Pizza Today - January 2022 - 29

perks like transportation assistance,
paid time off and retention bonuses.
Others unveiled referral bonuses
to use staff as a recruitment army,
touted growth opportunities and
offered sign-on bonuses - anything
and everything to attract applicants.
And still, the labor pains persisted.
In a September 2021 survey
conducted by the NRA, four out of
five full-service operators reported
they did not have enough employees
to meet customer demand.
In the near term, many industry
analysts expect labor shortages
to continue frustrating restaurant
owners, 75 percent of whom told
the NRA that recruiting and retaining
staff is their top challenge - a
remarkable statistic given the other
hurdles confronting the industry.
It is an undeniably trying issue. So,
what are HR experts suggesting operators
do to grab new employees?
Prioritize health and safety.
Set and adhere to safety protocols,
says Jennifer Chang, a knowledge
advisor with the Society for Human
Resource Management (SHRM).
She suggests restaurants provide
personal protective equipment
(PPE) to staff and include paid sick
leave in their benefits package to
alleviate the pressure sick employees
feel to report to work. The pandemic
awakened heightened attention
to health and safety and individuals
are prioritizing employers who
value their health.
" Especially in this climate, demonstrating
a willingness to take care
of your staff and treat them well
matters, " Chang says.
Leverage technology to move
fast. On the revenue front, many
restaurants have adopted technology
to capture orders, reservations
and drive repeat visits. Technology
can also be employed to bolster
hiring. Landed, for instance, uses
artificial intelligence to automate
Involve everyone in solutions.
So often, Wang says, a
corporate office or owner pushes
the hiring responsibility directly
onto store-level leadership. Yet, that
group is already taxed and understaffed,
scrambling to fill holes
DANIEL P. SMITH Chicago-based
writer has covered business issues and
best practices for a variety of trade
publications, newspapers, and magazines.
the hiring process and eliminate
rote tasks that prolong or complicate
the hiring process.
" Given the competition, you have
to act fast, " Landed CEO Vivian
Wang says. " Within 24 to 36 hours
after initial candidate interest, you
need to be interviewing them. "
Wang urges restaurants to use
SMS text, not e-mail, for outreach
since texting is faster and spurs a
higher response rate. She also suggests
restaurants adapt to a " digitalfirst
environment, " including using
familiar platforms such as FaceTime
or Google Meet to conduct
virtual interviews that require less
coordination and planning.
" Then, you can utilize the
in-person time to sell the candidate
on your business since many
candidates today are job shopping,
not job hunting, " Wang says.
Cast a wide net. While traditional
talent acquisition strategies -
digital platforms like Indeed, Monster
and Craigslist as well as the
simple " Help Wanted " window sign
- retain their merits, restaurants
must attract candidates in other
ways. This might include using
social media websites like Instagram
or TikTok to brand the
restaurant as a fun place to work,
partnering with a local culinary
institute or technical school to provide
apprenticeship opportunities or
teaming with nonprofit organizations
that help veterans or formerly
incarcerated individuals transition
into the workforce.
" There are groups of people easily
overlooked you might turn to here, "
Chang says.
created by worker shortages and
extinguishing operational fires.
" Why ask them to do more? "
Wang wonders.
Rather than pushing it down, she
encourages operators to " provide
support and make investments in
something that's sustainable, " such
as involving current staff in recruiting
by investing in referral bonuses.
A recent SHRM study found
nearly 60 percent of businesses are
using referral bonuses to attract job
applicants to their most difficultto-fill
positions.
" And often, like attracts like, so
you're going to get individuals on
par with your current employees, "
Chang says.
Thinking beyond pay. In a
tight labor market, competitive pay
is necessary to attract talent, but it
takes more than that now. Health
benefits, even for part-time employees,
are becoming more commonplace,
while additional perks ranging
from free meals to educational
supports - one Arkansas restaurant
group has given student workers a
paid hour to do their homework -
can also lure candidates. Even daily
pay options powered by mobile
apps like Tapcheck can drive applicants.
Detailing mentorship, training
and advancement opportunities
can prove appealing as well.
" Treating your employees well
and being a flexible, inclusive and
engaged workplace where employees
feel valued is so important, "
Chang says. " It's so easy to go to
traditional solutions like higher pay,
but it's important to focus on your
company culture as well. " n
JANUARY 2022 / PIZZATODAY.COM / 29
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Pizza Today - January 2022

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