Fresh Cup Magazine, providing specialty coffee and tea professionals with unique insight into the trends, ideas, products and people that shape their world.
Issue link: http://freshcup.epubxp.com/i/139019
H IR E T R A I N FO R P E RS O FO R S K N A L IT Y , ILL smile, maintain eye contact, articulate his or her thoughts well, and carry a pleasant demeanor? Furthermore, investigate a candidate's professionalism by assessing the promptness and language of an email or the way in which he or she frames previous work experience. "The fact of the matter is that we can teach anyone the technical side, but it's really difficult to train someone to be friendly and responsible," Adamy says. Always be interviewing. Many successful operators say the key to landing the best talent is to consistently interview applicants rather than pursuing candidates only at a time of need. It's about deepening one's talent pool and not settling for the best prospect available right now. "Spending extra time on hiring and being picky pays major dividends down the line," Arvidson says. As a side bonus, consistent interviewing also sends a message to current staff that the owner has a slew of new prospects in the pipeline. This, Arvidson adds, can be a simple motivational tool for staff members to boost their games. Check references. Always check references, giving added weight to past work supervisors over personal references. While some past employers—particularly those from corporate backgrounds—will not offer precise comment on a specific employee, Arvidson recommends trying to get one specific "yes or no" question answered: If you had the chance to rehire this person, would you? KEEPING THEM AROUND Investing in your staff members is among the most effective ways to ensure they remain happy working for your business. Adamy takes pride in a detailed training process at O'Henry's that includes a visit to the company's roasting facility and a formal hospitality program that Adamy himself teaches. "I meet every employee we hire and try to make this a warm, friendly environment where people feel valued and encouraged to learn," he says. Chacos, meanwhile, has incentivized staff with field trips. Last year, for instance, a Bonfire group went to Portland for the SCAA trade show. Others have traveled to California for training trips with Blue Bottle (Oakland) and Verve (Santa Cruz). "These opportunities just feed their interest more and expand their horizons," Chacos says. On the cost-effective front, he also regularly rewards his most loyal, hardestworking and top-performing staff members with preferential scheduling, a simple perk that encourages high performance. He also makes a regular effort to personally thank staff members for their individual and collective efforts. Other ways to retain staff members are to: Hold them accountable. Quality workers want to work alongside others who bring energy and attentiveness to their job. Morale can easily fall if staff members are allowed to be lazy or inconsiderate sans repercussions. When morale falls, store performance suffers, as do retention efforts. "We make our fair share of hiring mistakes, but we get them off the team quick—and that's largely driven by our employees," Adamy says. Keep workers engaged. At O'Henry's, cafés typically serve anywhere from 300 to 600 customers each day, a steady stream of guests that does not leave much room for staff to stand around and wonder. "Engaged employees generally appreciate and value the job more," Adamy says. Run a quality operation. The efficiency and effectiveness of a business does much to foster retention. A shoddy operation with broken equipment and missing resources—or, worse, late paychecks—does little to encourage pride and loyalty among staff. "If you expect employees to give you 100 percent, then you need to give them the tools and resources to do just that," Arvidson says. Most importantly, create a culture of good people. Arvidson says the number-one determining factor in retention boils down to employees' like—or dislike—of their immediate supervisor. "Employees have to like and respect you," he says, "which comes through with fairness, consistency, listening, clear directions and working alongside employees rather than over them." freshcup.com July 2013 43