Call Us · Text Us* · Submit your resume

Pacific Coast Hospitality

hiring

Revitalizing Hospitality Hiring: Strategies to Attract Top Talent in 2024

by

Revitalizing hospitality hiring goes beyond the traditional job ad.  In 2024, hiring demands a fresh approach to attract and retain top talent.  It’s about creating an appealing narrative, leveraging technology, and showcasing a workplace that prioritizes growth, inclusivity, and a positive work culture. The focus is on not just hiring top talent but also retaining them by providing an environment where they can thrive and contribute meaningfully.  Here are seven strategies tailored for the hospitality sector that focus on innovation and effectiveness.

1. Employer Branding Reinvention

Start by crafting a compelling employer brand that transcends traditional job postings.  Showcase company culture, career growth opportunities, and commitment to employee well-being.  Social media video content, employee testimonials, and interactive recruitment events can bring this brand to life.  Engage with potential candidates through live Q&A sessions or virtual tours.  Be sure to emphasize the unique experiences and learning prospects available within your establishment.

2. Personalized Guest Experiences for Recruitment

Have you considered turning the guest experience into a recruitment tool?  Invite potential hires to spend a day in the environment, engaging with staff and experiencing the culture firsthand.  This immersive approach allows candidates to envision themselves working within the establishment and fosters a sense of belonging.

3. Collaborative Hiring Events

Be a trailblazer and organize industry-wide or community-oriented hiring events where multiple hospitality brands participate. This collaborative approach not only pools talent but also showcases the vibrancy of the industry. It fosters a sense of community among candidates and allows for cross-brand exposure.

4. Tech Integration for Seamless Processes

Maybe it’s time to implement tech-driven recruitment processes. Use AI-powered platforms for initial screenings, chatbots for candidate queries, and virtual reality simulations to assess skills in a simulated environment. These innovations streamline hiring while showcasing your commitment to cutting-edge practices.

5. Emphasis on Career Development

It is vital to highlight robust training programs and career development opportunities. Create a clear trajectory for advancement within the organization, emphasizing continuous learning and skill enhancement. This not only attracts top talent but also retains them by showing a commitment to their growth.

6. Flexibility and Work-Life Balance

Let’s all acknowledge the changing dynamics of work preferences.  Potential candidates are seeking offers that include flexible work schedules, remote work options where feasible, and a focus on work-life balance. Emphasize the importance of well-being programs, mental health support, and inclusive policies to create an attractive work environment.

7. Sustainability and Social Responsibility

Many top talents seek workplaces aligned with ethical values.  Demonstrate a commitment to sustainability and social responsibility by showcasing eco-friendly initiatives, community involvement, and ethical business practices.  This in turn will attract individuals who share similar values.

#1 Tip to Encourage Innovation in Your Restaurant

by

Chef holding a plate of food

Chef Christ Kimura from Lee Kum Kee (Hong Kong-based company specializing in Chinese and Asian sauces) says, “. . . innovation is one part creative, one part operational,”  To sustain your restaurant, the dishes have to have interest or connect with the customers, AND it has to be executed consistently.  The solution?  Rethink pantry staples.  Finding simple ways where one ingredient can be added to create a signature sauce or dish solves many challenges.  First, it reduces the ingredients a chef needs to order.  In addition it simplifies prep and streamlines the cooking process.  Implementing this simple solution goes along with the already shrinking menus and the financial need to purchase fewer ingredients.

Food costs are continuing to rise.  Whether it be supply chain challenges or inflation, everyone is feeling the effects.  As an individual, this affects your wallet and as a restaurant, you feel those effects with less foot traffic.  People are having to stretch their budgets, and often that means decreasing restaurant visits each month.  Mix this with the continual struggle to find hourly staff and the weight to keep the doors open is almost unbearable.  

Today’s chefs are constantly interrupted and their time is split in the kitchen and other day-to-day tasks.  Focusing on both innovation and execution is a challenge. However, a huge part of being a chef is creativity.  Being able to play in the kitchen and create new recipes is a vital part of the job.  And equally important, it keeps patrons returning.  So, how is a chef to innovate new recipes that attract customers while protecting the bottom line?

Take a look at your menu and find areas where you are using ingredients for only one dish.  Remove or tweak those recipes so that the ingredients are used all over the menu.  The fun part?  If done well, your patrons will never know that the star of your appetizer is also used in your signature dressing.

