Human Relations: Selection of Front Line Staff - Essay Example

This short paper looks at key parameters that have contributed to the success of other restaurants in general and suggests the strategy, plans and methodology for the recruitment and selection of front line staff. T.G.I. Friday, perceived as the closest competitor, is run by ABN AMRO Capital and Carlson Restaurants Worldwide and has 45 restaurants in the U.K. alone. The task of matching them will require persistence, perspicacity, dedication and financial acumen, all of which can be made available and integrated if an appropriate road map is made and followed by all with dogged perseverance.

In a meeting of General Managers of restaurants held in the U.S.A., in October 2004, Heather Coin, from Calabasas, a Californian Cheesecake Factory said that the management had to tap into the enthusiasm of key staff members, whom she called "patriots." Wendy Vogler, from Bon Appetit at the Getty Center in Los Angeles, pointed out the importance of finding balance between work and personal life. Good staff members generally were not one-of-a-kind. "They travel in groups," she said. Eddie Schapira, from Harper's, Los Angeles said the key to running a successful restaurant was not in focusing on sales but in caring about each guest.

"The sales will naturally grow if you care about the guest," he said. (Bret Thorn) In a Press Release in January 2007, ABN Amro and Carlson London stated that eating out expenditure in the UK had grown significantly as a share of total food spend with an eating out market growth of almost 5.0% p.a., with full-service restaurants continuing to expand at a faster rate than quick-service restaurants. The first requirement is for a full-service restaurant and Laurel and Hardy meets this stipulation.

What is left is an analysis of the operating procedures, training programs, incentives and annual balance sheets of the competition, if available. According to a survey carried out in 2006(Whitbread and Co.), 68% of the time, customers will be turned away by an attitude of indifference on the part of a company employee. Other tips that were revealed by successful restaurant owners included avoiding slang, company expressions, restaurant lingo and uncommon expressions when speaking to guests, such as "deuce" when there was a requirement of a table for two.

Finesse and personalization was welcome, substituting "Enjoy your meal." and "Thank you; have a nice day." with "Enjoy dining with us today." and "Thank you for your visit. Please come back soon." Always use the word "please", e.g., "Follow me, please." All these tips and more can be found in the book: Restaurant Training Manual for Servers-A Guide to Better Service and Customer Retention, (Susan Ross). This will, of course, come in the training module, once selection is over. The selection process must be left to British interviewers who have adequate experience.

Recruitment can be broken down into many phases, starting with the advertisement, laying down relatively stiff minimum requirements. Practical experience should be given preference. If T.G.I. Friday is to be bettered, the carrot of better prospects must be dangled. A