Hiring for restaurant

Hire a staff. The staff you employ in your restaurant can make the difference between whether or not your restaurant takes off or simply tanks. One of the biggest challenges businesses in all industries face is a lack of qualified labor. As the food-service industry in general continues to grow and thrive, the demand for workers in an already-diminished labor pool is also increasing. Finding qualified workers and rising labor costs are two key concerns for food-service business owners. Aim for employees that are knowledgeable about their position, have a good attitude and want to please as this will transfer over to the customers they serve

very prospective employee should fill out an application--even if it's someone you already know, and even if that person has submitted a detailed resume. A resume is not a signed, sworn statement acknowledging that you can fire the person if he or she lies about his or her background; the application, which includes a truth affidavit, is. The application will also help you verify the applicants' resumes, so you should compare the two and make sure the information is consistent. As a first-time restaurateur, you can hire through the traditional way: set up an advertisement in the newspaper, put up ‘We’re hiring’ posters, or hire through agencies. There are also many active groups on Facebook and Linkedin, from where you can source talent.

Take the time to thoroughly screen applicants. Be sure they understand what you expect of them. Do background checks. If you can't do this yourself, contract with a HR consultant to do it for you on an as-needed basis. Hiring the right chef is extremely important for your restaurant as your food is what’s going to attract your customers. Apart from cooking, your chef also designs your menu, keeping in mind the ingredients that are readily available, and train and lead the staff to prepare and present the dish. Therefore, an experienced chef is a must for your restaurant. 

There are several categories of personnel in the restaurant business: manager, cooks, servers, busboys, dishwashers, hosts and bartenders. When your restaurant is still new, some employees' duties may cross over from one category to another. For example, your manager may double as the host, and servers may also bus tables. Be sure to hire people who are willing to be flexible in their duties. Your payroll costs, including your own salary and that of your managers, should be about 24 to 35 percent of your total gross sales. 

• Kitchen staff- Your kitchen staff, comprises the cooks, food preparation staff, support staff etc. They will mostly be unskilled labor.
• Service staff- The waiters, housekeeping staff, busboys etc. are your service staff. Since they have to interact with customers, they need to be good at communication and must be trained appropriately.
• Management staff- Your restaurant’s manager, chef, cashier, store manager etc. comprise the management staff, and they need to be educated as well as experienced.