Maybe innovation is just one ingredient away?!

Restaurants Have Felt the Pressure

by

With Labor Day come and gone, restaurant operators continue to wrestle with a tight market for employees, especially for back-of-house positions, a recent survey indicates.
More than two-thirds, or about 67 percent, of operators cited increased competition for workers as a key driver in rising costs in a recent survey.
The U.S. unemployment rate slipped to 3.9 percent in July and has hovered between 3.8 percent and 4.1 percent during the first seven months of the year.
Restaurants have felt the pressure.
Respondents of the survey, which represented all major restaurant segments, ranged in size from one unit to more than 500, and had employee bases ranging from fewer than 100 workers to more than 15,000.
Key findings of the survey included:
Turnover rates: Nearly half of the surveyed operators, or 46 percent, said turnover increased either “significantly” or “somewhat” over the past year. Nearly the same amount, 43 percent, said their turnover rates remained the same. Only 10 percent said turnover decreased somewhat or significantly.
Recruitment and retention challenges: Back-of-the-house workers were especially difficult to find, surveyed operators said, with 59 percent of respondents saying kitchen staff was the primary recruitment and retention challenge. Front-of-the-house roles were a distant second, with 28 percent of operators citing filling those as a difficulty.
Kitchen hiring challenges: Respondents reported the most difficulty finding line cook candidates (72 percent), followed by prep cooks (36 percent) and dishwashers (33 percent).
Dining room hiring challenges: In the front-of-the-house, servers proved most challenging to find, with 54 percent of respondents citing that position, followed by unit managers at 37 percent. “Respondents also commented on other jobs not on the list,” the survey noted. “These write-in jobs included bartender, cashier and, presumably because of the delivery phenomenon, phone operators that handle carryout and delivery orders.”
Worker motivation: “The vast majority of respondents, or 70 percent, said wages provide the most influential factor in motivating employees,” the survey found. “What does not motivate employees is the ability to get ahead in the company.” Only 11 percent of surveyed operators cited the potential for advancement as a motivational factor.
Promotions: Asked what percentage of their workers are promoted to larger roles within the company, nearly half, or 46 percent, said they promote up to a quarter of their current employees. Only 32 percent said they promote 26 percent to 50 percent of their employees, and 22 percent said they promote more than half their employees.
Time for training and onboarding: Half of the respondents said they spend more than 16 hours in training and onboarding of new employees, with another 30 percent investing eight to 16 hours.
Written harassment policies: Ninety percent of respondents reported their operations have a written policy on workplace harassment, and an additional 6 percent said they would soon have a policy.
Tipping: Two-thirds, or 66 percent, of surveyed operators, said they would not consider a no-tipping or service-included model.

Restaurants Have Felt the Pressure

by

With Labor Day come and gone, restaurant operators continue to wrestle with a tight market for employees, especially for back-of-house positions, a recent survey indicates.
More than two-thirds, or about 67 percent, of operators cited increased competition for workers as a key driver in rising costs in a recent survey.
The U.S. unemployment rate slipped to 3.9 percent in July and has hovered between 3.8 percent and 4.1 percent during the first seven months of the year.
Restaurants have felt the pressure.
Respondents of the survey, which represented all major restaurant segments, ranged in size from one unit to more than 500, and had employee bases ranging from fewer than 100 workers to more than 15,000.
Key findings of the survey included:
Turnover rates: Nearly half of the surveyed operators, or 46 percent, said turnover increased either “significantly” or “somewhat” over the past year. Nearly the same amount, 43 percent, said their turnover rates remained the same. Only 10 percent said turnover decreased somewhat or significantly.
Recruitment and retention challenges: Back-of-the-house workers were especially difficult to find, surveyed operators said, with 59 percent of respondents saying kitchen staff was the primary recruitment and retention challenge. Front-of-the-house roles were a distant second, with 28 percent of operators citing filling those as a difficulty.
Kitchen hiring challenges: Respondents reported the most difficulty finding line cook candidates (72 percent), followed by prep cooks (36 percent) and dishwashers (33 percent).
Dining room hiring challenges: In the front-of-the-house, servers proved most challenging to find, with 54 percent of respondents citing that position, followed by unit managers at 37 percent. “Respondents also commented on other jobs not on the list,” the survey noted. “These write-in jobs included bartender, cashier and, presumably because of the delivery phenomenon, phone operators that handle carryout and delivery orders.”
Worker motivation: “The vast majority of respondents, or 70 percent, said wages provide the most influential factor in motivating employees,” the survey found. “What does not motivate employees is the ability to get ahead in the company.” Only 11 percent of surveyed operators cited the potential for advancement as a motivational factor.
Promotions: Asked what percentage of their workers are promoted to larger roles within the company, nearly half, or 46 percent, said they promote up to a quarter of their current employees. Only 32 percent said they promote 26 percent to 50 percent of their employees, and 22 percent said they promote more than half their employees.
Time for training and onboarding: Half of the respondents said they spend more than 16 hours in training and onboarding of new employees, with another 30 percent investing eight to 16 hours.
Written harassment policies: Ninety percent of respondents reported their operations have a written policy on workplace harassment, and an additional 6 percent said they would soon have a policy.
Tipping: Two-thirds, or 66 percent, of surveyed operators, said they would not consider a no-tipping or service-included model.

