Susan Terry says hotels have an F&B staffing crisis, and she has a way to mitigate it.
Go beyond posting a job description and determine how to attract the right employees in the first place, says Terry, who joined Marcus Hotels & Resorts in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, early this year as vice president of culinary and food & beverage operations after 25 years at Hyatt Hotels Corp.
Where to start? Look at your social media streams—not as a customer, but as a potential employee. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn all offer insights into work culture. “What’s critical is that you tell a story they can connect with,” she says. Connecting might mean emphasizing not the company’s benefits policy but its recycling policy.
The story is told visually as well. Being active on Instagram is critical, and not just to post photos of whimsically plated entrees. Prospective hires “want to see the real back of the house,” she says. “They want to see it raw and unfiltered so they have a sense of who these people are.”
Terry says she has come to realize that on LinkedIn, she isn’t just touting her accomplishments. She is selling herself as a potential boss. “What’s evolved is the way I write it—it’s not corporate-speak. It’s Susan-speak.”
Another aspect of corporate-speak to eradicate: meaningless job titles. “We post these crazy titles that are only relevant in our industry. What’s a Cook 1? Explain what the heck the job is and give them a few bullet points.”
Bottom line: “If you want creative people, recruit creatively.”