Building Your Dream Team For Your Restaurant

Think back to when you were dating. You could probably write down the list of people you went out with, and in hindsight, list what you DIDN’T want in your next boyfriend or girlfriend.

When you flip that list around, it provided you with the qualities you DID want in a partner – and you were able to recognize them when they finally came along. Ambitious, integrity, great communicator, good time management skills, good dancer… etc.

Just like when you were dating, looking for employees to hire is much easier when you know what you are looking for.

Employee Profiling

This can be a great tool for finding your next superstar employee. By creating a profile of your ideal candidate, you can narrow down your search and focus on those who meet all your criteria in the recruitment process. This will save you time and energy and increase your chances of making successful hires.

When it comes to retaining employees, one of the most important things you can do is hire the right people from the start. This means taking the time to screen candidates and find those who are truly the right fit for your company. But you need a measuring stick. What does “right” look like.

DON’T Use The Mirror Test

Hiring the right person is important for a number of reasons. First, by hiring the right person, you increase your chances of retaining that employee. Second, by hiring the right person, you are ensuring that you are getting the best possible talent for your company.

By taking the time to find the right person for the job, you are setting yourself, and your company, up for success. The wrong hire can be costly and damaging to your company.

So, how do you find that right person?

How To Duplicate Your Superstars

Look for a candidate that is the right fit for your company. This means looking for someone with the skills and qualifications required for the position, as well as the personality traits that will be a good fit for the team and an effective employee.

The best way to determine if a candidate is a good fit is to compare them to your current superstars. If they have many of the same skills, lifestyle, values, and personality traits as your current top employees, then they are likely a good fit.

Another way to determine if a candidate is right for your company is to use a hiring matrix. This is a tool that compares candidates against specific criteria that you have set up, such as skills, qualifications, and personality traits that are best suited to the job description you are hiring for.

By combining these two strategies – you can create an Employee Avatar so that you can measure candidates against it in the recruiting and interview process. Your avatar will be an employee profile with a list of skills, qualifications, and personality traits that your ideal employee has. Taking the time to identify what makes them great will help you recognize others who have similar profiles in your hiring process and gives you a tangible way to measure.

Creating Your Superstar Employee Avatar

So, what do they look like? We’re not talking brown hair, green eyes – we mean the specific traits that your best employees bring to your business that make them successful.

You can find this information in a few different ways:

Observe your superstars in the work environment. What makes them stand out? What are they doing differently or better than others? How do they contribute to the organization?

• Get feedback from your managers and other team members. Why do the superstars succeed? And what quantifies that success? What makes them enjoyable to work with? What are their qualities that can be duplicated in new team members?
• Ask them directly. How do they see their position in your business? Why do they like working for you? What motivates them. What do you provide that they need to succeed?
• Talk to the specific people who will be working with the new hire to see what skills and experiences are necessary for the role.

By consulting a variety of people, you will get a varied perspective and a better sense of what is required for the role. The information you collect will result in a list of both hard skills and soft skills.

DEFINITION: Hard skills are things like knowledge of math or a specific software your company uses, the physical or technical requirements of the job. Hard skills are often teachable and include skills like writing, reading, or using tools.

DEFINITION: Soft skills are less tangible but just as important. These are the traits and qualities that make them successful in their role or as part of a team. Optimistic outlook, cooperative, outgoing, effective communicator, willingness to admit mistakes, active listener, or problem solver are all soft skills. Remember you can’t teach nice.

After you have done the research, it’s time to document it. Ideally, this is a one- page list of the best candidate’s qualities. Think of it like the baseball card of your favorite player.

The first step is to think about the specific skills and qualities required for the position. What technical skills are needed? What personality traits are desirable? Next, you’ll want to consider the company culture and what type of employee would be a good fit. By taking all these factors into account, you can create a detailed profile of your ideal candidate. This will help you attract the right employees and increase your chances of retaining them in the long run.

Here are some factors to use as heading on your employee profile:

• Job title and job description
• Key objectives for the position
• Measurable outcomes
• Training available
• Employee compensation
• Hours, time off, scheduling

The ideal candidate will have the following…

• Skills and experience
• Personality traits
• Unique soft skills
• Cultural aspects
• Lifestyle
• Hobbies and Interests
• Method Of Transportation/Commute

By taking all these factors into account, you can create a detailed profile of your ideal candidate. This will help you attract the right employees and increase your chances of retaining them in the long run.

How To Keep The Good Ones

The key to retention is to make the right hire in the first place. No one wants to come to work if the people they are working with make the job difficult or unpleasant. Hiring the right people makes other employees feel like you are considering their need for a strong team and makes them feel valued.

Employees need to feel appreciated and valued. You can also create a profile for each employee, superstars and otherwise. This will help you understand everyone’s strengths and weaknesses, what’s important to them, and what they value in the job. By understanding your employees, you will be able to create ways
to keep them motivated, happy, and feeling like part of the team.

Another key factor in retaining great employees is creating a system where they can provide feedback. This feedback should be anonymous so that employees feel comfortable being honest. You can then use this feedback to improve your company.

Finally, you should always be open to new ideas and suggestions from your employees. By doing these things, you will create an environment where great employees can thrive.

Have fun, make money.
Michael

FREE Help Finding Great Staff!

If you need help finding and hiring AWESOME staff for your restaurant, I previously conducted a live training on exactly how to find, attract and hire staff for your restaurant. Click the button below to watch the recording. It will only be live for the next 7 days.