Articles from HeadHunterBrian

Never Resign Before It's Time!

HeadHunterBrian — Fri, 28 May 2010 22:05:11 +0000

Don't Quit Your Current Restaurant Job Before Accepting a New Position

Recently, I received a follow up call after an introductory email from a mid-level restaurant operations director looking to make a change from a national brand in the northeast. We spoke at length about her professional credentials, restaurant operations experience (including her reviews and current standing with her concept), and her motivation for looking at another position. Uncertain economy notwithstanding, this was a rockstar candidate and one that I would usually represent eagerly. In fact, even in this market, I still considered representing her because her credentials and operations experience were tremendous.

As I was about to say, "Sure, I think I can assist you in your job search," this candidate tells me, "I already put in my notice and have two weeks before I am finished at my current restaurant."

After what seemed like an awkward eternity of silence, I replied with "You did what?"

It was true. This rockstar candidate had quit her job before securing a new one. Where has she been living...under a rock? I guess she hadn't noticed that we are still experiencing the after-effects of an enormous economic recession that has bruised even the strongest restaurant brands with the blows of the past two years. Has she not read about the massive layoffs at countless restaurants across the U.S.?

By resigning from her current job, this Regional Director just made her job search considerably more difficult, if not impossible. Even the best restaurant concepts are still cutting back on lateral hiring, and many of those that are hiring are moving slowly and cautiously. Right now the market is flooded with highly credentialed restaurant leaders with impressive experience from the top restaurant brands in the country.

As a restaurant executive recruiter, it seems obvious to me that a restaurant leader should not quit his or her job before securing a new one. Evidently, this isn't as intuitive as I would have thought.

Following are several reasons one should not quit his or her job without finding a new one first:

Lack of Exclusivity - Potential hiring managers know you're actively looking and talking with multiple brands who may be calling you after you accept their offer.
Lack of Bargaining Power - Your ability to counter a salary offer is now off the table as anything a restaurant hiring manager offers you is more than you're making.
Lack of Time - Your financial situation may not allow you the time to do a comprehensive job search because you need to get back to work quickly, possibly forcing you to "settle" in your decision.
Lack of Benefits - If you choose not to pay the outrageous cost of COBRA coverage while waiting for the new benefits at a new position to begin, anything serious medically that happens to you or your family can wipe you out financially.

So, the next time you feel like quitting your job, remember: doing so may make your job search process a much more difficult one. By way of example, I have to say that upon learning that the top-shelf director who gave her notice without securing a new position, will not be my highest priority. I will work with her, but in this tough economy, the single act of quitting makes her very difficult to represent.

Read more about Working with a Restaurant Recruiter

Why Restaurants Must Embrace Social Media Marketing

HeadHunterBrian — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 15:12:11 +0000

Social media marketing can no longer be dismissed as a novel concept for restaurant internet marketing for brands and their specific locations. Potential restaurant guests use social media marketing companies like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube ever day, hour, even minute to interact with friends, family, colleagues, friends of friends, and more.

When it comes to restaurants, social media is quickly becoming known as an inexpensive marketing tool, especially valuable to smaller concepts and franchise groups that can reach large audiences without incurring heavy marketing expenses. Beyond restaurant marketing, however, there are diverse ways in which online users relate to the restaurant industry using social media marketing services. Below are a few reasons consumers interact well with restaurants in the social media arena.

According to a brief from Technomic, approximately three-quarters (73%) of consumers indicate they used social media in the previous 30 days, per a November 2009 online survey of 500 consumers. Of those consumers who used it, 30% report that they use social media websites to find, “friend” or follow restaurants. These percentages will likely have increased substantially as the popularity of social media has increased.

Why do consumers follow restaurants on social media sites? Those consumers who use social media to follow restaurants primarily do so to learn about special deals; to find out about promotional deals (53%) and to get coupons (51%). More than a third of consumers indicate they follow restaurants to find out about new menu items (36%), and another quarter do so to learn about new restaurant locations (24%).

As these platforms continue to gain momentum, expect social media to play an increasingly important role in other areas of restaurant operations as well, including restaurant reviews and reservations. It’s time for restaurant operators who have not already done so to embrace social media and discover how it can help to develop relationships and build business.

If you are unsure how to use Facebook or Twitter as a marketing tool, read this article. Then “friend” independent restaurants or bakeries on Facebook, and follow the tweets of chefs, food vendors and restaurants on Twitter. You’ll gather ideas about how to keep your audiences hooked, and pick up examples you can use when you get your own social media efforts going. You may also want to consider employing the services of a social media marketing firm.

Brian Bruce is an Executive Restaurant Recruiter with Premier Solutions in Oklahoma City and Blogger. Author of multiple articles published on many websites and several industry trade publications, he has been cited in multiple news stories as an authority in Executive Restaurant Recruiting. He can be reached at 877-948-4001, by email at HeadHunterBrian@gmail.com , or on his blog at HeadHunterBrian.com .

What You Must Know to Get Your Resume Read by a Recruiter

HeadHunterBrian — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 01:43:35 +0000

As a restaurant executive recruiter, I typically review 70+ food service resumes per day from candidates looking for restaurant jobs in a variety of leadership roles. Since I work for the restaurant client and am charged with finding the best candidate for their position, I must quickly review resumes to determine if I should contact this person now, later, or never. I will typically take 5-10 seconds to scan a restaurant resume. Here is how that 5-10 seconds goes:

I first fix on the most recent job and the candidate’s location. I look for the name of the restaurant they work for, job title, dates and whether you are currently employed or not. (Don’t “forget” to update your resume with an employment end date if you are not currently employed. You don’t score points that way. You raise a question about your integrity.) Then I go to the previous positions held and look for a reasonable career progression as well as evidence that your background may be an initial fit for my client’s opening.

Some of the red flags that will rule your resume out are:

Functional Resumes (I rarely place anyone who has sent me one)

Too many jobs, poor tenure

Very poor logic in career path (nine months as a restaurant manager, six months as a real estate agent, etc.)

No dates on jobs (candidates try to hide a lack of tenure in their work history)

A resume objective that is irrelevant to the restaurant position

Unknown restaurant concepts

Misspelled words (use spell check)

Too long, more than 2-3 pages (unless you’re in a senior executive role)

While I’m scanning the potential candidate’s resume, I ask myself if this person’s background matches the "menu" for the restaurant job description and is this person remotely close to being someone I can place with one of my clients?

Clients pay a substantial fee for me to do a search and find them the perfect candidate. My candidates must be the best of the best and typically they must be currently employed with a quality restaurant brand they want to recruit from. Most of the time this means people from national or larger regional concepts who are currently employed and have a stellar track record of success. Certainly there are some exceptions to this and there are genuine superstars who work for smaller restaurant brands.

Some of the positives that will encourage a recruiter reading your resume are:

Limit length to one or two pages, unless you’re in a senior role

Reverse chronological format, most recent role first

Use Times New Roman or Arial font, size 12, maybe 11

No pictures, no graphics, no color. Black & White only

List your results and outcomes/achievements as well as your responsibilities

Save your resume as a .doc Word document and name it <YourNameResumeDate> Ex. AliceAdamsResume2010.doc

Exclude your height, weight, marriage status, children, hobbies

Include Professional Affiliations & Certifications. (SHRM, CHART, RIMS, etc.)

While some of this information may sound harsh, it’s reality. It’s intended to make you aware of things that can help you improve your chances to get a restaurant management recruiter to read and respond to your resume. To read more about writing your restaurant manager resume, go here.

7 Qualities and 9 Questions to Help You Select Future Leaders

HeadHunterBrian — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 17:44:00 +0000

Below is a guest post from Maureen Metcalf, President of Metcalf & Associates, Inc. about choosing and developing future leaders wisely. Good read.

Consider the impact a poor leader has on your organization and the cost the business incurs when recovering from a poor leader.

I worked with a very bright leader and CEO of a midsized organization. He had a very high view of himself and he disagreed with any data to the contrary (including board level input). Over the short time I knew him, his senior leadership team turned over 100%. The cost of this turnover was likely well in excess of $1 million just to replace and train the new leaders. The cost does not include the customer impact because of poor service. The financial performance of the organization declined during his leadership and he was eventually removed from this role. During his tenure, his COO filed a lawsuit against him. The company did not recover from this leader and was eventually acquired when they had significant cash flow issues.

The problem wasn’t with his intelligence. The problem was he thought he alone was smart was enough to successfully lead a company through a major transformation. He was very strong on 1 of 7 measures of success and weak on others. Smart is obviously critical to success but in and of itself it is insufficient. 1 of 7 is a failure. So what went wrong?

This leader was very bright. He passed the cognitive complexity test. He could be charming but otherwise had very weak interpersonal skills. It was the lack interpersonal skills along with overestimating his value and intelligence that caused him to lose his job and also cost the owners of the company a significant amount of money.

To effectively transform organizations, the leader must have a broad range of skills that are summarized briefly in the seven points below. A significant deficiency in any of these areas can have an incredibly adverse impact on the company, which generally means failed transition and possibly a failed company.

We look for “Level 5” leadership qualities when leading an organizational transformation. These leaders demonstrate the qualities necessary to set the course and successfully implement changes that will work short term and continue to deliver successful results long term.

Because of the ever-changing business environment, the leadership required to operate and transform organizations now is very different than in the past. Today, leaders must take in much more information, understand a more complex and often global environment, and respond quickly.

To make leadership even more challenging, change is an ever-accelerating process. One change is never “done” before the next one begins. Leader must be both proactive in anticipating what is coming next and responding to what just happened that they did not properly predict.

The seven specific qualities you need to consider when selecting leaders who can help transform your organization are:

1. Smart at dealing with complex problems (cognitive complexity)
2. Emotionally able to deal with ambiguity and complexity
3. Strong self-awareness and self-management skills
4. Strong interpersonal awareness and interpersonal acumen
5. Ability to build flexible and robust solutions
6. Ability to instill confidence in others
7. Continually learning and looking for ways to improve self, others and the organization – treats change as an experiment to learn from rather than something to conquer

The definition of “good leadership” is changing. Many people expect the leader to have the answers, make the decisions, and be in charge. The new successful leader has different rules and leaders must retool their beliefs quickly. One way to evaluate the leaders working for you is to observe what they are doing and saying.

While they are analyzing data and creating plans, they must also work with the many stakeholders demonstrating an impeccable ability to interact. Often these people have different goals and the leader must balance all of them gracefully.

Leaders must make decisions and move forward with limited information AND be open to modifying their course as they gather additional information. They treat change like an ongoing experiment – they learn from each decision and each one (success or failure) gives them more information for the next decision.

When looking for the next generation of leaders within your organization, ask yourself the following nine questions as you evaluate your team:

1. Do they demonstrate their ability to think through the complex situations your business faces now and is likely to face in the future?
2. Do they talk about trends they are following and how those trends may impact the business?
3. When talking about their successes, do they talk about what they learned and who contributed in addition to them?
4. Do they talk about themselves in a way that you believe they are introspective and able to manage their own reactions to challenging situations?
5. When talking about areas that did not go well, do they talk about the process they used to recover and turn the situation around and who helped them with the turn around?
6. Do they discuss collaboration and how it improved their success?
7. Do they talk about what they have done and are doing to develop their emotional intelligence? Which areas they are developing (empathy, self awareness, team skills)? What tools are they using (reflection, reading, and learning)?
8. Do they talk about what they are doing to become more aware of the impact they make on others - their colleagues, their employees and their customers or stakeholders?
9. Do they talk about what they as an individual to maintain and regain balance on challenging days?

These questions augment the traditional screening process to identify industry expertise, functional expertise and cultural fit. In this complex environment we still need to do the basics well. What changes is a movement away from command and control and toward business basics augmented with interpersonal intelligence and high emphasis on continued learning and flexibility.

Maureen Metcalf is a Senior Instructor at thoughtLEADERS, LLC and she is the founder of Metcalf and Associates, a firm focused on creating strategic value through Level 5 Leaders. She can be reached at info@Metcalf-Associates.com.

