Staff sourcing

Clara B

Hi all,
Quick question-

I have a medium sized coffee shop and staffing is a real issue. Its the nature of catering that staff is transient but its impossible to fill posts.
I am advertising on gumtree and facebook and obviously nobody reads the ads. I get so many applicants who are students and can only work 20 hours-when the ad clearly states the positions are full time.
I get staff who are only in the door and have to go home for 2 weeks.
I get staff who take full time jobs and the minute September rolls around they want to study. I spent so much time recruiting and training only to have to turn around and do it all again every couple of months.
I am also amazed at how lazy some of them can be. I know its naive but when I started out it just wasn't tolerated.........and Im only in my 30s.

Anyone in the catering trade out there have any suggestions?

adrianw

Clara B wrote: »

Hi all,
Quick question-

I have a medium sized coffee shop and staffing is a real issue. Its the nature of catering that staff is transient but its impossible to fill posts.
I am advertising on gumtree and facebook and obviously nobody reads the ads. I get so many applicants who are students and can only work 20 hours-when the ad clearly states the positions are full time.
I get staff who are only in the door and have to go home for 2 weeks.
I get staff who take full time jobs and the minute September rolls around they want to study. I spent so much time recruiting and training only to have to turn around and do it all again every couple of months.
I am also amazed at how lazy some of them can be. I know its naive but when I started out it just wasn't tolerated.........and Im only in my 30s.

Anyone in the catering trade out there have any suggestions?

Dublin Barista School on south Anne street have a recruitment/staffing section. If you haven't tried them already.

DubTony

I just created a detailed reply to this and the bloody thing disappeared.

This is a bit more blunt.

Staff selection is the problem.
A sign in the shop window is as good, if not better, than advertising on gumtree.
Use application forms to get the info you need and weed out people who don't suit.
Interview professionally. Ask questions about their experience. "Tell me about a time etc."
Find out about their commitments. If they're studying you've only yourself to blame if you haven't determined what hours they'll be available when they go back to college.

Define the roles clearly for the staff. My experience has been that most people who appear lazy don't know what they're supposed to be doing. "Serve coffee and clean tables" is a job description, but it's not a how to/when to.

Your business is never going to attract enough career oriented people to work with full-time only employees. If somebody can only work 20 hours, hire two.

Define the roles clearly for yourself. Identify what you need and the experience (if any) needed for that role. Then through professional interviewing determine if the candidate is right for the role. "Can you work Sundays?" isn't professional. "We are open 7 days. We try to share Sunday shifts so people don't work them all. Have you any reason why you wouldn't be able to work Sundays on a week on week off basis" is professional. "What would you do if ..." isn't professional. "Tell me about a time when..." is.

Know what you want and determine how to get it. Ensure that you ask all the questions you need to, to get the info you need to make the right decision.

Hire people who smile at the interview, and who seem agreeable and friendly. They're usually the most receptive to training.

There are tons of books on the subject. My experience has been that unhappy lazy employees are the least trained and least motivated. Hire nice people, train them well, and give them a purpose in their job. In retail, instilling a strong ongoing culture of great customer service in employees is a good way to ensure you have happy people.

Hope that helps.