If you have struggled to get staffed these past few years (yes years, almost two of them since the pandemic to be specific), then you know the old ways of recruiting and retaining great people have changed. This has given the value of employee expectations a new meaning that you will need to address -- if you wish to stay competitive in the new “normal” economy.
The lionshare of our staff come from the Millennial and Gen Z cohorts and their expectations have been clear for quite a long time -- they want more than just a job. They want to grow and learn as they progress in their careers, and they expect you to participate in that enterprise. Which is why we are excited to offer a new opportunity to reward your staff while also adding energy and promotion to your restaurant.
Introducing the Ambassador Pilot Program
The Ambassador Pilot Program is a collaboration between The Rail Media and a national beverage brand that is ready to roll out a new beverage alcohol product. The program allows you to recognize, and reward, your best bar and service staff by including them as ambassador candidates. Those selected as ambassadors will gain the experience of participating in a national marketing campaign, get direct training in managing on-premise promotions, and even win some schwag for their efforts.
For you, the benefits are myriad as well. First and foremost, you get to facilitate this development opportunity for any ambassador candidate you recommend. Even something as simple as telling a staff member that you believe in them is an incredibly affirming action, never mind nominating them for a national marketing opportunity. This is just the type of retention behavior that can give you an edge in recruiting. This program allows you to point to more than just flexible hours and high tip earnings as reasons to join (and stay with) your team.
This is a personal development opportunity to which your candidate might never have been exposed without their relationship to you. The program itself is new-product focused and will include training for on-premise activities like sampling, staff training, and internal contests. Ambassadors will also be trained in how to create engaging social media content for and about your restaurant.
Why Participate in this Pilot?
There are several compelling reasons why this program will be valuable to your business. Marketing and promotions are hard enough when you simply create your own programs then execute and pay for them. The Ambassador Program literally does that for you, while also delivering a promise of growth and opportunity to your Millennial and Gen Z staff. Additionally, you are leveraging the resources of a national brand to amplify your efforts, something we advocate for all time on the pages of The Daily Rail.
We are initially limiting this pilot to three markets (Los Angeles, Boston and Providence/Newport, RI), but the goal is to expand it nationally. To reiterate, you get direct training and key recognition for a staff member and custom marketing assets and POS for a product from a national brand. That’s not just win, it’s smart business.
If you want to learn more, follow this link to visit the Ambassador Program page to review the requirements and nominate your candidates. If you don’t need to hear anymore, click the button below to get started.
We are looking forward to bringing you more value during these difficult times and proving we are all in this together.