For more on Best Hiring Practices, read here. Feel free to comment below! -Brian

A Quest for the Best: 4 Steps to Reach Your 2010 Goals

HeadHunterBrian — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:06:00 +0000

As the first days of this New Year tick off our calendars, we may wonder what the future holds for us and our beloved restaurant industry. Some greet 2010 with great anticipation, delighted at the prospect of change. Others may dread the coming year, fearful of “what’s next?” Many more will just purpose to aim down the same path with their heads down, aware of the calendar change but unwilling to stop long enough to seek anything new or different. But that is precisely what we must do; dream and plan! Whether you meet this New Year with delight, dread or disregard, before you is an opportunity to map out the future you desire. But there are purposeful, planned steps you need to take to achieve your professional and personal best in the coming months. Some are easy, others require effort but all are well worth it. The steps involve dreaming, goal-setting, planning and casting your vision to others.

To better understand the process, imagine you’re the head coach of a ho-hum college football team. Your dream might be to one day take your powerhouse team to a BCS Bowl game. That won’t mean much to you or anyone else unless you make that an actual goal. Making it a goal sets things in motion. Next, you make plans, action steps to actually achieve the needed standards: You might bring on new special teams coaches (a COO with a reputation for turning a brand around) to amp up your playbook. You may find new ways to grow the program and recruit cream-of-the-crop players (read, “Call Brian”). You could look to other teams & coaches (restaurant brands and industry leaders) who have gone to the Rose Bowl ahead of you and model your program after their success. Sure, there will be setbacks. Your star quarterback may tear his shoulder ligament. But have a plan for those times as well. See the “unforeseen,” and have a backup and “backup” backup quarterbacks (progression planning). The very game itself is a small scale model of goal setting and planning: The objective: Get the ball into the end zone more times and score more points than the other guys. The plan - take it at least ten yards at a time every 4 downs….time after time. One last and immensely important component: you must sell your dream to your coaching staff, your players, your backers and even the fans in the stadium. Cast the Vision for them. Everyone needs to be on board. They all need to be in it all the way; they have to know they are a critical part of the success of the effort. They must own it with you. With ownership comes pride and purpose. The fans in the stands who strip down to their skivvies in zero degree temps and paint themselves bright orange - they are SOLD man! They believe! They share the vision. Do you have fans like that right now?

Start with a dream, identify the goals, and move forward with great planning. Done consistently and persistently, you could be marching into downtown Pasadena before you know it.

In this series we’ll take an in-depth look at the process of goal setting: from dream to goal to plan to reality. We’ll hear from successful business leaders who live by it and lay out the steps necessary to begin.

Dreams - All great ideas start there. Martin Luther King Jr. dreamt of one day seeing people of all races united as one. He spoke to our nation of his dreams with conviction and passion. Those dreams caught fire and a social revolution began. From works of art, literature & cinema, creation starts first with a dream. Stephen Spielberg puts it well, “I don’t dream at night, I dream all day; I dream for a living.” And from George Bernard Shaw, “You see things and say, 'Why?", but I dream things and say, 'Why not?”

Admittedly, in the high-velocity restaurant industry world, we may tend to think of dreamers as lazy, out of work bums who need a haircut and a reality check. But change the wording to “visionary,” and a hero is born. Okay, so be a visionary! Envision the ideal. Imagine your brand and its future. Think in terms of your business and yourself. Go BIG with it! In dreams, not only are seeds planted but great orchards sprout up. In this stage, the sky is the limit! Spend some time on this part. Remember this stage is your foundation. Don’t over analyze or be critical here. Napoleon Hill recognized the importance of dreaming: “Cherish your visions and your dreams, as they are the children of your soul; the blueprints of your ultimate achievements.” Those “blueprints” are crucial to your future and your plan. Remember, not so long ago, it was hard to find a good cup of coffee, now there’s a shop on nearly every corner, in every mall and in almost every airport. Someone dreamed big!

As you do this, be sure to write down your dreams. Catch them on paper. If it will benefit you, call in others from your inner circle to bounce around the ideas. Don’t let the naysayer in though. In this stage, dreamers - visionaries - only please. For inspiration, look to other leaders and companies you admire. It’s okay to say, “I want to be like them.” It’s even better to declare, “I want to be bigger or better than they are!” As Les Brown quips, “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss you’ll land among the stars.

I’ll leave you to your dreaming. Next, we’ll look at how to harness those big dreams. For more restaurant career advice, read here.

The Best Ways Restaurants Can Begin to Use Twitter

HeadHunterBrian — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:29:00 +0000

This post is a guest post by Mark Berger with Swat Recruiting.

Ok…every restaurant manager has at least heard of Twitter by now. Maybe you even have a personal profile or one for your restaurant on there. If you do you are undoubtedly subjected to a continuous stream of messages, or Tweets, that inform you of what one had for lunch, their stop at the gym, info on a sick child, or maybe some late-breaking news story that you already knew about, or even other mundane, uninteresting, needless information. Sadly, that is all part of the Twitter experience.

Please believe me, there are better ways to use this wonderful free service. For the subscribers of this newsletter, and many others, it is one of communication…interactive communication. Twitter is part of what we call Web 2.0. This is not a new concept but to this day, many have not heard of it and those that have still wonder exactly what it means. I call Web 2.0 the socialization of the Internet. It is users of the Internet reaching out to those we are trying to communicate with, but more than that, it is making it easier for those who want to communicate with us easier to do so. More streamlined, more efficient. That is what Web 2.0 is all about.

Using Twitter, the key to success is having “followers”. Followers are those that will actually receive your messages, or tweets, when you send them. But before you even start the process to gather your followers…you have to have something for them to follow. Your Twitter profile. This is easy, and like I said before…free. I imagine most of you reading this article today will want to go ahead and at least take the step to set up a page for you and your restaurant. Yes, a profile can be for an individual, a group, a company, or almost anything. You just need to think for a moment on the group you are trying to reach. In your case…just about anyone. Go to www.twitter.com and sign up. The most important part of your profile is you one-line bio. Make sure this has the name of your restaurant in it.

So, now you have your profile set up. This is the easy part. Now what? You begin the process to build your base of followers. This will be a campaign of sorts. One decent starting point would be to visit a website called Twellow.com. This site has many features but one that I like is a geographical breakdown of Twitter users in a given area. Called TwellowHood (I am not sure I would have called it that), you can click into a country, state, and/or city and see how many users are in that area. Take Massachusetts for example. I see that there are over 51,000 users in 416 cities including 32,000+ in Boston alone. That is a lot of potential customers. No, this is not every Twitter user, but like I said, it is a starting point. You would find your locale then click into the lists of users and simply invite them to follow you. Some will, some won’t. Some other ways to gain followers is to post your Twitter address inviting followers on your website, in your mailers, on all your outgoing emails. This is how it is done. It doesn’t happen overnight. This is more of a strategy than a technique. But over time, you will notice the number of followers grow and grow. You will also want to use another service, TweetLater.com, to automatically follow people who follow you, making it easier for them to message you back if needed.

Now that you have begun the process to get people to follow you…what are you going to say to them? This is where many people I speak with about this look up and kind of roll their eyeballs a bit. The information you will Tweet out is basically the same as would be for your newsletters, advertisements for your restaurant, and other forms of communication. Some examples of how the restaurant leadership readers today may want to use Twitter are as follows:

Offer a free appetizer of side dish for all your new followers.
About 10:30 AM, tweet out your lunch specials.
About 4 PM…2 for 1 Happy Hour coupons.
Daily Specials for dinner.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Don’t think that I propose doing away with other forms of communication. Not at all. Frankly, not everyone has a computer, much less is on Twitter, but I do propose to add one more prong to your strategy to reach out to your customers and potential customers. The easier you make it for them to hear you, the more they will react to what they hear. But in implementing an online social strategy for your restaurant, you might very well find that a certain portion of the population is better suited to getting your information pushed out to them in a Tweet, than they are suited to have to go to your website, or wait for an ad to come out.

One area we didn’t discuss today, and don’t really have the space for, is how Twitter fits into a larger strategy to use social media to reach out to your restaurant customers. Twitter is usually just one piece to the pie. FaceBook is often involved, and often LinkedIn as well. Blogging can also be a cornerstone of an effective social media strategy, and should be, but this is another area where I often get a lot of eyeball rolling going on.

In closing, know that using Twitter is very simple, and as I have said multiple times already, it is free to use. In this day and age of increasing advertising costs and effective competition, a free resource to enhance communication is not a bad thing. Sometimes it would be advantageous to get a jump-start on a project like this from a professional, but is not always necessary. Follow the simple steps I have outlined and take your best shot.

Mark E. Berger
Swat Recruiting
12/2/09

Mark E. Berger, via his Swat Recruiting organization, has been helping individuals and companies make better use of the Internet almost since there was such a thing. He is well versed in the best practices necessary to design and implement successful social media strategies that are used for branding, marketing, recruiting, and enhanced communication. He can be reached via email at mark@swatrecruiting.com.

For more on restaurant industry trends, go here.

Question Concerning Getting into Restaurant Management

HeadHunterBrian — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:00:00 +0000

Below is a recent email question from someone about their career plans from a soon-to-be grad with little restaurant career experience. Does anyone have any sage advice or recommendations for him? Leave your comments.

Hello. In the next month I will be graduating from Penn State with a degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and a minor in Business. In the future I would like to open my own restaurant (Italian themed) and am looking to start my career upon graduation. I would like to stay in the Northeast if possible. Are there any opportunities available for an entry level management position in the restaurant industry? I have a bit of restaurant experience and am looking for anything available. Thank you for your time in reading this e mail.

Paul Kantor
Student-Penn State University

Paul,

I appreciate you reaching out to me. Without a restaurant management degree, I would recommend that you identify a few quality small to mid-size restaurant franchise groups that you could focus on. Get your foot in the door with any position you can, with the understanding that your intent is to grow with the group as they grow. If you'll go ahead and enroll in some restaurant management courses, with the degree you do have, somebody should take you seriously.

I hope this helps.

-Brian

It was helpful. Thank you for taking the time to get back to me. I'm looking into further education in Hotel and Restaurant Management as well as a significant amount of networking. A few friends have connections in the restaurant industry and my past working experience may help me land a job to hold me over until I can start my career. Thank you for your help and best of luck on your end.

-Paul Kantor

Paul,

Happy to assist. Keep me posted on your progress. Would you be agreeable to me posting our email conversation on my blog so that it might benefit others in your same situation?

-Brian

Not opposed to it at all. It's good to know that there are other people in the same predicament that I'm in. And I'll be sure to keep you posted on how things go for me. Thanks again.

-Paul

How To Grow Your Restaurant – Without Going Broke

HeadHunterBrian — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:11:00 +0000

Here's another guest post from Greg McGuire at The Back Burner:

Small independent restaurants have been dropping like flies over the past year. Chances are, if you’ve made it this far through the recession, the worst is behind you. That doesn’t mean tough days aren’t ahead, but hopefully you’ve at least stopped just trying to stay above water and have started swimming a little. The waters out there are still dangerous, but if you’re not thinking about growth, you’re setting yourself up for decline. Restaurants are a business like any other, and as an entrepreneur, you’ve already taken the plunge into the risky but potentially rewarding world of business ownership. Growing a business is never easy, and trying to grow that business in the current economic climate is even harder, which is why a few key principles for small business ring more true today than ever:

Maintain your focus. Someone is always going to be trying to sell you something or help you out with another thing. Buying their product or partnering with their firm is your key to success. More businesses have failed because they invested in things that didn’t help their bottom line than just about any other reason. You must maintain a laser-like focus on what your restaurant really needs and what might be nice, but isn’t absolutely vital to day-to-day operations.

Don’t forget who you are. Small independents do well because they have a local appeal and feel like they’re part of the community. A common mistake as a small restaurant tries to grow is to start trying to appeal to larger audiences by expanding menus, changing décor, and moving into larger locations. It may seem counterintuitive at first, but a crowded little local place with a hole-in-the-wall feel is much more attractive, and in the end more profitable, than a little-known name that just moved into a large, mostly empty space. You’ve been successful up to this point precisely because you are a small independent restaurant, not in spite of it.

