Tips for Effective Restaurant Employee Recruitment Part 2 of 2

Ninja Gig has put together the list to help stop your restaurant turnover and get your food business back on track.

Last week we highlighted some of the top things you can do to ensure that you attract and retain better employees. We highlighted making sure that your job descriptions are accurate, implementing an interview process that matches your job requirements, having interview questions that pertain to the actual job, why not having a top-tier culinary education shouldn’t eliminate potential candidates and why eliminating applicants strictly based on background checks is something to reconsider.

This week we want to discuss the remaining five systems you can implement to help boost your employee retention by hiring candidates that are more qualified.

  • Networking – Consider networking with local culinary instructors so you can get the scoop on new graduates. The better you know the instructors, the more likely they are to give their honest opinions and more accurate recommendations for qualified candidates.
  • American Culinary Federation chapter (ACFC) – Most ACF chapters are a resource for restaurant owners, giving you access to qualified students, instructors’ recommendations and much more.
  • Training Facilities – While most community colleges and major culinary academies receive accolades for producing top-quality chefs, consider looking at government-sponsored or non-profit training courses that also have culinary programs. Recruiting high school graduates that participated in local culinary competitions and programs is an excellent option.
  • Internal Promotions – You may have qualified candidates in house! Look at your current dishwasher and prep cooks. They already know your operation and how to work the line. Maybe you have a line that has some potential candidates to promote to sous chef. Your current employees are familiar with your policies, systems and procedures, as well as your current menu. Promoting from within can boost employee morale, as well as your bottom line.
  • Attitude – Instead of only hiring employees that have the necessary skills, consider hiring employees for their attitudes. Hard working employees that have awesome attitudes don’t focus on starting on the bottom. They want to work their way up, succeed and learn from those people that surround them.

Ninja Gig specializes in helping take your company to the next level by incorporating online job applications into your job descriptions, website and social media profiles. Our program allows you to accept applications online, keep track of qualified candidates and comply with federal and state resume retention regulations.  Sign up today for a 30-day free trial!

Tips for Effective Restaurant Employee Recruitment Part 1 of 2

Employee turnover in the restaurant industry can be a constant, unnerving battle. To help restaurants find qualified candidates to boost their businesses, it’s important to integrate some key recruiting elements.

  • Job Descriptions – Make sure the requirements of the job match the job description. Over or under-describing descriptions can severely limit your ability to attract potential applicants. For example, does being a dishwasher require three years of experience? Consider incorporating online job applications to manage potential candidates.
  • Interview Process – The interview process should match your restaurant’s goals. For example, if you are a high end, fine dining establishment and want your chef to create a unique three-course meal in under 6o minutes, this is probably an appropriate task for potential candidates. If, however, you’re a small family greasy spoon diner, having this requirement is not suitable. Even if your restaurant has always had an interview test, take a step back and analyze if it’s a realistic goal for your applicants to achieve.
  • Interview Questions – The questions you ask applicants should relate to your establishment. For example, asking applicants to name classic French sauces is not pertinent for a server position. How many amazing candidates could you toss aside if they don’t have the knowledge that only a French-trained chef would have?
  • Culinary School – To restrict your applicant pool to certain culinary schools is very limiting. If you have a high-end restaurant, this may be something to consider, but limiting qualified cooks or chefs is not advisable for restaurants. There are many loyal employees that could not afford to attend the top-tier culinary academies. Sometimes it’s worth hiring someone with strong basic skills and taking them under your current chef’s wing and teaching them the ropes. Did you know that Thomas Keller, owner and chef of the renowned The French Laundry started at the bottom and worked his way to the top of the culinary world? Dreams really do come true. Consider starting employees with entry-level jobs and take the time to coach and mentor those that actually want to learn and dedicate themselves to your business.
  • Background Checks – If you require background checks, have you considered why? If you don’t want to hire people with a history of violence or sex offender issues, that’s completely understandable. However, you should note that eliminating all people with histories of felonies can prove detrimental. The next time you have a job application note that a background check is required, consider if a dishwasher or food prep position is effected by something that occurred in someone’s past.

Learn more tips about how to hire the best restaurant employees by checking in with our upcoming blog post next week. See how your restaurant can manage online job applications with ease by incorporating Ninja Gig.  Sign up for a 30-day free trial today!

The Latest Recruitment Trends that Rock 2017

More Human Resources professionals are reporting that open positions are becoming difficult to fill with qualified candidates. Lack of talent is one of the most significant shortages with today’s pool of potential employees. To help bridge these gaps and find the best applicants for the job, HR departments are embracing new techniques.

