Recruitment in the candidates' market
These are extreme times: The need for labor is dire, and not just in the restaurant industry. From February last year to February this year, the number of job advertisements in the Norwegian labor market increased by 48%, but with far fewer applicants in line. What do we do when we desperately need the extra hands that "don't exist"?
What can you as an employer do?
A combination of these two will help you go a long way:
1. Attract talented resources. Become more interesting to applicants and an important player in the industry.
2. Are you doing a good enough job of retaining the people you already have? What do we have, where do we stand, and how do we work with culture, career plans, and development goals? The workplace should be a good place to be over time.
Offer employees “a little more”
For many, a job is more than just a salary, a pleasant working environment and development opportunities. It is increasingly demanding of employers to attract the right applicants. Job seekers are concerned about flexibility, and "work-life balance" has become a hot buzzword in the employment context. Many job seekers also want to be able to identify with what their employer represents. Many are also concerned with finding a deeper meaning in their job, such as taking on social responsibility, fighting food waste or focusing on sustainability. Have you thought about whether you have "something extra" to offer?
Recreate the passion for work
Many job seekers have become accustomed to working from home, and many in the food industry have also been given more non-guest-related work tasks during the pandemic. Now it is important to rebuild the culture that makes going to work fun, and loyalty to the employer. At the same time, it is important to preserve some of the flexibility. As an employer, you must be prepared to have to answer critical questions and be honest with new job seekers. If you have been through a period of challenging changes, say so! But also convey that: “Now we have a fantastic opportunity to develop ourselves further.” – Because remember: It can be motivating and attractive for a new employee to be able to join in and contribute further!
Can the restaurant innovate?
A good reputation gives you an advantage in the job market. Use the already skilled employees you have and show off the level of your restaurant. Can you promote yourself more on social media? Build an interesting website? Feel free to think a little differently when writing the job advertisement, too. It is allowed to show a certain creativity with the job title, descriptions of the work to be done and information about the workplace. Show confidence and show off the restaurant's identity here too!
Opportunity for individual development
Creating a development course does not have to be a complex exercise. It is about putting gradual professional development or new areas of responsibility into a system. You may think that employees should "rise through the ranks", but here we are different, it is not certain that everyone dreams of ending up with a managerial responsibility. Start by formalizing a development course, implement it in the organization and communicate it in a job search process. It should be engaging for the new employees, it should be anchored in goal discussions and in communication within the company. Then the workplace is experienced as a place where you can be over time.
Get good at training!
A good onboarding gives a positive first impression on the way into the company. Moreover, it is not certain that the hunt for the best minds will give you the resources you really need. Development and training of those you hire can give just as good results. Create good routines: A good trainee/apprenticeship program for new graduates, and good training routines for the more experienced. Feel free to assign one of your experienced staff to build up new resources. It is also a good idea to build loyalty and belonging to the workplace. Team building can be of many kinds, spontaneous or planned. The more an employee feels seen and cared for by the employer, the higher the trust in the employer. A recommendation: Hire a few new employees at a time If there are several new employees starting together, it is easier to build up a good working environment.
Source: Podcast: Accounting Norway /Nathalie Backer Smulders: (Capus recruitment agency)