Be a tightwad. Another trap small businesses fall into, especially successful ones, is to start splurging on products and services. If you’re lucky enough to be making money, count your blessings and then continue to be a miser with the bank account. If you do spend money on something for your business, make sure it complies with Rule #1 above. You’ve gotten this far with a lot of hard work and a lot of doing things yourself. Don’t let those good habits go by the wayside just yet. Keep your nose to the grindstone and keep building up the treasury.

Be a cutthroat shopper. Pit food suppliers against each other. Relentlessly search for discounts on everything you buy. Search out rebates from credit card companies, utilities companies, insurance companies, and anyone else who provides you a service. Controlling overhead is the key to success, and if you lay the groundwork now, it going to translate into better profits down the line.

Sell the &*!# out of your product. In the end, restaurants are about making a product (your delicious entrees) and selling them to customers. The first four tips in this list are all about making production as efficient and as affordable for you as possible. Unfortunately, none of that matters if you’re not selling meals. Make getting as many customers in the door who also leave happy the top priority of your business. Really, this should be first on the list, not last. Don’t let focusing on the other tips cause sales to fall by the wayside!

Success for your restaurant boils down to this: if more money is coming in the door than going out, you’ll live to fight another day. Ironically, most small business owners find that controlling the amount of money going out is a lot harder than growing the amount of money coming in. That’s why four out of five tips on this list deal with overhead and expenses. Striking the right balance between growing sales and controlling costs is the key to growth in your restaurant.

Greg McGuire blogs about the foodservice industry at The Back Burner, which is written by the employees of Tundra Specialties, a company specializing in restaurant supplies and food service equipment.

For more on Restaurant Industry Trends, read here.

Nutrition Labeling a Concern for Restaurants

HeadHunterBrian — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:26:00 +0000

I recently had a conversation with Amanda Hoffman, Marketing and Media Specialist with Axxya, a nutrition company that provides recipe analysis services and software to the restaurant and hospitality industry and others. With legislation passing in several states and consumers’ heightened health awareness, this has become a heated subject among restaurateurs. So I took the opportunity to cover a few questions about how she sees mandated nutrition information labeling affecting the restaurant industry.

1. What is menu analysis and menu labeling?

Menu analysis refers to the process of analyzing your restaurant recipes for their nutritional content. In a basic sense, you are looking to see how many calories are in your dishes. Along with calories, most menu analysis will also look to see how much fat, sodium and cholesterol among other things are in your menu items. So when you are hearing about “menu labeling legislation,” what this means is that restaurants are being required to analyze their menus and then use this information to label their menus with certain nutrition information.

2. How do restaurants go about getting their menu analyzed?

Restaurants can go one of three routes. They can purchase nutrition label software product, like Nutritionist Pro, and analyze their menu in house, or they can hire a dietitian to analyze their menu using a database, or lab analysis. If you don’t have a nutrition professional on staff, you are probably going to want to send the work out. Larger nutrition companies like Axxya Systems as well as independent dietitians provide the database service at a reasonable rate. Lab analysis is a bit more expensive and not always as accurate. While lab analysis tests one sample for nutrition information, database analysis provides an aggregate over many years. If you have a dietitian on staff and you have a large or changing menu, it might be a good idea to buy software to do menu analysis in house. This way you can have your dishes stored and you will be able to go in and easily make changes as you perfect your dishes or add seasonal items.

3. What states have already passed menu labeling legislation?

The legislation has been passed statewide in California, Maine, Oregon and Massachusetts. Menu Labeling laws have also passed in many cities, including New York City and Philadelphia. Legislation is being introduced in dozens of more cities and states across the US.

4. Does this legislation affect all restaurants?

Legislation mainly affects chain restaurants. Each state has their own criteria for who must comply with menu labeling laws. For the most part, legislation targets chains with 15 or more locations. Some states only require restaurants with 20 or more locations to comply. However, as more and more restaurants are providing nutrition information smaller chains and single establishment restaurants will begin to feel consumer pressure to provide similar information. With consumers becoming more and more health conscious, they will look to frequent restaurants that provide nutrition information and healthy options.

5. Is food nutrition labeling going to be a national issue anytime soon?

Though Federal legislation was proposed in May of this year, uniform food labeling legislation has not yet been passed. As more and more states pass legislation with differing criteria, the likelihood of nation-wide legislation will increase in order to have a uniform food labeling policy.

6. Will this be good for restaurants?

This has the potential to be a great thing for restaurants that want to take advantage of a great opportunity to get a head of the game. National Restaurant Association’s 2009 Industry Forecast reported that three out of four adults are trying to eat healthier at restaurants than they did two years ago. So if you can say that you provide nutrition information, or that you have healthy options on your menu, you are likely to win business from restaurants that aren’t providing those options. This is a great marketing opportunity and a great way to improve customer retention among the huge segment of consumers who eat out on a regular basis.

7. Have restaurants not affected by legislation been providing nutrition information?

Yes! You hear about these booming new chains and restaurant concepts and think, “How are they doing that in this economy?” It is not a coincidence that many of these booming chains are healthy option concepts. This is because smart business people see an opportunity and are acting on it. They know that there is a huge consumer segment looking for healthy, but still tasty dining options for their every day life and are providing what that consumer is looking for.

8. How does this affect the bottom line for restaurants?

For many restaurants menu analysis is a reasonable one time financial commitment. When menu items are updated, you will have to have those items reanalyzed, but at a fraction of the cost, since only minor changes need to be made. So with a small investment you have the opportunity to capture an underserved market and improve business.

9. How can restaurants turn this into a marketing opportunity?

Restaurants can use their nutrition information to single out items as “Healthy Options” or they can create a “Smaller Portions” menu to maintain the integrity of the recipe. These are great ways to infuse change into a restaurant, and when there is change there is a marketing opportunity.

10. What can restaurants do with the nutrition information once they have it?

You don’t have to post the nutrition information all over the restaurant. Some people don’t want to know how many calories they are eating. For those diners that consider a meal out an indulgence, it is not an important component to selecting a restaurant. However, for everyday diners, nutrition is likely to be more important. In order to not alienate either segment, it might be a good idea to have the information in a pamphlet or on a table tent. This way it is available to those who are interested, but not forced upon those who are not.

Axxya Systems

www.axxya.com

www.nutritionistpro.com

Read more Restaurant Industry Trends here.

How To Deal With Restaurant Employee Theft

HeadHunterBrian — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 16:43:00 +0000

Here's a restaurant employee theft article from Greg McGuire at The Backburner:

As anyone in the food service industry knows, staff turnover is a constant problem. Hiring and training employees is important but often tedious work, and keeping your team motivated and happy can also be a challenge. Yet these “human resources” tasks are not nearly as tough to deal with as employee theft. An employee who is caught stealing presents two problems for your restaurant: first, someone is stealing from you, and second, something in the process of hiring, training, and retaining quality staff has broken down and led to theft.

The problem of losing money to theft should be dealt with first, obviously. However, dealing with the employee in question must be handled properly in order to minimize the impact of the problem and ensure other employees understand the consequences of stealing without feeling alienated in the process.

Some tips on how to confront an employee who is stealing:

Make sure you have adequate proof. Account sheets, video surveillance, eyewitness testimony, or a combination of damning evidence is key to leveling accusations at an employee. You should be able to prove internal theft beyond a reasonable doubt before you ever confront the employee. If that requires you to wait a while in order to catch him or her red-handed, then so be it. When you do have that confrontation, you want to be ready with substantial evidence so the rest of your staff immediately sees your case.

Whatever disciplinary action you take, do it discreetly. There’s no reason to “make an example” out of somebody by staging a big confrontation in front of other employees. Bring the employee who has been stealing into a private area, confront them with the evidence, and present the consequences. If that involves termination, allow the employee to gather their things and leave of their own accord. There’s no reason to be forceful or aggressive, as this will only allow the employee to gain sympathy by looking persecuted.

Hold a staff meeting. After you have taken disciplinary action, call your staff together and explain exactly what happened, present the evidence you have, and explain the action you have taken. This will prevent rumors and gossip from driving employee perceptions of what happened and presents you with an opportunity to show the rest of the staff how serious you are about employee theft.

Dealing with the second part of the workplace theft equation isn’t nearly as easy. Finding the root causes behind the theft and improving prevention is a much more involved process. And a good prevention program is never going to be 100% effective. However, that doesn’t diminish the importance taking steps to prevent theft in your restaurant.

Tips for preventing employee theft:

Vet candidates when hiring, train new employees well, and create a positive work environment. Taking the time to find and train the right candidate will screen most potential problems. Many operators get into trouble with problem employees because they need to fill positions fast and the hiring process becomes compressed. When it comes to existing staff, maintain a close but professional relationship that emphasizes teamwork and community. Employees that have a good relationship with the management and feel like their contribution to the team is appreciated and that they are well compensated for that contribution are much less likely to steal.

Communicate clear guidelines for employee behavior. This also helps with other staff issues like poor performance, disputes, tardiness/absence, etc. Make sure your staff receives a clear set of rules that outline exactly how problems will be handled, including theft. When administering discipline, stick to the rules and reemphasize the standards you have already set. Consistency will go a long way towards maintaining your employee’s respect and help you manage problem employees more effectively.

Trust but verify. No matter how good your hiring, training, and employee expectation policies are, you will probably encounter a bad apple sooner or later. Have systems in place to monitor cash, comps, and inventory. You should always know exactly how much of each is coming in and going out of your restaurant. And try to limit the number of people who control or handle all three. That will make the job of tracking what went where much easier.

Hopefully employee theft is something you rarely have to deal with. Following the tips above will help make sure it is indeed a rare occurrence.

Greg McGuire blogs about the foodservice industry at The Back Burner, which is written by the employees of Tundra Specialties, a company specializing in restaurant equipment and other food service supplies.

Read more Restaurant Industry Trends here.

Oklahoma City Restaurants Weathering the Storm

HeadHunterBrian — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 18:48:00 +0000

Just as the resilient people of OKC have learned to adapt to the variety of tempestuous weather patterns the Sooner state is famous for, the restaurant industry in Central Oklahoma has also had to learn to bend with the wind in the current stormy market climate. As I speak with local leaders in the industry, I ask them how they are “weathering the storm”; what are they doing to maintain and even thrive in this economic downturn? Surprisingly, I find 3 different and distinct strategies local restaurant groups are employing with notable success.

Founded and Grounded

Jev Vandegrift, co-owner of Van’s Pig Stand, a 5 location barbecue concept founded in 1930, told me they’ve only made minor adjustments to their business strategies in response to the market challenges of late. “We’ve always focused on the basics. People want good food, good service and a clean restaurant. That’s what we strive to provide,” Jev told me. He did admit that they have created value-focused specials to increase foot traffic and give their long-standing customer base a lower cost option. Sales, including catering, are level, according to Vandegrift, in spite of the economic challenges the city is facing. Founded in Oklahoma and grounded by its deep-rooted clientele, Van’s Pig Stand’s “stand” is “business as usual”.

Flour Power

Gary Duckworth, District Manager for the OKC metro Old Chicago pizza locations, said his group is taking a different approach. They are aggressively marketing on TV to increase guest counts in their stores. They’ve also added a “lighter” product, the Artesian Pizza, in response to consumers seeking that option. “The Artesian Pizza has a thin, hand-made crust made with less fat,” Duckworth said of the new product. They are also promoting discounted menu items on slower days to attract guests. Duckworth also mentioned: “Sales have been flat, but are ticking up.” It seems that “rolling out the dough” is keeping the dough, and the customers, rolling in.

Fun & Flexible

Taco Mayo is utilizing market research to help move their brand forward. With sales down, Randy Earhart, Chairman, CEO, and COO of the 31 year old Oklahoma based concept found his company in an unfamiliar position late in 2008. After “nearly 40+ quarters of year over year sales growth” Earhart realized change was necessary. “Our focus since the last quarter of ‘08 has been to implement a simpler, easier to read menu, where the customer could find what they wanted quickly but more importantly know the costs and understand the value in those products,” Earhart shared. He discovered, through consumer research group findings, their patrons were less likely to purchase a beverage during their visit, prompting the brand to focus on Combo Meals which “represent the best value to customers.” Taco Mayo has also introduced lighter menu items in response to all the attention to health issues. Their 10-item Salsalita menu, implemented earlier this year, includes menu items with less than 1/3 of their calories from fat and less than 450 total calories. “The Salsalita menu items have been very well received,” says Earhart. For a restaurant in its 30’s, the creators of the off-the-wall “Now that was unexpected!” commercials are proving they are still the life of the party.