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) – Many companies are exploring AI to automate tasks, such as communicating with candidates and providing them with constant feedback about the hiring process. Experts predict that in the future, AI will help find candidates for positions instead of employers searching resumes. AI will conduct an analysis of job descriptions, search resumes and only encourage qualified candidates to apply.
  • Candidates Are In Control – This year’s candidate shortage is just in the beginning phases. Candidates that are highly sought after and talented know they are in the drivers’ seats, which means that they can make more personal demands, such as better benefits and higher salaries. Employers will embrace employees being in charge, switching from what employees need to finding the benefits they want and offering those to them. More recruiters are also looking at web marketing solutions, which include designing websites that are more personalized towards specific careers.
  • Social Media – Targeting specific social media demographics allows businesses to potentially reach better-qualified candidates. More than 65% of job hunters say they use Facebook to search for job openings, while most recruits prefer LinkedIn.
  • Mobile Recruitment – Nearly 70% of candidates visit a company’s website on their Smartphone, while nearly 50% use their phones to apply for open positions. However, statistics show that only 13% of companies are investing in mobile recruitment. We are sure this trend will change in response to making it easier for qualified candidates to apply for positions in a way that is convenient and easy for them – via their mobile devices.
  • Diversity – Over the last several years, companies see the benefits of hiring a diverse workforce, which has both financial and social benefits. While diversity is still mandatory, we are seeing an unconscious shift where many HR teams are designing diverse strategies unconsciously.

Ninja Gig specializes in creating online job applications. These applications are easy to link to social media profiles and allow employers to sort through candidates’ information, helping to simplify the candidate selection process. Sign up today for a 30-day free trial.

Tips for Team Building

Whether you’re a cleaning company, restaurant or Fortune 500 company, you need to build a strong, dynamic team that will help take your business to the next level. To ensure that you create a culture that honors your employees, consider the following team building tips.

Implement a clear vision and direction. A company that has a concise direction can help build a strong team. Each team member should understand and communicate the company’s vision. When all employees understand your business’ goals, it makes it easier to make sure that everyone is moving in the same direction.

Each team member is unique, but everyone is part of a whole team. The healthiest teams have a strong sense of belonging, while also recognizing that each member has personal strengths and contributions. Companies need to engage with each team member on a one-on-one level to highlight their individual strengths. By building each person individually, it helps strengthen and create a stronger, dynamic team.

Always maintain respectful, honest and open communication. Healthy team cultures all demonstrate one quality, which has an environment where employees can freely voice their needs and options and management will hear them. If you’re trying to gauge the level of communication within your organization, take a step back and listen in meetings to the employee’s background conversations. What is the overall tone of the conversations? Is it rushed and short? Is it engaging and laid back? Taking the time to analyze your company’s communication environment will help you build a strong team.

Ninja Gig wants your company to succeed. By using online job applications, you can help target and attract the most qualified employees. You can also ensure you are in federal and state compliance with job application paperwork laws, as candidates’ information is easy to store and search. Sign up today for your free 30-day trial of this awesome applicant tracking system, and make your life so much sweeter!

12 Human Resources Hot Buttons

Today’s job market has some fierce competition, which is why employees need to stand out more than ever.

Ninja Gig highlights the latest 12 hot button subjects for human resources’ departments to incorporate into their interview questions.

