STAFF: Vet Your Employee Candidates Using the Audition Process [HACK #108]
Looking to fill a position at your restaurant or bar but tired of hiring employees that end up not working out? Try an audition process! Auditioning can be a great way to vet your options and move forward with new employees that are a sure-shot rather than a gamble. Here’s how.
DID YOU KNOWS…
High Rent
San Francisco has notoriously high rent – the highest in the US. In fact, it costs an average of $3,664/month to rent a two-bedroom in San Fran. Second on the list is NYC at $2,854. But is San Francisco the highest rent in the world? Nope! That honor goes to Hong Kong at $3,737. Here’s how pricey it is to rent a two-bedder around the world.
MAP: Most Iconic Drink in Every State
America’s drinking preference is about as diverse as its people are. But do you know what the most iconic (alcoholic) drink is in your state? In our HQ state of Massachusetts, that’s Sam Adams (only because Dunkies doesn’t toss in whiskey shots). In Texas it’s Shiner Bock. In Montana it’s Moscow Mule. In California it’s red wine. Here’s the full map. How does it stack up to your own experiences?
Netflix Surpasses HBO for Most Emmy Nods
While critical and artistic acclaim are only secondary to Netflix’s shareholders, who tend to focus on financials and subscriber growth, the company acknowledged in the past that its original content is the most important driver of subscriber growth. Critical recognition for its shows will likely help Netflix convert its billion-dollar content investments into new subscribers, which is why the recent Emmy nominations should be good news for the streaming giant's shareholders.
SOCIAL MATTERS, UNTIL IT DOESN’T
Why it matters to you: Is social media marketing even effective?
In the beginning there was Facebook and restaurant owners thought it was good. Then came Twitter, Instagram and a myriad of other options and restaurant owners continued to think it was good. Unfortunately, that all changed when these platforms decided they needed to make money. Organizations that had built enormous followings learned that Facebook was going to force them to pay for access to the same audience they had worked so hard to create. Most operators wondered, WTF!
The truth is that social media has never been a replacement for your own website and a solid email marketing campaign. In fact, you can see the beginning of the end for free social media accounts as big players dump their social presences. Take JD Weatherspoon, a 900-unit pub chain in the UK, which recently deleted all of their social accounts. Their chairman Tim Martin said, "I don’t believe that closing these accounts will affect our business whatsoever, and this is the overwhelming view of our pub managers.”
We have long encouraged our subscribers to invest in methods of reaching their guests that are direct and impactful. Email remains the most powerful way to contact your guests as no one is between you and them receiving your message. If you still believe that social is the most effective method for marketing your business, please tell us what you are doing in the comments or via email. We will be happy to credit you for your success and insight.
WATCHING AS TURNOVER RISES
Why it matters to you: Staffing continues to be the biggest challenge most of us face.
If you read our newsletter daily, then you know, we take turnover seriously. We have hosted webinars, published blogs and generally rung the bell for our readers to be proactive in managing their staffing needs. Turns out we were right. In April turnover rose in our industry to the highest level in decades, leaving 75% of operators understaffed. Unemployment has reached a 50-year low with five states actually below 3% unemployment.
This is a staggering number when you consider full-employment is considered anything under 4-5% (depending who you ask). The only logical approach is to work harder to make your place a great environment to work. With the rise of the “gig economy” and companies like Uber and Lyft giving staff more flexibility, you simply can’t afford to continue doing what has worked in the past. So, visit our resource page and check out the several downloads covering everything from recruiting to training to scheduling. Let us help you get ahead of this unemployment challenge.
