FH0320
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L A B O U R<br />
RELATIONS<br />
TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN TALENT IN TODAY’S MARKET,<br />
EMPLOYERS NEED TO STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD<br />
BY AMY BOSTOCK<br />
The Challenge |<br />
According to Restaurants Canada, labour<br />
issues remain the top challenge for foodservice<br />
operators, with 59 per cent of those surveyed<br />
reporting the shortage of good talent is<br />
keeping them up at night.<br />
Ryan Smolkin, founder & CEO, Smoke’s<br />
Poutinerie Inc., says staff turnover, along with<br />
the higher minimum wage, “has been a big<br />
hit to our entire industry. Our labour costs<br />
increased by 30 per cent and we also find<br />
ourselves competing with more players [for<br />
staff].”<br />
Restaurants Canada’s Restaurant Outlook<br />
Survey Q3 2019 states “turnover is also a<br />
constant problem for restaurants, especially<br />
with a low unemployment rate. While some<br />
roles have a low annual turnover rate, it can<br />
be as high as 300 per cent for some positions.<br />
There are also the hidden costs around<br />
finding and replacing employees that must<br />
be considered.”<br />
“That puts pressure on management<br />
— especially in quick-service operations —<br />
to be more operationally involved in the<br />
business than I’ve ever seen in my 30 years<br />
[as a recruiter],” says Michael Sherwood,<br />
VP Recruitment Lead (Consumer Goods/<br />
Foodservice) at Toronto-based Anything Is<br />
Possible (AIP).<br />
Smolkin agrees, saying managers need to<br />
be even more self-aware in today’s climate,<br />
ensuring employees feel nurtured and valued.<br />
“We should be doing that anyway,” he clarifies,<br />
“but it’s even more evident now because<br />
there’s zero loyalty [among staff] these days as<br />
[employees] are always looking for the next,<br />
better job.”<br />
And, while smaller operators are hit even<br />
harder by the labour challenge than larger<br />
chains with the budgets to invest heavily in<br />
iSTOCK.COM/GUIDOVROLA<br />
36 FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY MARCH 2020 FOODSERVICEANDHOSPITALITY.COM