  1. Results – The bottom line is any interview is to determine what the applicant has accomplished. Listen to action and buzz words, such as: initiated, developed, led or increased.
  2. Figures and Numbers – Don’t settle for vague assertions. Ask questions so applicants deliver concrete statistics, numbers and figures. Did they help decrease spending or increase revenue? Ask the hard questions to get the best and brightest employees.
  3. Awards – Make sure that applicants highlight their accolades and awards.
  4. Staying Power – You want to see an employee that has the staying power your company needs to succeed. Look for employees that have stayed at companies for several years and received promotions before moving on. These are signs of candidates that will help reduce your turnover and build your business.
  5. Website or Blog – Blogging and personal websites have become very popular. Reading someone’s grammar and writing style can also highlight good communication skills. This is also an opportune time to see if the potential applicant shared too much about his/her personal life or details about past jobs.
  6. Skills and Education – If your company requires specific certifications, make sure that applicants have kept up with any requirements or necessary education. An applicant that stays up-to-date on the latest technology and industry trends is someone that wants to succeed.
  7. Attitude – You want employees that are flexible, positive and enthusiastic. Avoid hiring applicants that criticize current or past employers or co-workers. Remember that a positive attitude is contagious in the workplace.
  8. Leadership Skills – Many companies think that leadership skills are only reserved for management positions. However, you need to think again. New employees that demonstrate leadership skills can help influence your company and have room for growth. Look for potential leadership by listening to how candidates improved a product or process, came up with solutions to problems or contributed ideas to their workplaces.
  9. Initiative and Ideas – Listen for applicants to tell you solutions and ideas that can solve your business’ current problems. Not only will you be more interested in hearing their proactive solutions, but chances are you’re looking for a candidate that has the potential to hit the ground running.
  10. Growth Potential – You want people that don’t just commit to their job descriptions, but are willing to go above and beyond to ensure your company’s success. Ask candidates about their past experiences where they have operated outside their comfort zones.
  11. Hobbies – You know that all candidates have interests outside of work so why not ask them about their passions. Someone that is devoted to hobbies or has special interests shows he/she is committed to success.
  12. Creativity – You want to hire employees that are creative problem solvers that can easily think outside the box. See if the candidate has a track record for solving problems using innovative solutions.

Ninja Gig can help companies implement a reliable online job application system. You can quickly and efficiently target advertising to potential online candidates and then search through their online job applications. Once you have a narrow list of potential candidates, you can focus on interviewing, asking the right questions and hiring the employee that will help your company succeed.  Sign up today for your free trial and you can make your life so much easier.  Start accepting applications within minutes!

Hiring the Best Restaurant Employees

The restaurant business is not for the faint of heart. Whether you’re a greasy spoon diner looking to build up clientele or you’re struggling to earn your first Michelin Star, it’s important that you hire the right employees to boost your restaurant.

Turnover is Never Your Friend

The restaurant industry has high turnover rates, which means that it’s inevitable you’ll lose some employees along the way. However, you need to keep a positive outlook and not resign yourself to steady turnover rates. Managers that take their time during the hiring process can eliminate the potential for non-performing employees. By taking the time to interview the right candidates, you can avoid turnover-related personnel issues.

Structure and Standardize Interviews

It’s not uncommon for restaurants to have dozens of job interviews each month. To make sure that you’re making the most out of each interview, create a standardized template and follow a strict set of interview procedures. If applicants don’t provide satisfactory answers, eliminate them from the second round of interviews. Consider implementing a minimum of two interviews before hiring.

Star Performers

Before you get too involved in the hiring process, take a step back and ask what is your ideal employee? To help identify positive traits, look to your current top performers. Whether they work every ticket to the best of their ability or go the extra mile to ensuring customer satisfaction, these employees’ skills are critical to your restaurant’s success. If potential candidates do not possess the skills that your top employees do, nix them and move on.

Always Verify References

Always check references to confirm applicants’ work-related experiences and skills. You may catch some applicants in outright lies about their experience, so it’s better to find these things out during the reference check than later when you hire them. Some restaurants incorporate computerized personality tests to help identify hard-working, competent and honest candidates.

Future Leaders

You need to focus on hiring candidates that are strong leaders. You can’t manage every employee all day, which is why you need to hire employees that are self-starters, motivated and want to better themselves. Whether it’s hiring wait staff, line cooks, sous chefs or kitchen managers, implement a trial-by-fire audition that shows how well employees perform in the real-world.

 

The key positions in your restaurant demand that you hire excellent employees. Using a combination of targeted interview questions and personality tests can help you assess suitable candidates. Your key employees should also be able to perform well under pressure. Hire the right employees for your restaurant and take your business to the next level.

 

Ninja Gig provides online job application solutions. You can quickly post and advertise your job online, receive notification of online applications and sort through applicants to find the most talented employees to interview. This will give you additional time to carefully interview potential candidates, as you can weed out applicants that do not have restaurant or leadership experiences.  Sign up today for your free trial and you can start accepting job applications online within minutes.

How to Hire Employees for Your Cleaning Business

If you run a cleaning company, you know that the saying, “Good help is hard to find,” rings true. Whether you manage a carpet cleaning, housekeeping or janitorial company, it can be difficult to find quality employees that are willing to stick around and help make your business shine.