Consumers On the Move… Quick Service Restaurants On the Rise

by

Swing by the taco shop or made to order sandwich place down the street to rush in and grab a quick bite to eat… it’s the common routine for many at breakfast, lunch and dinner. But it’s more than a quick place to grab some grub.
Fact is, fast casual dining establishments are currently the fastest growing foodservice segment globally. According to new research, consumer foodservice sales grew 5.7 percent globally in 2015, and within that growth, QSRs grew 10.4 percent, being the highest rising segment in the industry as a whole (Euromonitor).

PCH is working with a variety of QSR and fast casual brands which require superior candidates to rise with the demands of the industry and thrive in a unique environment. More than just a job placement, often these QSR and fast casual concept dining brands go far beyond the walls of their company are very involved in their local communities and place great emphasis on their teams social responsibility to the surrounding areas.

These openings are for the placement of candidates who don’t fit the mold of traditional or cookie-cutter idealistic and routines. We’re placing candidates who are unique in their passion for hospitality and personal development. musical Eclectic, artistic, diverse… come one, come all, if you are a breakout from the mold of standard we have a career fit for you with our latest openings.

It takes a special kind of manager to be able to keep up with the rising demands of consumers at each and every quick service restaurant. The ideal candidates for quick service restaurants must possess a track record and passion for delivering outstanding guest experiences, mentoring and developing others and thrive in an environment of rapid expansion and personal development. Our leaders which we place with pride at every restaurant position must maintain high standards of restaurant cleanliness, sanitation, food quality, and facility management.

Do you have the skills, determination and commitment it takes to take a QSR to the next level and meet consumer demands?

Some of the leading fast food brands have taken initiatives which aim at adopting the traits of some of the successful fast casual upstarts, to defend their market share. From upgrading menu items to creating on-the-go options consumers are not far from the newest and easiest places. Along with exceptional menu items, it’s all about the atmosphere of the QSR, the more trendy the space the better.

Pacific Coast Hospitality is looking for candidates who are ready to take on the QSR industry. Candidates who want to engage in initiatives to adopt the trends of fast casual upstarts and candidates who are ready to emerge in a QSR at the core.

PCH represents a unique sector of the QSR industry with job openings in privately owned and regionally operated establishments. Many are grounded and pride themselves in serving locally sourced ingredients and fresh, made from scratch menu items. Most of these QSR establishments have been recognized on industry lists like Top 100 Brands, Top Growing Brands, Hottest New Concepts, and similar. All are emerging and growing, placing their stake in the QSR industry as a whole.

Are you ready to rise with the fastest growing foodservice segment globally? The opportunities are at your fingertips.

3 Ways You’re Making the Job Search Harder Than It Has to Be

by

Anyone who has ever been on the search for a new job knows just how stressful the process can be. From analyzing every word on your resume to worrying over the time it takes to hear back after sending in an application, there is stress around every corner. Why would anyone intentionally make it harder than it has to be? The truth is that many of us do! Here are 3 ways that you’re making your job search more difficult than it needs to be.

You aren’t updating your resume for each application. Sure, the basic facts will always remain the same. Your last employer will always been your last employer and that alma mater is never changing, but there are some key things that should. You should determine with skills and experiences from past jobs to highlight based on the job description of the position you’re applying for. Maybe they’re looking for a kitchen manager with leadership experience? Be sure to highlight that specifically on the resume you submit for that opening.

