If you are up to your eyeballs in work, the last thing you need is to have to go out and recruit new people. However, this is the situation many catering firms find themselves in at some point.
Half way through your busy period is usually when a member of staff hands in their notice or worse simply do not turn up. Catering work is rarely easy; you are on your feet a lot, working long hours, often at unsocial hours. Therefore, it is not surprising that a few staff find that it all gets too much for them during busy periods and end up leaving suddenly.
Unfortunately catering recruitment, like recruitment in any industry, can be quite time consuming, and at busy times finding enough time to do it properly is not always possible. However there are a few ways you can speed up your recruitment process.
Contact People Who Worked for you in the Past
Try to keep records of everyone who worked for you that did a good job. That way if you find yourself without someone at the last minute you can contact some of your previous employees to see if they are interested in a few hours work. Not everyone will say yes, if they say no a few times remember to cross them off your list, so you do not waste time asking them again in the future. Bear in mind that just because they worked for you in the past, does not mean that they will not need any training at all. Things change and people get rusty.
Use a Catering Recruitment Agency
Even in an emergency, it is worth advertising a job using a catering recruitment agency. The best firms keep a database of people looking for work. For a fee, they will send you a list of potentially suitable candidates who you can contact.
Alternatively, you can advertise your job on their website. The moment you hit the send button your job advert will become visible to potential candidates. If you are lucky, you will begin to receive applications within hours of posting your vacancy. However, you should understand that this will not always happen, sometimes it will take a day or two to receive applications and you will still have to check the applicant’s credentials and interview them.
For fast and affordable catering recruitment for your business, visit the Caterer.com agency listing website.