If you’re looking for suitable candidates, consider the following:

  • Post cleaning jobs online and use Ninja Gig’s convenient online job application to help weed through applicants.
  • Personal referrals are always very helpful so remember to ask business associates and friends if they know anyone trustworthy that may be interested in applying for open positions.
  • Use social media to advertise your current positions. You can link back to online job applications to help make it easier to identify qualified applicants.

When you are going through prospective employees’ information, be sure to prepare detailed questions for your interview and always call references and conduct thorough background checks. If the applicant has a record for stealing, your clients will not be happy if things are amiss in their homes. You want to treat your customers’ valuables with the utmost care, which is why it’s important to check any potential employees thoroughly.

Avoid hiring cleaning employees just because you need to fill open positions. You don’t want to risk cancellation of your cleaning accounts just because an employee is unreliable or waiting for a better job to come along.

When you hire a qualified applicant, make sure to update your Worker’s Compensation Insurance. Your insurance agent can quickly update your policy to reflect any changes.

You may also need to update your surety bond liability to expand your coverage. These bonds are based on the company’s size. A surety bond offers insurance for your outstanding cleaning contracts and dictates client compensation if you are unable to finish a task.

Ninja Gig can help you develop online job applications that are custom to the cleaning industry. You can sort through qualified applicants, keep resumes on file for future hires and comply with federal paperwork maintenance requirements.  Start your free 30-day trial and start accepting job applications online today!  Sign up here

Fastest-Growing Jobs in America

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has released employment projections for 2020. Without further ado or an extended drum roll, the job winners are:

  • Home Care Aid – While this job is on the lower end of the income scale – a mere average median annual salary of $21,309 – it is in huge demand with America’s aging population. Studies show that more than 700,000 new jobs will be available within three years. As more Baby Boomers age and require home care, these aids will help bathe and dress clients, provide light housekeeping services, give limited medication and check vital signs.
  • Biomedical Engineer – The aging Baby Boomer population is creating yet another medical need – this time for biomedical engineers. This position helps solve medical and other health related problems by focusing on the development of devices and health boosting procedures. This field works with chemists, life scientists and medical scientists to develop and evaluate medical systems that can be used in the healthcare field. This may include creating artificial devices for missing body parts, health management, instrumentation and care delivery systems. This field is anticipating an increase of 61.7%.
  • Physical Therapy Assistant – As Americans age, the need for physical therapy assistants will increase by 45.7%. The position helps treat patients that are suffering from physical disabilities or injuries, reviews pain relief exercises and stretches to help increase patients’ range of motion and flexibility.
  • Meeting/Event Planner – Predictions anticipate that there will be a need for 31,000 new meeting and event planners by 2020, which is an increase of 43.7%. Whether it is planning parties, weddings or corporate events, this job focuses on creating fun and meticulously organized activities within budget.
  • Ultrasound Technologist – This position requires collaborating with other medical professionals, interacting with sick patients and having a heightened degree of compassion. An entry-level position requires an associate’s degree, and this field will see an increase in jobs by 43.5%.
  • Translator – With a 42.2% increase in jobs, translators work with written documents and the spoken language. Business deals and court cases will likely see an increase in qualified translator hirings.
  • Market Research Analyst/Marketing Specialist – Performing research and trending over market data, the analyst position helps determine if the market is ready for services or products. They are also responsible for looking at competitors. Once the analyst completes these duties, the data is turned over to the specialist that helps understand the market share and further grow the product. Experts predict this field will increase by 41.2%.
  • Dental Hygienist – A hygienist not only performs cleanings but also sealings, root planing and general oral hygiene education. Most dental hygienists need an associate’s degree and formal training, but by 2020 this field will see a 37.7% increase in jobs.
  • Audiologist – Increasing by 36.8%, this fast-growing health care career is in demand as Baby Boomers age. They specialize in administering and interpreting tests, such as speech reception, air and bone conduction and discrimination tests, helping to determine the type of hearing impairment, damage and effects on speech and comprehension. This position usually requires a master’s degree.
  • Health Educator – Expected to increase by 36.5%, health educators are in school or clinic settings and help educate people about healthy lifestyles. They work with patients to manage medical conditions, such as diabetes or gluten intolerance, contribute to reducing disability and improve overall health.
  • Cost Estimator – This job is expected to increase by 36.4% and have a median annual salary of $61,405. Cost estimators usually have a bachelor’s degree and figure out how much a project or product will ultimately cost. This position helps companies decide if it’s cost effective to create or produce new products.