The economic winds may billow and blow and financial experts’ sirens sound. But these Oklahoma City businesses choose not to echo Chicken Little’s cry that the sky is falling.

Read more Restaurant Industry Trends here.

Brian Bruce, author of multiple articles published on many websites and several industry trade publications, has been cited in multiple news stories as an authority in Executive Restaurant Recruiting. He's an Executive Restaurant Recruiter with Premier Solutions in Oklahoma City and Blogger. He can be reached at 877-948-4001, by email at HeadHunterBrian@gmail.com , or on his blog at HeadHunterBrian.com .

Today's Best Restaurant Marketing Strategies: From Discounting to Delivering Value

HeadHunterBrian — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 15:34:00 +0000

In recent conversations with restaurant marketing leadership, I heard mostly familiar themes when discussing their best restaurant marketing strategies. There are those smaller concepts that have found some success with a "Name your own price" promotion and other unique efforts to drive sales that have received quite a bit of media attention. But the majority of restaurant people I spoke to were sticking with more traditional strategies, with the occasional "toe in the water" when it comes to attempting less tried-and-true methods of increasing market share.

Most common among the marketing strategies some restaurant leadership shared with me is discounting or limited-time-only promotions. Jean Smoke, Director of Marketing for the 550+ unit TacoTime concept, told me her concept has a "limited time addition to their World Famous line of Crisp Burritos, a Crisp Pork Burrito at a discounted price of $1.99." They've found this offering is bringing in their current Crisp Burrito fans as well as new customers for an exciting new item. Frank Day, Chairman and President of RockBottom Restaurant and Brewery, said his concept has "built traffic and created some excitement with consumers by running a variety of promotional specials, some supported by media but mostly promoted within the four walls of his restaurants". Marc Geman, President and CEO of Spicy Pickle, a 40+ unit deli and sandwich concept, said his brand will be, "rolling out a Picklenomics menu that will offer a build your own section as well as half sandwiches with soup or salad, a drink and chips that will combine their high quality product with favorable pricing."

Along similar lines of marketing by discounting, Pops for Champagne in Chicago, is offering a Low Fare Promotion. "From 3-7pm weekdays, guests receive 37% off any food item ordered.", Tom Verhey, owner of the nation's longest running champagne bar shared with me. Dan Beem, President of Cold Stone Creamery, was pleased with the results his concept had when they brought their new ice cream cupcakes to market at an introductory price point. "The response was so great that our stores were hardly able to keep the cupcakes on the shelves and our sales spiked as a result." Paul Damico, President of the Tex-Mex concept, Moe's Southwest Grill, said the goal of their $4.99 Joey Jr. Bundle was two-fold. "First, we wanted to offer our guests a right-sized portion. Second, we wanted to give our guests a meal option under $5. This strategy was a success and we plan to continue expanding our menu in a similar fashion during these hard economic times." In response to Subway's $5 promotion, Jeff Warfield, Chairman, President, and CEO of Submarina, a California based deli concept, has rolled out a $5 value meal that includes 6 inch sub, soda and chips. "Our 6-inch sub has as much meat as a Subway 12-inch, and we use fresh-made bread.", claimed Warfield.

Fewer restaurant concepts had much to share with me in the way of marketing strategies beyond offering discount pricing and limited time promotions. One avenue some did touch on was improving their online presence. TacoTime recently revamped their website to offer more interactivity to their customer base. They have some online promotions coming soon, including a "look-alike" contest. They and Cold Stone Creamery are also looking into building their online presence through ever increasingly popular social marketing methods such as Facebook and Twitter. Josh Richman, CEO of Happi House, said, "Our most targeted strategy is the establishment of a restaurant email marketing club for our guests. Each new address collected online or at the restaurant gets a free meal for joining, a free offer on their birthday, and monthly promotional messages." Happi House is able to track message views, printed redemptions, which offers are most successful, and who their most loyal members are.

Other restaurant concepts are focusing on staying relevant to their customer base. For example, Submarina and Spicy Pickle both are marketing the healthy aspects of their menu offerings, not only the nutritional information, but the absence of enzyme/preservative/filler content in their ingredients. Pops for Champagne is appealing to the generosity of their guests with their Toast on Tuesday Promotion. Guests are encouraged to find something to celebrate and visit Pops to toast that with specially priced glasses of champagne. Pops will donate $1 from each glass to the Chicago Job Council, an organization that helps people living in poverty find career opportunities. According to Megan Winters, Marketing Manager of Port City Java of North Carolina, they are "making environmental, economic, and social differences through its Fairganic coffees." In response to the increasing receptivity to "green" efforts, Port City Java uses only organic beans cultivated in a way that has low environmental impact.

While most restaurant concepts have made some type of offline and online restaurant marketing strategy adjustment in response to the market, there are a few I spoke with who feel they are positioned in such a way that they are simply going to continue to do what they currently do. Jeffery Bank, CEO of the New York based Alicart Restaurant Group, had this to say of one of their concepts, "Carmine's has been around for over 19 years and is the original Italian family style concept. It is extremely value driven...It is a perfect brand in this economy and that is why our sales are up, not down." In this case, "if it's not broken, don't fix it" seems to be working.

While there are variations on the theme, there's no doubt that current conditions call for concepts to make sure both their traditional and restaurant internet marketing strategies are effective and sustainable until the market improves.

Read more Restaurant Industry Trends here.

Is Pizza Perennially Profitable?

HeadHunterBrian — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 18:50:00 +0000

While many segments of the restaurant industry are struggling to stay afloat, pizza concepts in large part seem to be well positioned to weather the current economy. There seem to be at least three distinct reasons for this – pizza point of sale systems appear to be ringing more for pizza outlets than in other segments, commodity prices for pizza staples have adjusted very favorably, and the value-centric focus of today’s dining customer meshes well with pizza’s market positioning.

When I asked several leaders in the pizza segment their observations on sales trends, there were varied responses. Art Hurteau, President of A&M Pizza, a franchisee of Domino’s with 14 stores and 3 seasonal venues in Missouri, told me that, “While 2008 was rough, as it was for most, 2009 has started out much better for us, though not as good as 2007.” Rick Barsness, President of Incredible Pizza Company, is “hoping to have even comps…no ups, no downs…and that is where we are so far this year.” That is a preferred position for most in the industry compared to where they are. Ron Berger, Chairman of the 125 unit Figaro’s Pizza franchise group, sees a mixed bag of sales trends from his franchisees. “Since the start of 2008, we have some stores up 30-40% in sales and some down equally as much.” The variations in trends were seen to be “geographically sensitive” in Berger’s view. Not everyone in the pizza business is as positive or neutral in opinion though. Jim Fox, President of Fox’s Pizza Den, says that while he’s not a “doom and gloom guy”, he sees 2009 as a “total disaster for the whole food industry.” While he has many leads for franchisees to help him grow his brand, Fox noted that the banks have “dried up” on financing and that people he used to be able to help get financed are no longer qualified. Though varied, the general mood of the pizza segment seems to be less dire than many other segments in the industry when it comes to sales trends.

Commodity prices have affected every restaurant in the nation. Of late it seems that a correction in several product prices that matter considerably to pizza-makers has offered them some relief. Cheese and flour, which makes up a large portion of a pizza’s cost, has come down in cost in recent months. Hurteau noted that he’s “seen commodity prices improving” as “cheese and flour were as high as 50% up in 2008.” Barsness says Incredible Pizza has “already seen that” when asked about their cheese prices coming down. Berger of Figaro’s had checked cheese prices the day we spoke and saw the price at $1.20 per pound, compared to a 2008 price he recalled to be as high as $2.40 per pound. Berger does expect the price to rise somewhat in the near future as “that price is simply not sustainable for suppliers to maintain indefinitely.” While many commodity prices are starting to or have already come down from 2008 high’s, pizza producers in particular appear to be enjoying major price improvements on the largest staples of their product.

Another trend pizza seems to be benefiting from is the customer’s current laser-focus on value. Pizza has always been a value driven product, with coupons a driving force of a major portion of sales for many. The price point of pizza, when coupled with a coupon, seems more attractive to the consumer than ever right now. Barsness told me, “Mom wants a deal and is looking for the coupon.” Hurteau has noticed a change in customer choice, driven by price point. His group has seen a good response to Domino’s oven-baked sandwich, even after the promotion ended. He told me that research indicates the customer “likes the flavor profile and the price.” Figaro’s seems to be benefiting more than some concepts as they offer both baked pizzas and a Take ‘n Bake product, a freshly prepared, uncooked pizza which typically sells for $1-$2 less than the baked version. Berger says the lower price is attractive to many consumers. “Since the Take ‘n Bake pizzas can be delivered and qualify for government assistance programs, we see about 10% of our business coming from this demographic right now.” Berger believes his franchise is currently the only to offer both baked and unbaked pizzas.

It appears that while none in the restaurant industry will come out of the current market downturn unscathed, the pizza segment appears, broadly speaking, to be more lucrative and in a position to avoid much of the pain many other types of restaurants are feeling.

Read more Restaurant Industry Trends here.

How Change Management is Impacted by Effective Leadership

HeadHunterBrian — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 21:37:00 +0000

There is no doubt that in the face of current market conditions, leadership in our business most likely will not sustain and grow their groups without some level of organizational change. Change management must have a high priority in any Restaurant CEO’s or President’s vision. The question lies in how that leadership responds to the challenges of rising commodity prices, consumers who are less willing to part with their dollars, and a lending industry wary of where and to whom they make loans. There are those in the restaurant industry in executive positions who not only embrace change but who initiate the change necessary before the situation demands it, particularly in three key areas, Attitude, Focus, and People.

When I asked their approaches to managing change versus initiating it, here’s how some in the quick casual segment put it. B.J. Dumond, CEO of J&H Foods, a franchisor of the 240 unit Simple Simon’s Pizza, told me his attitude has to remain flexible. “You’ve got to be practical and have a common sense approach. But don’t be afraid to get outside the box.” Dumond told me. Seth Salzman, SVP of Corporate Operations for Stevi B’s Pizza sees his concept in a favorable position, given the consumers’ focus on value right now. “For the first time in company history, we’ve hired an advertising agency and we’re launching a system-wide marketing campaign.” Mike Shumsky, CEO of Dallas based la Madeleine sounded prepared for the current struggles when he told me, “You’ve got to get your organization right, lean and productive, regardless of the economic climate.” While the attitudes vary, the theme seems to be one of proaction and not reaction.

Focus is another area I asked them about. Shumsky said his group started making realignments back in February of 2008. One area of particular attention was to “maximize what we already have and use.” Shumsky went on to share how his group is rolling out a new web page for the company’s website to emphasize the franchising opportunity with la Madeleine. Salzman informed me that Stevi B’s marketing, which has in the past been mostly geared to highlight value, will change emphasis. “With everyone pushing price and value, we’re shifting our focus to quality in our marketing message. Everyone already knows the value we offer.” Dumond, of Simple Simon’s, who has seen an increase in the number of franchising agreements when compared to two years ago, is focusing on maximizing those increased inquiries from potential franchisees interested in taking control of their careers through ownership. “We’ve always found the most success swimming upstream of the market.”, Dumond told me. An increase in concentration on specific areas of opportunity seems to be paying off for those who recognize the needs and make appropriate and timely changes.

The people piece, which seems the most sensitive subject, also revealed different methodologies from restaurant leadership. Salzman’s immediate take is to “move people and shift or expand their roles for now.” “We need to be ready to bring the right people on board as soon as we can though.” Shumsky has a different strategy. The focus here is on where they invest in the people piece, and not so much the amount they’re investing. “We were pretty heavily weighted on the accounting, financial, and processing side as far as staffing was concerned. We automated many of those processes and focused on investing in marketing and service.” This is apparent by the $1 million increase in both the marketing and labor portions of their budget. Both strategies are a result of restaurant leadership understanding the need to manage and initiate change in the best interest of their companies.