You’re underestimating yourself. This one is what holds most people back. You see a long list of qualifications and duties on a job listing & immediately assume it isn’t for you without an extra second of thought. It’s important to take a step back and really look at your skills and experiences. Most of the time you’re more qualified than you think! If you meet most of the desired skills listed on a job posting, highlight them on your resume and go ahead and apply. Very rarely does anyone check every single box on the job description, so you’re only hurting yourself by holding back.

You don’t utilize professional staffing companies. Why wouldn’t you want the help of people who specialize in hiring and placing talent within your specific industry? Professional staffing companies work with both companies looking to hire and individuals searching for a job to find the best match for everyone involved. Many companies, like us here at Pacific Coast Hospitality, also offer additional services to help candidates put their best foot forward in the job hunt. Take a look at our candidate services here.

3 Ways You're Making the Job Search Harder Than It Has to Be

by

Anyone who has ever been on the search for a new job knows just how stressful the process can be. From analyzing every word on your resume to worrying over the time it takes to hear back after sending in an application, there is stress around every corner. Why would anyone intentionally make it harder than it has to be? The truth is that many of us do! Here are 3 ways that you’re making your job search more difficult than it needs to be.
You aren’t updating your resume for each application. Sure, the basic facts will always remain the same. Your last employer will always been your last employer and that alma mater is never changing, but there are some key things that should. You should determine with skills and experiences from past jobs to highlight based on the job description of the position you’re applying for. Maybe they’re looking for a kitchen manager with leadership experience? Be sure to highlight that specifically on the resume you submit for that opening.
You’re underestimating yourself. This one is what holds most people back. You see a long list of qualifications and duties on a job listing & immediately assume it isn’t for you without an extra second of thought. It’s important to take a step back and really look at your skills and experiences. Most of the time you’re more qualified than you think! If you meet most of the desired skills listed on a job posting, highlight them on your resume and go ahead and apply. Very rarely does anyone check every single box on the job description, so you’re only hurting yourself by holding back.
You don’t utilize professional staffing companies. Why wouldn’t you want the help of people who specialize in hiring and placing talent within your specific industry? Professional staffing companies work with both companies looking to hire and individuals searching for a job to find the best match for everyone involved. Many companies, like us here at Pacific Coast Hospitality, also offer additional services to help candidates put their best foot forward in the job hunt. Take a look at our candidate services here.

4 Ways to Improve Your Hospitality Hiring Process

by

Hiring the right people and limiting employee turnover are two of the biggest challenges every hospitality manager faces. Bad hiring decisions can affect customer satisfaction, team morale, & increase turnover. Fortunately, making good hiring decisions will have the opposite effect. Use these 4 tips to be sure that you’re investing your time training people who plan to stick around and will be a positive addition to your team.

 

Cast a Wide Net: What’s the first step to be sure you attract the best candidates? Be sure they know about the opening. Don’t just post a position to your website & hope for the best. You want to get your job listing in front of as many job seekers as possible. Tell current employees, put notices where your target employees would see them, add the listing to online career boards in your area, and post on job boards specific to your industry like Hcareers.com. The more applications and resumes you receive, the better your chances of finding a stand out candidate.

 

 

Interview Each Candidate Consistently: Every candidate brings something different to the table. There are those with stellar resumes but a more reserved personality, and those who will walk into an interview & win you over with their confident demeanor before you even glance at their experience. It’s important to know exactly what qualifications are needed to effectively fill your opening & then interview each candidate consistently to find the best fit. Don’t let a big personality win you over without asking them the same questions as everyone else to be sure the skills are there as well.

 

Consider Your Current Staff: A team that works well together is the key to a successful business. You need to hire a team player who fits in with the way your current staff works. Be sure to ask questions in the interview about the candidate’s past team performance and be on the lookout for too many answers that begin with “I” rather than “we”.

 

 

Emphasize Long-Term Benefits: This is the best way to find employees who will stick around. Interviewing and training new employees takes time and costs your business money, so you want to be sure you’re investing in people who are in it for the long haul. But potential employees want to know what’s in it for them too. You should discuss benefits such as vacation time & health insurance. Great employees are also looking at long term goals, so consider implementing mentoring and professional education opportunities as well.