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In today’s extremely competitive job market, we need all the help we can get to land a job anywhere, and that includes the beloved city of Seattle.
Seattle has got a name on the map for the home of Starbucks, the Seahawks and being a destination of constant rain… but that’s not all! Whether it’s the tourist destination hot spots or locally owned, specialty restaurants… there’s a place for hospitality hires to enjoy life and expand their career in this hub of the Northwest.
Throughout every neighborhood you’ll find a vast variety of restaurants and bars. “Out with the old and in with the new” has been the recent mantra with a steady stream of business development specifically in the hospitality industry – new specialty bars, wineries, casual and high end restaurants with more popping up all over this Northwestern city.
Here at PCH we recruit only the top talent. As the fall season arrives, we have several outstanding positions open to fulfill for America’s top companies before the holiday rush takes over. Sound like you could be the qualified candidate for one of our openings?
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pacific coast hospitality
TOP 3 MISTAKES MADE HIRING IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY
Hiring continues to be one of the most difficult aspects of managing and growing a successful business. A massive amount of research has gone into the subject and methods of all kinds have been created by thinktanks and scholars, yet it remains one of the top 3 objects of worry for business leaders in the U.S. While finding the perfect hiring method may have eluded us so far, it is possible for us analyze the biggest mistakes hospitality managers make that keep businesses from realizing their potential level of success.
- Succumbing to Panic
It’s not uncommon for business owners or managers to find themselves desperately understaffed after a previous team member suddenly resigns or acts in a way that necessitates their immediate severance. It’s in these instances that it is easiest to succumb to the pressure of your staff to hire replacements immediately to fill the holes left by the previous employees, regardless of whether or not those rushed hires are compatible with the business or the best fits for the job. This can lead to workplace instability, conflict with staff, and a lowered productivity level that can easily sink your business.
The best way to avoid this is being proactive and having a plan for staffing emergencies. It’s very easy to get into a comfortable place and fail to observe changes in the behavior of your employees that may becoming less invested in your business and their job. This is the number one sign of an oncoming opening in your staff-and you do NOT want to be caught unprepared. Always be on the lookout for people who may be interested in working for you-take down the contact information of anyone who comes in wondering if you’re hiring, and keep a lookout on employment services like linkdin and job boards around your area for people who are looking for a job in your industry.
ALWAYS utilize pre-employment checks before settling on a candidate. No matter the pressure you’re under to fill a spot, never let your guard down lest your business suffer the consequences of a lying candidate.
- Not Following Gut Instincts
We see it in movies and television all the time: the down-on-their-luck man or woman who goes from place to place looking for a job to no avail. If only someone would just give them a chance, they would make an exemplary employee and be a boon for business! We all root for this person, and when we see it in real life, we want to see them succeed all the more. While such generosity and empathy should be undoubtedly encouraged, we must express temperance, as it is easy to get caught up in the moment and ignore the signs we feel may not seem entirely right about a prospective employee.
The guilt we feel over not giving somebody the chance that they desperately need, or perhaps the self-righteousness and vindication we feel when we decide that WE are the ones who will give that person the opportunity can easily cloud our better judgment. Always take a step back and analyze your gut feeling about a person. It doesn’t matter if it’s the homeless woman down the street or the snazzily dressed middle class man with the impeccable résumé smiling at us from across the table, if something feels off about them, listen to that instinct. People can catch small idiosyncrasies subconsciously, and those little inconsistencies give us a sense of unease. If you feel that unease during the hiring process, that candidate may very well not be worth the chance.
- Tunnel Vision
As managers, it’s easy to become fixated on certain traits we believe to be imperative in a successful role fulfillment while hiring. The checklist of main personality aspects and skills that are essential to the role drown out everything else on the list of things that make a good employee. While they are important, we can’t focus on such traits to the absolute exclusion of all other things.
For example, when hiring for a sales position, we may think that the most important aspect of a potential employee’s personality may be the gift of gab and conversation. Once we find someone who can easily build rapport and close a sale, we hire them without looking at the other aspects of their personality. Once hired, though, we find out they may be lazy, deceitful, or are incapable of operating as part of a team. The same principle applies to the hospitality industry-we may hire a server who is personable, attractive, and coordinated, but they may be disorganized, forgetful, and unprofessional in their relationships with their coworkers.
Job Seeking During the Holidays
The hustle and bustle of holiday shopping, decking the halls and job-hunting too? It’s the busiest time of year and most job seekers are taking a backseat to submitting resumes and attending interviews until after the New Year.
It’s often believed employers are just not hiring during the holidays and of course, by now the holiday hires have been placed, but employers are planning and hiring for the new year. With less competition in the job search, now’s not the time to count out applying for positions. As the New Year begins, employers look forward to a fresh start- that often includes fresh hires.