So, as the restaurant industry moves through this time of economic flux, the most successful concepts will both manage and initiate many changes. Those leaders who have successfully managed change to take advantage of the opportunities available will find themselves in a much more enviable position than those who do not. As James Yorke put it, “The most successful people are those who are good at plan B.”

Read more Restaurant Industry Trends here.

Restaurant Leaders Differ in Strategies

HeadHunterBrian — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 21:21:00 +0000

As I talk with restaurant industry leaders around the country, I ask them how they are responding, in terms of growth and staffing, to the current market climate. What I've discovered is that there are primarily three schools of thought on the matter. One reaction I'm hearing is some concepts, out of necessity, are making cuts in many areas to insure they weather the storm.

Mitchell Moore, Vice President of Operations for Nestle Cafe, told me, "We cut about 12-15 positions in the corporate office to lean up the outgoing costs. We will need to replace these positions at some point as we are still planning aggressive growth in 2009." Carl Howard, CEO of Fazoli's, whose concept is taking advantage of improving commodity prices and investing in quality in their menu, told me his concept "Made the necessary cuts back in October, 2008 as we saw what was coming." Fazoli's will be changing about 40% of their offerings starting 2/16/2009.

Another response from restaurant leadership that I'm hearing is to "wait and see". Some concepts are, for the most part, maintaining the status quo. David Newman, President of BP Newman Investments, who oversees 33 Church's Fried Chicken units, put it this way, "Let the economists say what they're going to say. We're going to control what we can control." David is using some of this time to "sharpen the saw" of some of his key people by sending them to leadership training or leadership development courses. "This is a time to invest in my people." According to Mitchell Moore, there's a lot of "wait and see" from Nestle Cafe franchisees as they look for loans to become more accessible before they open additional units. That being said, "We're aggressively growing 25-30 units in 2009.", according to Mitchell. Sam Beiler, President and CEO of Auntie Anne's had this to say, "In alignment with our focus on careful management of expenses in 2009, we are taking a conservative approach when it comes to the creation of new positions.”

Probably the least touted and most enviable position some concepts find themselves in...being financially sound enough to take advantage of the current market conditions in the restaurant industry to grow their units through acquisition and attractive real estate terms from landlords who are currently much more willing to make concessions. Leon Irons, President of Churpeye's, a Sonic and Church's Fried Chicken franchise group, said he's "Adding stores this year and should increase the total number of units for our restaurant group by a third. (They currently operate 53 Sonics and 33 Church's.) Lance Benton, CEO of the 100% franchised Buck's Pizza, is very optimistic about their position and says they're getting many inquiries about their concept right now. "I don't like to hear about people being out of a job, but those people have to replace their income with something and many are looking at our franchise opportunity to do just that." Sam Beiler of Auntie Anne's continues,“Based on the cyclical nature of the economy that historically shows that for the past 100 years, we experience a downturn every 7 to 10 years, we began to prepare for a soft economy over 18 months ago." "Over the past few years, we’ve experienced strong same store sales comps and specifically in 2008 we had a strong year which has nicely poised us for continued growth in 2009. We anticipate opening 42 domestic locations and 53 international locations, adding to our over 980 store total in 20 countries.”

These same restaurant companies are also able to take advantage of the current candidate pool to make "upgrade" hires from talent that hasn't typically been available. Mike Hamra, CEO of Hamra Enterprises, which operates 27 Wendy's and 47 Panera Bread locations, indicated his group's stance this way, "We are strategically reviewing opportunities to improve the quality of our staffing and are upgrading consistent with our growth plans and attrition." President of Wendy's of Missouri, Chuck Ocarz, told me that while the next 3-6 months are a concern for him, he is definitely "taking advantage of the availability of the talent that is out there to upgrade my team." Tim Cullers, Vice President of Restaurant Operations for Timberlodge Steakhouse is "taking a very aggressive approach when looking at talent" and sees the potential for his restaurant group to grow in this market.

While there may be differing strategies for successfully navigating the current stormy market, some things remain constant. Fiscal responsibility is wisdom in every aspect of business, as is upgrading the talent piece on your team when that talent is available.

Read more Restaurant Industry Trends here.

Restaurant Recruiter Reveals Best Hiring Practices in a Tough Economy

HeadHunterBrian — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 21:10:00 +0000

The following is a press release that recently went out:

With the current market negatively affecting the restaurant industry on several fronts, some concepts are cutting back on their recruiting efforts and many managers are hoping to ride it out with the concept they are currently with. The perception is often that the “sky is falling” and neither restaurants nor restaurant managers should make a move. “In some ways, this is the best time for a quality restaurant manager to make a change,” says Brian Bruce, a restaurant executive recruiter for Premier Solutions in Oklahoma City. “During uncertain times, restaurants need strong leadership from managers who can produce. My search practice is as busy as ever because the client restaurants I choose to recruit for don’t want to waste their time talking to restaurant manager candidates who can’t produce. Most of those can be found answering ads in the paper or on the internet.”

Recruiting and hiring great managers is a critical component to any restaurant’s success. And that means bringing in “A” players. The issue here is that high quality candidates tend to already have good jobs. How can a restaurant concept go about finding this caliber of candidate and get them onboard? “The most qualified and talented candidates are generally going to be passive candidates. In other words, they won’t necessarily be looking at other opportunities but will listen should something superior come to their attention,” says Bruce.

Bruce believes the best candidates aren’t generally on the job boards. The ease by which these candidates are accessed increases the risk when a concept puts them in the hiring process. “Looking past the potential performance issues that put these candidates on the job boards to begin with, a restaurant opens itself up to other risks inherent with hiring someone from an internet source. These candidates will still be receiving calls from other restaurants long after you’ve hired them, improving the likelihood that you’ll be back to square one trying to fill the position again should they leave.” “I know placing ads is popular methodology, but an unproductive one. Why should a restaurant company spend that kind of capital to advertise their need to ‘the masses’, spend the time filtering through the stack in hopes of finding a decent resume, and not even guarantee to have a viable candidate result from all their efforts?” “I’ve seen hiring authorities try to make a questionable candidate ‘fit’ in order to justify the money they’ve already spent. That will come back to bite them every time. A good restaurant management recruiter who works on a contingency basis won’t require any financial investment until the right candidate starts working for the company. That makes a lot more sense (and cents)!”

“You want to hire the candidate who’s next in line for a promotion. And that means contacting them directly.” This is where Bruce is called in by his client companies to pursue such candidates directly, making first contact, pre-qualifying the managers who are interested and properly motivated to make a change, and presenting them to his clients, already interested in making a positive impact for their concept.

Bruce also writes a blog for restaurant hiring authorities and restaurant managers who are considering making a career change. He meets some of his best candidates and clients through his writing there. “In my search practice, I use my communication skills to quickly develop rapport with quality prospects. I can often secure the interest of the most passive quality candidate because of how I approach them on the phone. And that’s what sets apart a good recruiter, bringing high-performing producers to the interview table and providing the information necessary to bring those producers aboard.”

How to Interview a Restaurant Manager

HeadHunterBrian — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:10:00 +0000

I've found that a considerable number of hiring managers are often lacking a purposeful direction during their restaurant manager interviews as evidenced by the questions they ask. Upon review of a candidate after an interview, some hiring managers have no concrete fix on whether the candidate can achieve the results needed in the position. For this reason, I have assembled the following guide to assist hiring managers to ask the questions that will leave them with something more than a good or bad feeling after an interview:

INTRODUCTION

1. Ask questions to help the candidate feel at ease about the interview, such as where they live, what activities they enjoy, upcoming holidays, and the weather.

2. Tell me about your current place of employment.

- What type of work do you do/title? - What are your general areas of responsibility?

3. What are the three things in a work place that are most important to you?

DISCOVERY

4. Tell me specifically what you have accomplished in your current store:

- What are the three most important results you have achieved this year? - How about last year? - How about at your last two places of employment?

5. Draw an organizational chart of your current place of employment:

- Who do you report to? - Tell me about your colleagues. - Tell me about your direct reports.

6. Give me an example of a major problem you had to solve with your company.

- What was the issue? - How did you resolve it? - Who did you ask to help? - What was the result and outcome? What was its significance? - What were your three biggest obstacles?

7. This is what I am looking for you to achieve with this company (share with the candidate the top three performance outcomes of the position, in terms of measurable results).

- How would you go about accomplishing these outcomes? - What resources would you need to do it? - How would you measure your progress along the way? - What action steps would you take?

8. Compensation: Where are you at? What range are you looking for?

CLOSURE

9. Based on what I shared with you, do you feel you can do the job?

10. What is your interest level, on a scale of 1 to 10, in this position?

11. What time frame are you looking at starting? When will you give notice?

12. Where else are you interviewing? Do you have any offers? How do you feel about them?

I hope this is helpful to hiring managers as they strive to ask better restaurant manager interview questions.

Run Employee Background Checks or Bear the Blame

HeadHunterBrian — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:07:00 +0000

As I reflect back on my 23+ years in the restaurant business, I’ve seen a necessary trend slowly taking place. Restaurant companies are increasingly making employee background checks part of the hiring process as courts are increasingly holding employers liable for "negligent hiring," or failing to check the background of a prospective employee. An employee of a major restaurant chain sexually assaulted a 3-year-old customer on the property of the restaurant in Ohio. And in Nebraska, a delivery driver for a major pizza chain raped a woman after delivering a pizza to her home. In the Nebraska case, the pizza chain was ordered to pay $175,000 to the victim.

In both cases, the employees had previous sexual-assault convictions on their records. And in both, a simple background check could have prevented a personal attack and the litigation that followed.

In the past, some restaurant concepts would argue that a background check is too expensive. But I would argue that the litigation that comes as a result of not having done their due diligence and having been negligent in their hiring process can be far greater.

Along with turning up convictions for crimes such as sexual assault, an employee background check can show if a job candidate has been convicted of stealing from a previous employer. A check of a candidate's driving records can show convictions for drunken driving or other traffic violations.

Such information could save a restaurant owner thousands of dollars by avoiding a bad hire. And at a cost of $50 or less for a basic criminal records check, the cost argument carries little weight. All it takes is one theft issue and you can pay for a background screening.

An employee background check can generally be performed in three or four days for a cost as low as $9.95 for a basic check. A restaurant brand can also get their own employee background check software to do the checks internally.

Even if a bad hire doesn't result in a lawsuit, bad publicity can destroy a business. It is important to know what kind of employee you are getting. If you are building a business, you don't want to be in the press because of something negative that happened with one of your employees.

While there is no sure-fire way employers can protect themselves from the occasional dishonest employment candidate, they can operate with the most due diligence possible.

A basic criminal background check can incorporate state records, county records or both, and can include information such as any felonies or misdemeanors a person has, or whether a person is a registered sex offender.

Motor vehicle reports generally have an instant turnaround time and return three-five years' worth of a driver's history. Information includes speeding tickets and other driving violations, such as drunken driving or whether a person is driving with a suspended license.

Social Security Number verification also can help uncover employee skeletons, experts say. SSN verification reports give a person's state and residency history. They also give a history of where the person has lived and if the SSN the person provided is valid.

Often, simply informing a job candidate that an employer will conduct a background check can serve to discourage bad apples.

And finally, always let job candidates know that a background check will be part of the employment process, or that you employ a company to do thorough background checks. That generally encourages them to self-disqualify if there's a problem.

Read other articles on Restaurant Manager Best Hiring Practices here.

4 Ways to Develop Instant Rapport with Your Interviewer

HeadHunterBrian — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 15:33:00 +0000

With your qualifications and perhaps the help of your restaurant recruiter, you have an interview with a prospective restaurant concept. The interview is your opportunity to sell yourself. Making a good impression on your interviewer means more than dressing properly, combing your hair and being polite. Your ability to connect with the hiring manager, by developing rapport throughout the interview, can close the deal. Interviewers tend to remember interviews with candidates better when they are linked with an emotional impression. Whether the feelings associated with an event are positive or negative, emotional connections make the event significant, helping us remember things more clearly. Making a positively memorable impression on the hiring manager depends on your ability to connect with them.

It helps if both your personalities click and you both have something in common. With some practice, you won’t need to rely upon discovering external or circumstantial similarities in order to establish a good rapport with the interviewer. At the least, you can expect that the hiring manager wants you to understand and appreciate what he or she is saying concerning the goals and concerns of the position, including the restaurant’s expectations and needs.

