ask
what they feel like they need to learn to get there. Give them
a realistic evaluation of their strengths and weaknesses, and
what will help them be successful in making that transition.
I personally make the commitment that when they are ready
and they've learned all I can teach, then I will help them get
promoted within our company, or elsewhere if there are no
openings.
I make this promise knowing that their best chance at
promotion might not be with their current job, although it
can and does happen. It is far more likely that their next
step up will be with another company. At first glance this
seems counter-intuitive. How can spending your precious
time and resources to build up skills in your best people-
and then getting them another job-help lower turnover?
It can, and it has other powerful benefits you might
not realize. Some interesting statistics come into play
here. Consider that you are nearly 70 percent more likely
to find quality employees from sources other than random
applications, and that 70 percent of Millennials found their
current jobs through social media.
12 NUTRITION & F OOD SER VICE EDGE | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2022
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - November/December 2022

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