Finding Job Openings During the Holidays:
Amongst the holiday season is the perfect time to re-connect with those you know who may have leads to open positions. Maybe your former boss and co-workers? Previous roommates or your child’s previous teachers, sports coaches, etc. Networking is the best way to find open positions and get an interview.
Work this holiday to expand your network by connecting with a top notch recruiting firm, like Pacific Coast Hospitality, and let us know you’re job seeking. Check our latest job board and apply for any positions you may be a top candidate for!
Likewise, attach your most recent resume to an email and send us a little hello and happy holidays. We’ll be sure and get connected with you and assist in any ways we can!
Most often it is in the unlikeliest places that each of these connections lead to jobs. A proactive job search is sure to be a successful one.
Interviewing for Open Positions During the Holidays:
The holidays are a perfect time for a job interview – from the happiness that comes with the season to the more laid back office environments that naturally creep in, a holiday interview has its perks.
One of the easiest “ice breakers” for conversation and first impressions is to discuss the cheer and chaos of the season. Whether it be complaining about long lines or complementing the light display at your local zoo, it’s a fool proof conversation topic for an interview.
During the holiday season, as many are not applying, companies are “all hands on deck” to prepare for the new year launch. Be part of the fresh start by applying for jobs during the holiday rush and kickstart your New Year right.
Join the Island Life: Hawaii Hospitality Jobs
Restaurants are a driving force in Hawaii’s economy. With a combination of matchless beaches, resorts and waterfront properties all hosting an exquisite selection of top restaurants and hospitality establishments, hospitality careers are a supreme. Within this industry, traditional island culture influences most all aspects of business operations, and for most positions in Hawaii previous island management experience is a must.
The restaurants throughout the islands provide jobs and build careers for thousands of local residents each year. In 2013, restaurants accounted for over 85,000 jobs in Hawaii – 14% of employment in the state. With a surplus of island restaurant establishments, a career in hospitality management can lead to great benefits, yet downfalls can often accompany a life in paradise….though for most, the positives far outweigh the negatives of the island lifestyle.
For example, with a career in the islands, the cost of living is higher yet salaries are generally lower than on the mainland, but your tradeoff is residing only a few steps from the beach, mountains, tropical culture and more, which many have found far more valuable than any paycheck.
Hiring for the island life can be very selective – here with Pacific Coast Hospitality, we have the inside track for jumpstarting your island hospitality career. Along with all the dreamy perks of living in paradise, you will have opportunities for career development within today’s most dominate industry leading establishments, from the point of hire throughout an extensive career.
To top it off, restaurants in the islands are more than just good eats and fine dining – along with providing healthful options for their guests from seafood and fresh farmed local fare, they continually give back to their communities and work to reduce their impact on the environment. Adding yet one more benefit to being part of Hawaii’s island hospitality industry.
Whether looking for a career advancement or uproot from your current location, maybe the Hawaii life right for you? Apply today.
5 Ideas: Where to Find Top Employees
You want to hire the best? So does everyone else. It’s not an easy thing to do and continually companies make hiring mistakes or struggle to find quality candidates. Hiring has its difficulties especially if your goal is to hire supreme restaurant managers and all you have is an hourly server budget to offer candidates.
So what can you do? Find the unpredictable talent.
Go against the grain and interview the candidates with resumes which are less than subpar. Find great talent not with the specific skills you need, but in character and work ethic – skills can be taught to complete task and drive your business forward.
Toss out the standard social stereotypes and find your next top hire.
Hire Military
You won’t regret an ex-military hire. The tried and true – trained up leaders are a hire which can adapt and will work hard. Whether you’re planning to hire a leader or were looking for a simple server, the military is one organization that places extreme emphasis on leader training and development.
An ex-military hire knows how to get it done – whatever it might be. They’ll be the ones to see the task through and make smart decisions whether involving only themselves or an entire team. Hire a veteran – you won’t regret the commitment to hard work they will bring.
Hire Recent Grads
You too were once the worker who didn’t have any experience and someone offered you that first job. Someone offered the chance and it was full on hard work to show that first employer you were a good gamble. New hires and recent grads are the young just entering the work force with eager hands and bright minds – you’ll gain high energy and enthusiasm by taking the risk on hiring the inexperienced.
Hire Post – Athletes
Similar to the recent grad, hiring a post college athlete might be your next best move. Every year approximately 400,000 student-athletes graduate from college and enter the job market. Athletes have worked within scholarship regulations and met national standards to compete in games. You’ll find these hires are self-disciplined, motivated, able to overcome defeat quickly and their heart beats to the rhythms of teamwork… who wouldn’t want to hire that type of character?
Hire layman Job Resume
You’ve seen the resumes and it’s fast food and warehouse job history – instantly you’re ready to put a pass on it…. But maybe not so quickly.
What are the skills you are really looking to hire? Good customer service? Attention to finite details? Teamwork savvy? The cashier at a worldwide fast food chain has been trained to display consistent customer service and the layman or warehouse worker has repeated the same processes over and over accumulating the ability to identify detail.