You can generate a sense of rapport when you actively listen to the interviewer. He or she needs to feel that you are attentive and engaged. So, when you find yourself facing the restaurant hiring manager across a table (after you have made certain no stray lint or stain tarnishes your otherwise well pressed shirt and power tie), you can be certain they want to be heard and respected.

The active listening skills you can employ to connect with your interviewer are not unique, but are not often used. You can and should develop these skills with some practice.

Use Proper Body Language

Both your words and your behavior will affect whether you establish a connection with the interviewer. When you first meet the potential employer, you will want to show that you are confident, open, attentive, trusting, and eager, yet restrained.

All of this can be communicated to the hiring manager in the handshake. Make sure that your palm is about perpendicular to the floor. If you extend your hand with your palm facing down, you indicate that you need to be in control. This can be off-putting in an interview scenario. If you extend your hand with your palm facing up, you can appear overly docile, not a good trait for a restaurant manager. Also, extend your hand with your palm relatively flat, so that you offer to make full contact with the other person's hand. If you cup your hand, you indicate that you mistrust the other person.

Your posture throughout the interview also indicates whether you are open and attentive, or somehow withdrawn from the interviewer. Leaning back shows boredom, insolence, or lack of interest. The proper posture is to sit up straight and lean forward just slightly, facing the interviewer directly. Crossing your arms in front of you can demonstrate to the hiring manager that you are defensive, whether from insecurity or mistrust. Keep your arms open, even if your legs are crossed.

Eye contact is also crucial. Look the person in the eye when you are speaking and listening, taking breaks and look away to the right or left to avoid “staring“ a hole into your interviewer..

Mirror the Interviewer‘s Behaviors

People feel comfortable when you respond and behave as they do, provided your imitations are not obvious. Smile if the interviewer is smiling. If the interviewer furrows his brow at a certain point, do the same. Mirroring works not only for behaviors, but for verbal statements as well. If you briefly summarize what you hear when the hiring manager says it, you show that you are connected. Again, this engaged listening tool should be used with discretion. Too much can be awkward.

Ask Appropriate Clarifying Questions

If you don’t fully understand something that the interviewer asks or says, it is best to clarify. Doing so signals to the interviewer that you are both interested and invested in what he or she is saying. A word of caution, if you ask questions that seek clarification on issues that are not directly related to what the interviewer is trying to communicate at the time, such questions can distract the interviewer's train of thought and cause him/her to become frustrated or defensive. Before interrupting the interviewer to clarify a point, make sure that you are listening attentively. Follow the train of thought of the speaker. Then pose a question.

Ask Open-Ended Questions

Open-ended questions, which don’t allow for a “yes or “no” answer, gives the interviewer the freedom to respond as he or she desires and also demonstrate that you are open to what they have to say. They also allow you subtly to steer the interview in a direction that allows you to learn more about the things you wish about the restaurant concept and position. The information you gather from these questions will assist you in evaluating the company.

Understanding Your Restaurant Staff's Hangover Level

HeadHunterBrian — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 15:31:00 +0000

I'm feeling like having a little fun. See if any restaurant managers can relate to the following:

It's Sunday morning, almost everybody's late for their shift, again. Knowing what level hangover your staff is suffering can help you determine whether or not they, or you, (like you have a choice) should be serving your "church crowd". Let's take a look inside the heads of your hungover staff:

One Star Hangover

No pain. No real feeling of illness. Your sleep last night was a mere disco nap, which has given you a whole lot of misplaced energy. Be glad that you're able to function relatively well. However, you're still parched. You can drink 10 Dr. Peppers and still feel this way. You're craving a chili-cheese coney and a side of gravy fries. You might as well work. There'll probably be some dead food to graze on.

Two Star Hangover

No pain, but something is definitely amiss. You may look okay, but you have the mental capacity of a 2 ounce ladle. The coffee you're chugging is only exacerbating your rumbling gut, which is craving a Rootie Tootie Fresh and Fruity pancake breakfast from IHOP. There is some definite havoc being wreaked upon your bowels. You can work but you should beg your manager to let you make a breakfast run before the store opens.

Three Star Hangover

Slight headache. Stomach feels crappy. You are definitely not productive and praying to be cut early. Every time you walk by a female guest you gag because her perfume reminds you of the random Jaeger shots you did with your alcoholic buddies after the bouncer 86'd you at 1:45 this morning. Life would be better right now if you were in your bed with a dozen jelly donuts and a meatball hero watching Spongebob. You've had 4 cups of black coffee, a gallon of water, 3 Red Bulls and a 2-liter of Mountain Dew Voltage, yet amazingly you haven't peed once. If your manager's smart, you'll work in a non-guest-contact capacity today.

Four Star Hangover

Life sucks. Your head is throbbing (Man, the Muzak is cranked today!). You can't speak too quickly or else you might puke. Your boss has already blasted you for being late and has given you a lecture for reeking of booze. You wore yesterday's uniform, which you pulled out of the backseat of your car and "ironed" by shaking it out the car window on the way to work. And you can't hide the fact that you missed an oh-so obvious spot shaving, (girls, it looks like you put your make-up on while riding horseback.) Your eyes look like one big vein and your hair looks like you fell into the bar blender. If you do make it to work, DON'T taste-test the seafood gumbo.

Five Star Hangover

AKA "Dante's 4th Circle of Hell."

You have a second heartbeat in your head, which is loud enough to annoy the guests still waiting in the lobby to be seated. Vodka vapors are seeping out of your every pore and making you dizzy. You still have toothpaste crust in the corners of your mouth from brushing your teeth in a futile attempt to rid yourself of the remnants of the Dog Crap Fairy's apparent visit. Your mouth has lost the ability to generate saliva, and your tongue is suffocating you as it sticks to the roof of your mouth. Death seems pretty good right now. You definitely don't remember who you were with, where you were, or what you drank. The only reason you're at work is to avoid the not-so-cute stranger still sleeping in your bed at your otherwise empty house.

Six Star Hangover

Otherwise known as "Damn, I'm unemployed!"

You wake up on your bathroom floor...never a good sign. For about 2 seconds you look at the ceiling, wondering if the cool refreshing feeling on your cheek is the bathroom tile or your vomit from 5 hours ago. You try to lift your head. Not an option. Then you inadvertently turn your head too quickly and smell the funk of 13 packs of cigarettes in your hair. Suddenly you realize you were smoking last night, but not ultra lights... some jackass handed you a pack of cheap cigars, and you smoked them like a side of babyback ribs. Eventually you manage to look in the mirror only to see remnants of the stamp "Ready to Rock!" faintly atop your forehead... the stamp on the back of your hand that has magically appeared on your forehead by alcoholic osmosis. You have to be to work in t-minus 14 minutes and the only thing you can think of wearing is your "Scooby Doo" pajamas and slippers. You need to end your love affair with the toilet and start calling around to see if you can pay someone (Anyone!) to cover your shift so you don't have to start filling out applications...tomorrow.

Don't Bash Your Boss!

HeadHunterBrian — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 14:16:00 +0000

During your interview, you will almost always be asked why you are leaving or why you have left your last position. You want to come across as a quality, competent restaurant manager who is looking to make a positive career change. You want to express that, while you benefited from your time with your former employer, you are ready to look toward the challenges of a new management opportunity. You do not, under any circumstances, want to turn this question into a negative bashing of your last restaurant or boss. Both you and your former employer should look good. In an interview remember to avoid making negative comments. Many interviewers feel if you were unhappy at your last job, you will be unhappy again. Restaurant loyalty may be practically nonexistent, but restaurant recruiters and hiring managers are repelled by candidates who disparage an employer, boss, or co-workers, whether former or current. You may hate the place top to bottom, the food and business practices may be horrible, but saying so, to anyone, is a bad idea.

Headhunters and hiring managers alike rely on peer information as much as references from former bosses. Peers are quick to point out that, "Sam doesn't really like it here," or worse, "He's so negative." Remember, two people can keep a secret if one of them is dead. Do not confide your contempt for present or past employers to co-workers unless you want your words to come back to haunt you.

As a result of this type of negative reference, hiring managers will wonder what character flaws kept you there if you thought the organization is so terrible. Giving up on the job, but not leaving, is near the top of a hiring manager’s short list of traits that will eliminate a candidate even if he or she has star potential. A recruiter can always ferret out this information. One hiring manager once told me he had heard from several contacts that the interviewee’s restaurant was badly run and poorly staffed. The candidate he interviewed from there (he loved his resume) had the serene air of someone disengaged from the fray. Upon close questioning, the candidate told the hiring manager that the situation was hopeless and not worth his effort. He's on the payroll, but he's not doing the job. Why would another concept want him?

If you find yourself slipping into negatives, turn the conversation to a positive note immediately. Let the hiring manager know how you benefited from the experience. All in all, keep it positive. If you bash your old boss, chances are you’ll bash your new boss. Your prospective new boss does not want to be bashed.

The Logic of LinkedIn for Networking

HeadHunterBrian — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 13:37:00 +0000

For those restaurant managers out there who are not establishing a corporate social networking system on LinkedIn yet, read on.

Many restaurant managers have discovered the fruits of using the site to develop business connections, as evidenced by the number of “Invitations to Connect” I receive almost daily. At the time of this writing, there are some 17 million members on LinkedIn currently and the number is growing by leaps and bounds. LinkedIn is an amazing networking tool for opening doors to opportunities otherwise unreachable.

LinkedIn is a business version of the ever-popular MySpace or Facebook social networking sites, geared toward experienced professionals. According to LinkedIn’s CEO Dan Nye, the average age of LinkedIn users is 41, and they have an income of over $51,000.

Note: Many corporate and third-party recruiters are using LinkedIn because top talent is to be found in its membership.

The main tool of LinkedIn is your personal profile - a resume webpage of sorts. You decide how public your profile is, having it appear on Google and Yahoo searches if you’d like. This self-summary of your professional experience helps you to find and be found by colleagues, clients, and partners. Your profile can also include recommendations written by or for your connections. You may list your current company, location, skill set, industry, title, professional organizations you belong to, and where you’ve previously worked and attended school. You add connections to your profile by inviting trusted contacts to join LinkedIn and connect to you, and by accepting invitations from others, allowing for mutual access to one another’s LinkedIn contacts.

In my own personal LinkedIn network, there are 6,813,100+ connections, whose names and bios I can see because they fall within my extended network, which reaches to three degrees of separation from me (my LinkedIn connections, my connections’ contacts, and the people they know). If I do a quick search on LinkedIn specifying the current title “manager” and the industry “restaurant”, my search reveals 500+ names and bios in my extended network, plus 20 search results of others outside my network whose companies and titles I can see but with no names. You can see how it would take a lot of old-fashioned networking and exchanging of business cards (and way too much time) to tap into that kind of list, and the bios have much more data than could ever fit on a business card.

The bios found when conducting a social network marketing search can result in potential clients, recruits, service providers, subject experts, and partners while gaining more exposure for yourself and your company. Every user specifies their interests for being on LinkedIn, (i.e. career opportunities, consulting offers, new ventures, job inquiries, expertise requests, business deals, reference requests, or getting back in touch), so you can even better determine their viability as a connection.

It’s free to search the site, create a personal profile, link to others and take advantage of many of its features. Paid accounts offer expanded capabilities to contact other users and view search results.

Don’t miss the boat on this one. Professionally, as a restaurant manager, you want to have this type of resource working for you. To grow and leverage your LinkedIn network, you can link to me by going to LinkedIn.com and from your own profile, email me an invitation to connect at HeadHunterBrian@gmail.com .

Job Boards vs Restaurant Recruiters

HeadHunterBrian — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 18:03:00 +0000

In the beginning stages of a job search, most restaurant managers are often frustrated by the lack of response they receive from blindly sending resumes to the published markets, amazed and confused that a professional with their impressive background and qualifications could be consistently ignored or overlooked.

To better understand why this too often happens, let’s follow the typical path of a restaurant manager job opening at a given restaurant concept.

