Pizza Today - February 2022 - 12

MIKE'S MONTHLY TIP
MIKE BAUSCH
an accepting manner that everyone has it
as part of the job to introduce themselves,
make kind dialogue and build rapport. Do
this, so they choose you. Do this so you
can start to train; otherwise, you'll scare
them off before they even clock in. Make
your workplace the most inviting one by
far.
Also, this costs nothing to do.
Building rapport does not start after
they get hired.
Even when they apply, the new
applicant walks in and says, " I want an
application. " Do you simply give them an
application? Instead, I suggest, sit them
down and have them fi ll it out in-store.
Find them a spot in the restaurant to fi ll
it out comfortably by off ering them lunch.
If nothing else, get them a drink and have
each person go by and say hi to them
while they're applying. Make it so over the
top welcoming that this person does not
go to fi ve other places to apply.
If this approach is a no-brainer for you,
The Warm Blanket Approach
T
he hiring problems of the last
year have not subsided. I still see
businesses hiring the way they
always did. Most business owners know
it isn't like it was in 2019 anymore and
that there needs to be a change. Most
pizzerias I talk to have switched to online
application portals, more thorough training
and dedicated incentives with better
starting wages.
With all those improvements, the
industry still has diffi culty acquiring and
retaining staff . Many resources say the
same things on the topic, except the most
obvious one. Here's a straightforward
tip that's not getting talked about nearly
enough: BE NICE.
Be accepting, kind and provide a
warm blanket to these new hires coming
into your restaurant. Sure, you're a nice
person, and I'm sure your staff is fi lled
with friendly, personable people. But I'm
saying as a protocol, as a standard operating
procedure, be nice.
So, what does that mean?
It means when a new employee has
their fi rst day at your pizzeria, it's over
the top welcoming. Do you currently
have a fi ght or fl ight method? Do you
currently push to see how they stack
up, maybe even throw them into the
hard Friday night from the jump? Th e
old school mentality was this approach
would weed out the weak and give new
hires a good idea of the speed and beat
of this restaurant. I'm saying today it is
inadvisable to do that.
Not only should you start slow, but you
should also be calculated in the orientation.
Have the fi rst day go down in such
great; just do it. If this feels over the top
or inauthentic, then ask if you do have
friendly people that work for you or not.
If you don't, be the change, act kindly, and
expect your staff to follow.
In this warm blanket approach, you
must be keenly aware that your applicants
are interviewing you. It is not the reverse
anymore. Sure, you're going to want to
evaluate and have a high-level person
who could do the job. Still, there is such
an abundance of jobs that any applicant
has their pick of the litter, and you need
to stand out. Not just fi nancially, but also
on a human level by being approachable,
kind and accepting. By showing that your
restaurant is somewhere that this person
looks forward to being an employee.
Work can no longer be the opposite of
happy home life. It needs to be an extenuation
of it. Th e restaurants that do this,
without sacrifi cing standards or quality,
are the ones who will come out of this
pandemic and hiring crisis better for the
journey.
MIKE BAUSCH is the owner of Andolini's Pizzeria in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Instagram: @mikeybausch
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