Don’t put a pass so quick on the unimpressive resumes from candidates.
Relocation: What You Need to Know Before You Commit to The New Job & New City
Are you top talent that is sought after for a top job? Then you may be making the move to a new city sometime soon. What would it take for you to pack up in cardboard boxes and head on out of what is your normal now-a-days?
Employers are increasingly willing to spend money on relocation fees to attract prospective talent, even it if means a significant rise in costs to their business, a new study shows.
In a survey of 2,417 hiring managers and human-resources professionals, one-third of respondents said their companies have paid to relocate employees to their cities in the past two years, according to CareerBuilder.com and Apartments.com. (Inc.com)
But is the compensations for the move worth the hassle and inconveniences of starting life over in a new city worth it? May the leaving of friends, family, home, favorite restaurant and events, can that change be compensated?
Beyond the initial move and shock of a new location, there’s more variables to consider before taking a new job and packing up.
What is where you work now like and how is it going to be at the new place? It is likely the workplace culture will change more than you ever dreamed. You can be doing the exact same job, but the people you work with, report to and manage will be different. What’s the work culture of the new gig? and are you going to like it? If the answer is no, you may not want to relocate and keep looking for a different job.
Avoid potential disaster and research the cost of living. Compare with your current cities rental, gas and necessities pricing. Moving may double your cost of living or cut it in half.
Likewise, what would the differences of the two be geographically, seasonally, etc. Are you a biker and hiker? Moving to a city with snow 9 months out of the year may not be your best option. Consider the lifestyle you are agreeing to with a new job.
There’s a lot to consider before relocating. What would it take for you to relocate?
Relocation: What You Need to Know Before You Commit to The New Job & New City
Are you top talent that is sought after for a top job? Then you may be making the move to a new city sometime soon. What would it take for you to pack up in cardboard boxes and head on out of what is your normal now-a-days?
Employers are increasingly willing to spend money on relocation fees to attract prospective talent, even it if means a significant rise in costs to their business, a new study shows.
In a survey of 2,417 hiring managers and human-resources professionals, one-third of respondents said their companies have paid to relocate employees to their cities in the past two years, according to CareerBuilder.com and Apartments.com. (Inc.com)
But is the compensations for the move worth the hassle and inconveniences of starting life over in a new city worth it? May the leaving of friends, family, home, favorite restaurant and events, can that change be compensated?
Beyond the initial move and shock of a new location, there’s more variables to consider before taking a new job and packing up.
What is where you work now like and how is it going to be at the new place? It is likely the workplace culture will change more than you ever dreamed. You can be doing the exact same job, but the people you work with, report to and manage will be different. What’s the work culture of the new gig? and are you going to like it? If the answer is no, you may not want to relocate and keep looking for a different job.
Avoid potential disaster and research the cost of living. Compare with your current cities rental, gas and necessities pricing. Moving may double your cost of living or cut it in half.
Likewise, what would the differences of the two be geographically, seasonally, etc. Are you a biker and hiker? Moving to a city with snow 9 months out of the year may not be your best option. Consider the lifestyle you are agreeing to with a new job.
There’s a lot to consider before relocating. What would it take for you to relocate?
Who to Promote and Who to Demote:
Summer turns the corner and the fall season will soon arrive. Changes to your staffing roster will come as severs head back to school and others take alternative jobs. You’ll have spaces for promoting and demoting to once again create the best team of hospitality individuals.
We’ve outlined a few tips for how to know what traits not to pass up, but rather to promote!
-It’s the hospitality industry, self-serving doesn’t fit. Those who are servers, not self-serving are the ones you want to promote. How do they work with a team- always putting others before themselves and willing to stay late/ come early to get the job done? They’re keepers. People rarely accomplish anything great by themselves – it’s a team of players all working together for one end goal.
Great hospitality companies serve their customers first, always. By serving the customer best, they ultimately serve their business growth.
-Attitude is everything, or at least 90% of things. The worst of situations can be made better with a good attitude. Optimist are the ones to promote. Optimist add energy to every situations, pessimist drain it all away.
You’ll find the optimist as the one already doing the job they would once promoted- they don’t wait to be told how to make things better or what can be done for them to succeed. They just see the needs and do them without fear of failure.
-Leaders think long-term, not just about today. The one you want to promote gets the big picture and sees the future as positive and with much opportunities for grown and development.
-Can they teach others? Then you’ll want to promote them. The best people like to share the knowledge rather than hoard it for their own good. When teaching happens a team is built. A team that is educated the same begins to formulate relationships that are far beyond the J-O-B but are built on a foundation of learning, expanding and development.
BIG PROMOTING TIP: Consistency is a trait to never pass up – when you see consistency, there is nothing like it. Consistency carries teams through good and bad seasons. Consistency is the key to sustainability. Where there is consistency – there is a leader and followers forming right behind. As humans we crave dependability and a continual strand of sameness.