A job opening is available, the restaurant's Human Resources department has prepared the job order and candidate specs. Both corporate and independent recruiters are searching for the right candidate. The internal recruiters are provided a detailed list of position prerequisites and they will (depending upon the sensitivity of the position) post the opening on an internal job board, in the public "Careers" section of their website and also work with confidential executive restaurant recruiters.

Many times the company will post career opportunities on the large public boards such as Monster, Career Builder, Hot Jobs, etc. Due to the efficiency of internet job search engines, major restaurant companies usually receive up to 20,000 resumes for a single job opening. Statistically, only 10% of those resumes will be read by a person. If it is a restaurant executive recruiter posting the job, around 500 resumes will be received and read.

Why Your Job Search Can Be Ineffective If You Lack the Proper Help:

The first filters used by the restaurant concept's HR department are typically:

1) Preferred Background vs Non-Preferred Background (two stacks are made).

2) Employed vs Unemployed. All the candidates with the right experience from the first stack are now separated into two new stacks. Candidates who are both Unemployed and have a Non-Preferred Background are completely ignored. It is unfortunate that when a job search leads restaurant managers to apply for opportunities on the internet, years of career expertise, professional accomplishments and positive impact on employer profits are largely ignored.

Rather than marketing your value and service directly to the company by chasing publicly posted jobs and ending up in the wrong "stack", like 99% of the workforce does, mindlessly pointing and clicking on the internet, a restaurant executive recruiter will market you directly to the key decision makers in each targeted company. When dealing with opportunities from their client restaurant companies, a good restaurant recruiter will always perform both written and verbal introductions to assist you in getting both feet in the door. The hiring managers already have a sense they know something about you even before contacting you for the first time.

Restaurant Executive Recruiters can be highly effective because they reach the hiring managers with your resume 100% of the time and work for you, keeping your best career interests in mind at all times during your search for new opportunities.

Brian Bruce, author of multiple articles published on many websites and several industry trade publications, has been cited in multiple news stories as an authority in Restaurant Executive Recruiting. He's an Executive Restaurant Recruiter with Premier Solutions in Oklahoma City and Blogger. He can be reached at 877-948-4001, by email at HeadHunterBrian@gmail.com , or on his blog at HeadHunterBrian.com .

Ask Interview Questions that Impress

HeadHunterBrian — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 14:49:00 +0000

A question from a hopeful restaurant management candidate concerning how to make an impression during her interview prompted me to consider effective questions she could ask in order to make just such an impact.

Your clothes are pressed. You look the part. Your resume is well organized, highlighting your experience and skills. There's one more part of the successful job search process to handle. You want the hiring manager to remember you by leaving a positively memorable impression upon him or her.

How is this accomplished? Asking questions (the right questions), is certainly one way to convey your interest in the position and the company. Asking great restaurant manager interview questions puts you in an active role during the interview.

To make sure your next restaurant management interview leaves the hiring manager both interested and intrigued by the prospect of bringing you on board, try these 10 questions, or variations of them when it comes time for your questions:

1. "What type of professional career growth and opportunities for advancement does your concept offer? "

This indicates you have a long range view of your career path and are looking at this move as a lasting one.

2. "How do you see me contributing to the company?"

Knowing why you were selected for the interview gives you the opportunity to expand on those strengths, experience and qualities that caught their attention, enabling you to further make the case for your hire.

3. "What would my first objectives be if I'm hired?"

This will give you an idea of what to expect when you walk into the restaurant that first day after training. It will also put you on notice as to what will be expected of you, allowing you to further emphasize those attributes during the interview.

4. "Is continuing professional training stressed in this company?"

This shows your willingness to learn new skills and adapt to the new challenges that inevitably arise in the restaurant industry. Adaptability is important in our industry and could be key to retaining your job in a reorganization.

5. "Why did you choose this concept?"

Hearing why a current employee opted to work for the restaurant concept can give you some insight into some of the strengths and opportunities the organization has to offer.

6. "What is the company's culture?"

This will reveal those "intangibles" of a company that have nothing to do with professional experience or required education. If you are most comfortable in a white linen, upscale service atmosphere, you may to consider whether a concept that encourages the servers to line dance is appropriate for you.

7. "Who will evaluate me if I'm hired?"

With this question you can discern the corporate and departmental structure under which you will be working. For instance, will you report directly to the district manager or will there be other managers between you?

8. "What are the job responsibilities?"

Hiring managers usually cover the general areas of responsibility for a position. It's always good to confirm what the actual duties will be. You don't want to start your new job as a bar manager and find out you're responsible for the weekly fryer maintenance.

9. "When will a hiring decision be made on the successful candidate?"

Knowing this will help you determine the timing of your interview follow-up activities (thank you letter, scheduling any further interviews or assessment testing).

10. "May I contact you if I have more questions?"

Wrap up the interview with this question and you keep the door open for any further communication needed, giving you another opportunity to make your case.

5 Things You Must Know Before Working with a Restaurant Recruiter

HeadHunterBrian — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 13:16:00 +0000

As any restaurant manager who has ever been out of work knows, finding a job is no easy task. Locating positions of interest in a concept that fits your career goals and then convincing the hiring managers you are the one to hire is no small matter. It can be frustrating, particularly if the search has taken some time. Enlisting the assistance of a specialized restaurant management recruiter can ease some of the pressure for you. Doing so can also help you target your efforts to only the most promising opportunities.

It's about the network:

Professional recruiters have developed large networks of business contacts within many concepts and segments of the restaurant industry. While you are diligently scouring newspaper and internet ads along with the masses, they can uncover leads and vacancies that have not been advertised or even announced. Since the majority of opportunities are not openly announced, using a management recruiter gives you an advantage over job seekers who rely solely on information that is posted in the public domain. Recruiters also can serve as career advisors.

For example, a restaurant executive recruiter can help an individual rewrite his resume to better highlight the candidate's experience and knowledge. In addition to working with you to refine your application materials, a skilled recruiting professional can offer guidance on everything from answering tough interview questions to negotiating the best compensation package to how to dress for your first day of work.

Not every recruiter is right for you:

When selecting a management recruiter, it's important you choose an individual who is an expert in his or her field. If you are hoping to find a position as an Executive Chef, someone who has experience in fine dining will be better able to understand your needs and the expectations of potential employers. Ask friends and colleagues for referrals. Consider contacting a few management recruiting professionals in your field to gauge the level of rapport you have with each. Above all, make sure you are comfortable with the person with whom you have partnered and are confident that he or she has your best interests at heart. Always remember that you should receive a recruiter's assistance free of charge. Management recruiters are paid a fee by companies to locate qualified candidates, so view any recruiter who asks you to pay for job-search services with suspicion.

Full disclosure will help:

When speaking with a recruiter for the first time, be open and honest about your background, experience and career aspirations. He or she needs to know as much about your professional life as possible to determine the right opportunity for you. Are you looking for relocation? What are your salary requirements? Do you prefer working for a large or small restaurant concept? Are you willing to train out of state? The information you provide may prompt the recruiting professional to suggest promising positions with restaurant concepts that you had not previously considered. You also should disclose to your recruiter any aspects of your work history that may generate concern from prospective employers, such as a long period of unemployment, termination, or credit history. The more upfront you are, the easier it will be for a management recruiter to assist you.

It's all in the follow up:

After each interview or phone call your recruiter arranges, call to let him or her know how the meeting went. Your feedback can provide information that can be leveraged in follow-up communication with the employer. This could pave the way to a second or final interview. This will also prompt your recruiter to solicit feedback from the interviewer for you. By following up, you also may receive valuable insight into your interviewing skills and learn about any concerns expressed by the hiring manager. Throughout the relationship, be forthright in communicating any changes in your career needs or availability. If you're interviewing for other jobs that you've set up on your own, let your recruiting manager know. He or she may have contacts at the company and could be able to help you secure the position.

Patience:

Although using the services of a skilled restaurant recruiter can significantly improve your odds of locating employment, even the most successful recruiting professionals may need time to find the perfect position for you. Don't get discouraged. Recruiters continually mine their sources for job opportunities and may suddenly discover an opportunity that is right for you. If you'd like a status update, don't be afraid to call your recruiter with questions or updates on your career (promotions, layoffs, etc.). Checking in with him or her on a regular basis ensures both of you remain focused on the best opportunities for you. A skilled restaurant recruiter can help you find the right job faster and open doors to new career opportunities. By maintaining communication, you'll be in the best position to locate and secure your next position.

How to Reach Out to a Restaurant Recruiter the Right Way

HeadHunterBrian — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 12:10:00 +0000

Developing strong ties with restaurant executive recruiters can pay off for you professionally. Many growing restaurant concepts rely on management recruiters for help in finding management talent and negotiating job offers. Following are some questions to ask yourself about how to initiate and nurture lasting relationships with search professionals throughout your career.

At what point in your career should you contact an executive recruiter and how?

It's beneficial to build relationships with restaurant executive recruiters throughout your entire career. Start online. Most search firms have websites where candidates can submit their resumes for consideration. They can make updates as their careers progress -- if they get new responsibilities, join a professional organization or change jobs -- with a simple email or phone call.

You also can ask people in your network if they know any restaurant recruiters who could be helpful to you and make an introduction. If you don't know anyone who has relationships with recruiters, research various search firms to determine which ones would be most beneficial to you and introduce yourself. Make sure they specialize in your field. You can reach out to their recruiters via phone or email. You may not always get an immediate response, but you have at least introduced yourself to the firm.

How often should you follow up with recruiters?

Get in touch with management recruiters whenever something significant has occurred in your career. If you relocated or can relocate, made a job change, received a promotion, these are all good reasons to get back in touch with recruiters, versus just calling to say hello.

Should you approach more than one recruiter at a time?

Yes. It's always beneficial to have a broad and robust network, so you can get different perspectives and feedback. There will be different opportunities in different places. Be targeted about who you're reaching out to, though. It's important to build relationships with those who specialize in your area of expertise, because they will be working on searches likely to interest you the most.

How do you stand out among others when contacting a recruiter?

I'm always impressed by someone who is clear about what they want in their next career move. Candidates who have a high level of confidence and energy generally stand out. They know who they are and what they bring to the table and they show that they're really interested in the next opportunity and what the next step might be. Full disclosure, feedback and returned calls are musts if you expect a recruiter to work diligently with you.

Should you tell the recruiter how much you currently make?

Candidates who are unwilling to share their current compensation with me or the hiring company will not have my attention for long. It isn't helpful to withhold this information because compensation is a key component of receiving an offer. You want to have an open and honest dialogue with your restaurant executive recruiter, because that's how he or she can best support you and their client.

What's the best way to talk about your pay expectations?

As you talk about what you're looking for in your next role, it's OK to share your expectations. That's important for executive recruiters to know, because the last thing we want to do is take up your time or our client's time if we're not all on the same page. Share what your expectations are and add to that why you think they're warranted based on the skills and added value you'd bring into the new position, not just because you "want to make more".

If you're not happy with a salary offer, what's the best way to indicate this?

This is why it's important to build relationships with recruiters, so you can be comfortable with being candid and straightforward about pay. Recruiters are there to help you be successful in the negotiation process.

What are some other things to avoid when developing a relationship with a recruiter?

If you say you're going to send additional information (references, etc.), then follow through. Not following through can be a deal-breaker, because it can give the impression that you're not interested in the opportunity and that's how you conduct yourself in business. Restaurant managers can be extremely busy, and we understand that. What you need to do in that case is drop a quick note to say you're not able to get to it today, but will ASAP. Recently it took a restaurant manager candidate several weeks to follow up on an opportunity, and by that time it had already passed to another candidate who did make the time. Meanwhile, someone who was very interested in a different opportunity called and said he wouldn't be able to follow up on a client's request for three weeks because he was busy working on a training program rollout. The client was so interested in learning more about the candidate that he offered to wait until the candidate could resurface.

Another turn-off is when I call a manager about a search I'm working on, and the manager doesn't return the call. Maybe it wasn't the right opportunity for them, but it's important to call back, because you show that you're responsive and interested in building a relationship with the recruiter. If you're not interested in the opportunity, the conversation will probably turn into one about you and your career. It's just another opportunity to strengthen the relationship between you and the recruiter.

How to Handle a Call from a Restaurant Recruiter

HeadHunterBrian — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 12:12:00 +0000

You're happy in your current restaurant and aren't thinking about leaving. So what should you do when a restaurant executive recruiter calls you?