Ninja Gig is a leader in offering fully customizable online job applications. If you are looking to boost your workforce, consider offering online applications, which make it easy for you to search for qualified candidates.  Did you know that Ninja Gig offers a no-obligation free trial of our applicant tracking system?  Sign up today for a 30-day free trial; we know you will be happy with the result.  What have you got to lose?

The Best Days to Advertise Job Openings

Have you ever wondered if the date and tine you post online job applications affect the overall quality of the applications you receive? After analyzing recruiting software, Ninja Gig is here to answer that valuable question: maybe.

Mondays are the best days to advertise and the day you will receive the most qualified applications. That number continues to decrease through Saturday, with Sunday giving only slightly better results. The consensus is that weekdays are the best days to advertise job openings.

In fact, the number of applications varies as much as 100 percent between Monday and Saturday. This is largely contributed to job aggregation sites that use a ranking factor based on recent posts in their feed algorithms. Additionally, new jobs are included in many email updates and on the front page of many job board search sites.

If you want to appear in the most qualified applicants’ inboxes, forgo the late Friday job posting and aim for Monday. While Fridays are the most popular days for companies to advertise, you will be sorry you did not wait until Monday. The only exception to this rule is print newspapers and classifieds postings, but there again, most people do not receive the newspaper and more applicants simply search for jobs via their Smartphones. Additionally, many web-based applications make applicants apply online, which makes it easier for companies to review resumes and find the most qualified candidates. Just remember that no one is sitting at home and searching for jobs on the weekend.

In fact, if you want to know the exact time of day to post your job opening, aim for Monday during the middle of the day. Most people get back to work on Mondays and around mid-day find they would rather spend their time looking for new jobs than be working.

Just remember to post your jobs during these times so that you can attract more applicants that are qualified.

Ninja Gig offers customizable online job applications, which makes it easy to post jobs at your convenience, receive resumes, filter unqualified candidates and hire the best talent for your team.  Did you also know that Ninja Gig automatically feeds your jobs to the largest job boards, at no additional cost to you?  Sign up today for a free trial, and start receiving job applicants immediately!

The Secrets to Growing Your Cleaning Business

Are you looking to start a successful, profitable cleaning service? Whether you want to offer janitorial services, maid services or carpet and upholstery cleaning, Ninja Gig can give you 10 tips for starting your professional cleaning company.

  1. Resources – Tap into all your resources. Many associations work with professional cleaning companies. Additionally, there are also state and government agencies that offer support for small businesses.
  2. Never Stop Learning – Stay up-to-date with the latest advances in cleaning equipment, chemical safety issues and more. Ask your suppliers to keep you up to speed on new cleaning products. Consider participating in local trade organizations, attend conventions and read industry publications.
  3. Develop Systems – Create detailed systems to help boost and maintain efficiency. This includes systems for cleaning, supervision, customer service, laundry, reporting, management and accounting. Whether you are there to supervise or not, put in place systems that will ensure employees’ success.
  4. Clean Thoroughly – Regardless of what your employees are cleaning, explain to them that they need to treat customers the way they would want to be treated. This includes cleaning as if they are cleaning their office or home and being careful around valuable items. While some items are easy to repair or replace, it is better to avoid harming customer relations and just work more carefully.
  5. Take Care of Employees – If you have your own business, you need to value and take care of your employees. Train employees and treat them with respect while giving them space and not micromanaging. Give incentives and bonuses to employees that are top performers and give them perks, such as using company equipment in their own homes.
  6. Don’t Undersell Yourself – If you only try to undercut the competition’s prices, you won’t survive. Instead, focus on providing quality work.
  7. Cleaning Niche – Find a unique cleaning niche that appeals to a substantial market. For example, if you have a niche cleaning smaller office buildings, avoid offering home cleaning services. When you spread yourself out, you will not be successful overall.
  8. Track Labor Costs – The biggest costs associated with cleaning companies is labor. Create a daily labor costs sheet and address trends before they become issues. For example, if an employee’s time increases for a certain job, are there extra services you should be charging?
  9. Computer Skills – While the cleaning business is not high tech, you need to stay on top of billing, estimates, inventory control and other record-keeping.
  10. Customer Service – Investing in customer service can take a company far. Build strong relationships with clients by consistently following up to ensure they are satisfied with your services.

To help you hire qualified cleaning applicants, use Ninja Gig’s online job applications. You can customize these applications online to target qualified cleaning staff that will contribute to making your company successful.  Sign up now for your free trial and quickly simplify the hiring process.