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People report recently announced their Fourth quarter Workforce Index, and our industry will continue to face challenges in finding quality job candidates and will continue to tax restaurant operators into the last quarter of the year. It will be an especially difficult time as operators also face the pressures of decreased guest counts. It is a vicious downward cycle that will continue to result in restaurant closures.
So how can operators succeed in such a challenging environment?
For more information, here is the link to the People Report Article: 2016 Q4 Workforce Index
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I realize I wrote about this topic last month, but it is probably the single most talked about issue amongst restauranteurs. With the national unemployment number standing at 5 percent, the lowest level since April 2008, and with more than half of the country’s 387 metropolitan areas boasting rates below 5 percent, it has been increasingly difficult for restauranteurs to staff their restaurants. But is it impossible? I think not. They key is attracting and retaining Millennials. Millennials make up the biggest generation in the U.S. (some 75 million in all), but they account for barely 30 percent of employed Americans! As restauranteurs, we need to ask ourselves WHY? For one, we need to grow and adapt our management philosophies and methods to better suit this important group. Interestingly, a recent report noted that “100 percent of focus group attendees (all millennials) . . . reported observing disrespect or even bullying in the workplace.” It is crazy to think we still manage our restaurants this way, and it shows that now more than ever, this type of management needs to change or our industry will suffer. At Matrix Restaurant Consulting, we are here to help develop and implement management tools, systems, and benefits to not only attract millennials, but to also retain this important group.
For more on the shrinking labor pool, check out this article from Restaurant Hospitality: Cracking the Labor Code Over the past few months I have had several recruiters and restauranteurs reach out to me, as they are finding it increasingly difficult to find great managers. Nashville is also experiencing unprecedented growth, which is making the issue of staffing even more difficult. So it was no surprise to me that the People Report 2016 Q1 Workforce Index, which measures expected market pressures on restaurant employment, rose again this quarter to 76.4.
And barring any economic disasters, restaurant operators will continue to face staffing challenges, such as increased vacancies, recruiting difficulty at peak levels and high turnover in 2016. This past labor day, I wrote about the importance of "treating your staff well," and it could not be more important today! Successful restaurants will be those that can maneuver through these difficult staffing times - those that can effectively retool operations to reduce the number of staff members needed at any one time - and those who invest in their employees and managers, creating opportunities to attract and retain the best people. Matrix Restaurant Consulting can help you retool your operation and to become that employer of choice. With Labor Day Approaching, I thought I would share this recent article and survey from Technomic. According to this survey the top socially responsible business practice that will enhance consumers experiences and value perceptions is "Treating Their Employees Well." Three-quarters of consumers age 18 to 34 say it is important or extremely important for a restaurant to “treat employees well” in order to create a good value. This segment is extremely important to the growth of your business and this further reenforces a restaurants need to invest in its employees. Matrix Restaurant Consulting can help you in becoming that employer of choice.
For more information on this survey: Restaurant Consumers Craving Value Don’t Necessarily Follow the Money |
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