You never know when a management recruiter might present a better opportunity. You'd be wise to learn what jobs are available. As a restaurant manager, you should already know the value of networking with other industry insiders. As most jobs a recruiter searches to fill aren’t advertised, working with a restaurant recruiter gives you an avenue of broader exposure to potentially better positions than you can get on your own. It could result in the discovery of a better opportunity for yourself.

If you are exceptional at your position, expect to be contacted. As new restaurant openings increase, experienced managers who excel in their positions can expect to be contacted. If you never get a call from a recruiter, you might not be “recruitable“ management material. Employers traditionally prefer to raid the ranks of the employed, especially those working for competitors. They will use recruiters to do so.

Here's how to handle calls so you remain in a recruiter's good graces without jeopardizing your current position.

Always take the call:

If you don't cooperate, chances are you won't be contacted by the firm again. One manager rudely refused to speak to a recruiter I work with when he called about an opening for a general manager of a high-volume concept paying $60k base, about $12k more than the manager was currently making. Less than a month later, the same manager's resume arrived at the search firm. He'd been downsized out of his job. Guess where his resume went? Not wanting to talk to a recruiter shows that you do not understand the value of networking -- a definite blow to your future career prospects.

Find out more about the firm:

If you aren't familiar with the recruiter or the firm, ask for credentials. Get a phone number so you can call back to confirm that the company -- and recruiter -- actually exist. This can assure you the call is not coming from someone within your company trying to find out if you’re looking at other job opportunities. Also, no one should ask you for money. If a recruiter ever asks you for payment, that's when you hang up because that's not recruiting. Never pay for a job.

Read between the lines:

During your first conversation, you may not be given the name of the hiring company, just a brief description of the opening and its requirements. The recruiter may then ask if you know anyone suitable for the job. Be equally discreet in return. If you're interested, don't fire off your resume. Instead, ask for more information so you can evaluate the opportunity. Your next conversation should probably occur outside your restaurant.

If you aren't interested, say so, but offer the names of people who might be. You'll be helping your contacts and the recruiter, which can put you on his or her short list to call next time. The restaurant manager who says, “Would you like suggestions that might lead you to the appropriate people?”, will end up being a friend. Maybe three months down the road, they'll have an assignment that's appropriate for you.

Be articulate and positive:

The fact that you've been called means you have the right background for an opening. Don't assume you're just chatting; the recruiter will be evaluating whether you have the communication skills and other "intangibles" needed for the job. If someone answers my questions with “yeps” and “nos“, I'll probably keep looking for someone who answers in full sentences. A positive, can-do attitude is essential. If you can say, “We had some real financial problems and have been down in sales the past two years, but I've learned so much about how to manage during lean times”, I'm more likely to think well of you than if you run your employer down.

Don't exaggerate:

When asked about your accomplishments or earnings, don't embellish. Recruiters check references thoroughly and any lies will disqualify you. If you fudge on your resume, that will give you a black mark not only with the recruiter, but with all their client restaurant concepts as well. Being completely honest means the recruiter is more likely to find the right fit for you. Tell them what you're looking for and what you want that you don‘t currently have in your current position. Be realistic and honest about what you're earning and your abilities.

If you survive these tests, the recruiter will most likely reveal the employer's identity to you. If you're still interested and continue to impress the search executive, your name will be submitted to the company. If you're suitable, the next call you receive will be to schedule an interview.

You're Kidding Me! - Interviewing Faux Pas

HeadHunterBrian — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 16:18:00 +0000

While some of these examples of what “not to do” in an interview may be funny, these interview horror stories will help you avoid both common and comical interview mistakes known to trip up job seekers.

Being heavily involved in the employment scene, restaurant executive recruiters have heard every story in the book on interview no-no‘s. This is only a partial compilation of interview mishap stories told by recruiters and hiring managers. Many of the stories are not suitable for print. Avoid these when interviewing for your next restaurant management position!

When asked what the candidate saw himself doing in 2-3 years, he said, "running my own restaurant." Not a great answer for employers hunting for stable help.
Said he was so well-qualified that if he didn't get the job, it would prove that the company's management was incompetent.
Her shirt was all wrinkled.
His shoes weren't polished.
Candidate kept giggling nervously through a serious interview.
Said if he were hired, he would demonstrate his loyalty by having the company logo tattooed on his forearm. (Classy!)
Asked to see interviewer's resume to see if the hiring manager was qualified to judge the candidate.
She was wearing sneakers.
Brought her large dog to the interview. (Really, is there an appropriate size “interview” dog?
He wasn't sitting straight up. (Don’t slouch!)
He had an attitude from the moment he walked in.
He refused to fill out an application.
He wasn't articulate.
He said he was going to retire in 5 years.
When asked about his skills, he stood up and started tap dancing around the dining room.
She said, "If I never see another kitchen checklist again, that would be fine with me." Fine, except she was applying for an Executive Chef position!
He said negative things about his former boss and employer.
He said he had left a previous job for more money.
Balding candidate abruptly excused himself and returned to the interview a few minutes later, wearing a hairpiece. Finish this sentence, “Waiter, there’s a hair in my….”
He frowned when I talked about the typical work week.
He looked away when giving me his answers. I thought he might be lying.
He had experience on his resume that he couldn't back up.
When I asked questions about a particular work experience, he couldn't answer. I wondered what other information on his resume wasn't true.
Candidate wouldn't get out of the chair until I would hire him. I had to call the police.
He was more interested in what he wanted to do, than in what I needed done.
He went from "A+" after looking at his resume to "B+" after the interview, due to his low energy levels and lack of enthusiasm.
The applicant challenged the interviewer to arm wrestle.
He kept saying he ONLY did this and ONLY did that, which sounds negative. I HAVE done this and HAVE done that sounds positive.
He was 10 minutes late for the interview.
Candidate chewed bubble gum and constantly blew bubbles.
He rambled and didn't answer the questions. (Answer questions in 30 seconds or less, or at least stay focused on your interviewer's topic).
Without saying a word, the candidate stood up and walked out during the middle of the interview. (So, see you on Monday then?)
Candidate stretched out on the floor to fill out the job application. (There’s being relaxed and then there’s “relaxed” for an interview.)
She said she was available because a headhunter called her. (Don’t be a doormat. Know why you want to explore other opportunities.)
She brought up salary and benefits. (Don't be the first to mention money!)
He asked for $2,000 more than I could pay. (Let your recruiter walk you through the salary negotiation process.)
She announced she hadn't had lunch and proceeded to eat a hamburger and french fries in the interview.
He won't fit in; he was too quiet and this is a team environment.
She seemed depressed.
He wasn't upbeat.
Candidate interrupted to phone his therapist for advice on answering specific interview questions. (Hello, Doc, what is my greatest strength? My ability to make my own decisions? Thanks.)
She smoked during the interview.
He wore a jogging suit to interview for a general manager position.
Candidate wore a T-shirt to interview; when asked about it he said it was a dress-up T-shirt because it had a pocket in it.
Called university to verify degree and was informed that seemingly fantastic candidate had 15 credits. "You mean toward his Master‘s?", I asked. The answer was no - a total of 15 credits.
She wore an I-Pod and said she could listen to me and the music at the same time.
The candidate arrived for an evening interview wearing his “night club” clothes. His buddy waited for him in the bar of the interviewing restaurant, getting his “drink on“.
Reference informed me that the candidate was management material and extremely talented. Two years later, by accident, I discovered the company owner was the candidate's father-in-law.

These anecdotes are straight from the hiring managers' mouths, as funny as some may seem. In all seriousness, work with your management recruiter to polish your interviewing skills well ahead of time, so no slip up - no matter how big or small - will stand in the way of landing your dream job.

How to Best Use a Restaurant Recruiter for Your Benefit

HeadHunterBrian — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 12:25:00 +0000

Searching for a new job can be intimidating. There are several reasons you would do well to have a professional recruiter act on your behalf.

The Best Job Opportunities Aren’t in the Classifieds:

Management recruiters have access to a job pool not available to the public at large.. They can help you find the best positions. These openings are not generally advertised in the classifieds as many companies, for a variety of reasons, don‘t want everyone to know they are searching.

You Get Free Professional Guidance:

A recruiter's fee is paid by the client company. They work on your behalf for free. You pay them absolutely nothing. What do you have to lose? Nothing!

Show Me the Money:

Restaurant executive recruiters earn a percentage of a candidate’s first year salary paid by the hiring restaurant. This gives your recruiter incentive to negotiate aggressively on your behalf.

Third Party Credibility:

People rely on experts to handle a variety of their affairs. Management recruiters personally market you to hiring managers, giving you third party credibility, a distinct advantage over the thick stack of resumes collecting dust on a hiring manager’s desk. You gladly pay fees for numerous services which enhance and simplify your life; why not let a professional recruiter manage your career…for free!

Confidentiality:

Posting your resume on job boards can be bad news for restaurant manager candidates as their current employer can find them as easily as anyone else. For a restaurant recruiter, confidentiality is their lifeblood. They understand and respect your need for confidentiality during a job search and ensure a discreet process from start to finish.

A Positive Financial Sign:

If a restaurant can afford to pay your management recruiter the fee to hire you, chances are good that concept is on solid financial ground. Companies in economic distress rarely hire permanent employees, let alone pay for them. In an uncertain business climate, the ability to pay recruiting fees serves as a good litmus test for a company’s financial stability.

Why You Must Send a Restaurant Manager Interview Thank You Letter

HeadHunterBrian — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 19:14:00 +0000

After the first interview with a prospective restaurant, always write a thank you letter, or thank you email, to make it known to the hiring manager that you are indeed interested. In fact, some restaurant concepts think less of those interviewees who fail to follow-up promptly. Send out your thank you within twenty-four hours after your interview.

You can also look at your thank you letter/email as a follow-up "sales" letter. In other words, you can use it as an opportunity to restate why you want the job, what your qualifications are, how you will make significant contributions, etc. The thank you letter is also a great opportunity to cover anything of importance that the hiring manager neglected to ask or that you neglected to answer as thoroughly as you would have liked.

With this being said, a thank you letter is only as impressive as its message and grammar and spelling. Take just a moment and use spell-check to insure accuracy. If in doubt about the correct names, spellings or titles of your interviewer, call the store to double-check or better yet, get their business card. Your efforts will be worth it!

Below is a thank you letter template you can use to create your own thank you letter, offering suggestions for what to write where. Following that is a sample thank you letter that puts the template into practice. Remember, set yourself apart from the other restaurant manager candidates and get that thank you letter or email out!

Thank You Letter Template:

Dear Mr. /Ms. Last Name:
Use the first paragraph to thank the interviewer for taking the time to meet with you. Mention your interest in the job and how enthusiastic you are about it.

The second paragraph of your thank you letter should include the reasons why you are an excellent candidate for the job. List specific skills that relate to the job you interviewed for. The more detailed you are, the more the interviewer will know about your qualifications.

The third paragraph (optional) can be used to mention anything that you didn't bring up at the interview that you'd like the employer to know.

This gives you another chance to make a good impression, especially if you remembered something you should have said after the interview.

In your closing paragraph, reiterate your appreciation for being considered for the job and let the interviewer know you are looking forward to hearing from him or her soon.

Sincerely, Your Signature Your Typed Name
==========

Thank You Letter Sample

Dear (Mr. Weatherby),

Thank you for taking the time to discuss the (kitchen manager) position at (restaurant concept) with me. After meeting with you and observing the company's operations, I am further convinced that my background and skills coincide well with your needs. I really appreciate that you took the time to acquaint me with the company. I feel I could learn a great deal from you and would certainly enjoy working with you.

In addition to my qualifications and experience, I will bring excellent work habits and judgment to this position. With the countless demands on your time, I am sure that you require people who can be trusted to carry out their responsibilities with minimal supervision.

Also, I wanted to make sure you were aware that I am very interested in continuing the strong tradition that (restaurant concept) has in its community involvement. I feel that is very important for a concept to participate in and I’m not sure if I mentioned that during our meeting.

I look forward, (Mr. Weatherby), to hearing from you concerning your hiring decision. Again, thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

John Oakley
503-555-0303