Be The Boss You Want To Work For: Looking For Good Employees
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By Monte Silva
Long before Covid crippled our economy and workforce, restaurateurs have been saying it’s so hard to find good people. Some blamed it on Millennials. Some blamed it on politics. The ugly truth is, it was probably the restaurateurs’ fault. Over ten years ago, I learned that I and other restaurant owners and managers have the power to determine whether it is easy or hard to find great people. And I haven’t had difficulty finding people since.
What I learned is that there are basically three factors that are important to people when they are searching for a job. They are:
A Culture of Respect & Community
Work/Life Balance
Money
Notice that I rank money third. Money is important. People have to be able to pay their bills and live life. Rising inflation is not making matters any better. We can argue that raising the minimum wage fixes the money issues. But does it really? Blanket, across the board, raises ONLY increase what you will ultimately pay for everything. When that happens, those earning minimum wage are still no better off because food and other necessities cost more. A better solution is for restaurateurs to hire really well and then pay them well. If this is done, inflation slows because the production per man hour goes up as well. However, money is still third on the list.
Second on the list is work/life balance. We can credit millennials for this one, thankfully, because they started questioning why so many people were working themselves to death. They entered the workforce with a different perspective than that of generations beforehand. They adopted the thought of Europeans by ‘working to live’' not ‘living to work’. My life has improved greatly by taking on this notion. In addition, those that don’t overwork are more likely to be the most productive with their time at work because they have gotten more rest, are happier, and have better home lives.
And the first and most important factor; restaurants that have a culture of respect and a sense of belonging are the most successful because they attract the best people. I once heard John Maxwell say, “Eagles fly with eagles. They don’t fly with turkeys”. Great people attract other great people. Great people want to work in a positive culture that allows them the ability to grow and be the best version of themselves. So, if you want great people to work for you, focus on prioritizing and implementing the three things that they are looking for. And lastly, be the boss you want to work for.
Monte is an expert restaurateur, restaurant coach, thought leader, author, and speaker. His company #Restaurateur works with restaurant owners and executives all over the country to maximize the success of their restaurant empire while still maintaining work/life balance.
Monte has experienced great success as well as burnout during his 20+ year management career. He created a proven system to run successful restaurants while not burning out and he has used this system for his own success as a Director of Operations as well as for his clients. His proven system focuses on People, Product, Systems, Sales, and Profits.
Rather than the typical project-for-hire restaurant consultant (give a man a fish), Monte then comes alongside his clients working with them as they implement his proven system (teach a man/woman to fish). His coaching concept is far more successful than the old consulting model. If you would like to schedule a complimentary call to potentially work with Monte, please email him.
Opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Best Served. To achieve our mission of bringing more voices to the table, we are committed to sharing a variety of viewpoints across the industry.
