The new normal?

"I hope the drive-thru is open today."; "I hope they will open on time as I have to get to work." Such phrases have become common place from consumers, who have given us the courtesy of frequenting our establishments. The truly amazing aspect of these statements is that the customer is actually returning to restaurant, after experiencing a very disappointing previous engagement. As an "old school" restaurant Operator, I would not tolerate such an approach to business, and would put on a uniform, get behind the counter, and do whatever it takes to get the business open and operating as promised.

We all understand the causes behind the shortage of people needed to effectively staff our restaurants. What restaurant owners seem to be missing, is that they must now do the unthinkable...WORK! Franchise Owners, come out from behind your desks..., Regional Managers, get out of your cars..., CFOs, put away your tablets..., Administrative support staff, dress appropriately, and all of you, adjust your daily schedules and make time to cover a peak revenue period every day. This means working the drive-thru, the front counter, the grill, the dining room, etc. This is not a big ask nor is it very time consuming as each peak revenue period is only two to three hours in duration. The financial benefits are huge and far outweigh any productivity losses at the head office. Additionally, this will build a tremendous team culture, the result of which will be the improved productivity of existing front line staff as they will be inspired by a culture of "we are all in this together!"

On the surface this may seem somewhat short sighted, as the immediate push back will be that everyone is trying to hire staff and they cannot be successful if they are tied to a restaurant during peak. HOGWASH!! The simple priority is that unless you service your customers everyday, you will not need staff at all, as your business will close! Hiring and Training must be a 24/7 tactical strategy that embraces the concept that it is the most important aspect of our business. Yes, that is correct, it is more important than Marketing...It is more important than Logistics...It is more important than Finance...It is now, and will continue to be, the most critical piece to the long term success of any restaurant.

Sadly, things will only continue to get worse. We are starting to see the politeness go away and restaurants will become increasingly aggressive and hostile with regards to "stealing / poaching" employees. This practice used to be civil, however it is now open warfare, with managers actively recruiting employees while visiting competitive concepts. The perks to entice employees to switch concepts, will also grow, as signing bonuses, paid time off, flexible work schedules, tuition reimbursement, etc., will all be "table stakes".

So what is an "Operator" to do? Like all times that become desperate, we must begin to explore those ideas that have been rejected previously. OK, here we go...When was the last time you visited your local detention center for young, non-violent offenders? Restaurants are ideal training grounds to get young people who have made a few mistakes, back on track to get their lives turned around. Wardens are eager to work with companies on Work Release programs, that teach offenders how to integrate back into society. OK, here we go...When was last time you considered hiring someone who was terminated from a previous position? Have you taken the time to explore the "why's" behind the termination? This means not going through HR, as you will get the "Lawyer" answer of, " I cannot comment." Have you tried visiting the restaurant manager where the employee worked? Often a simple, informal conversation, can provide meaningful insight into a persons character. There may be extenuating circumstances behind the termination. Perhaps there was a family crisis and the employee needed some time to heal. Who knows? Let's not be afraid to dig a little deeper and look for the "whys" behind the behavior. OK, here we go...When was the last time you visited a High School or College Counselor? High Schools, Trade Schools, Colleges, are all filled with students who need income to support their education. Often, schools will exchange work for school credit, creating a win-win-win situation. These are very rare in the business world.

So, NO, this is NOT the new normal! It is only the new normal, if you allow it to exist and perpetuate. Operators must embrace the fact that their behavior must change in the face of a new employment landscape. Just stopping at putting up a "now hiring" sign, is a "white flag" of defeat and, more importantly, an indication that this business is prepared to do least amount of work necessary. Is this where you want your meal prepared? Operators must leave their establishments, and actively hunt for staff, by putting themselves into the community and actively pursuing that cagey game called the Hourly Employee.