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Human Resources Management

The catering industry has been complaining about a lack of staff since before yesterday. But the pandemic has made the search for qualified staff even more difficult. Successful personnel management, however, must be thought far beyond recruitment.

Even when I started working in the hospitality industry, my superiors at the time told me that you would never be without work in our industry. And indeed: even 18 years ago, there was a shortage of staff in hotels, restaurants and bars. The pandemic has undoubtedly exacerbated this problem, but by no means caused it.

Many of us understood that a different pace of life was possible. When our industry went fallow, numerous colleagues - who previously served plates, mixed cocktails, cleaned pans or cooked with them - changed jobs to finance their livelihood. The result? An even bigger gap in the staffing plan and even more difficulty finding qualified personnel.

"Recruitment: a process that is more complex than merely finding someone to sign an employment contract."

Victor Topart, Barkeeper of the year 2021

Recruitment: a process that is more complex than simply finding someone to sign an employment contract. Because in the end, when recruiting, you decide on a character with an identity, with a personality and with a potential for development.

And that person, with all their strengths and weaknesses, will fit into the team that already exists. A team that (in the best case) already has a cohesion and work ethic that contributes to the success of a company. A mistake in the recruitment process can lead to a weakening of team cohesion and a decrease in motivation. Therefore, special care should be taken not to make mistakes during this process.

As mentioned at the beginning, many have left our industry, including many passionate and qualified Barkeeper. These leave a vacuum that is very often filled by people who may be attracted to the hospitality industry but do not have the enthusiasm or experience required.

After hiring, therefore, we often have to reckon with an increased training period so that only the basics of our work can be taught. But this is a necessary initial effort that should not be skimped on. Because this knowledge transfer not only contributes to the quality of service and thus to the satisfaction of our guests, it can at the same time convince newcomers of the development opportunities that our great industry offers.

Taking the wishes of the staff seriously

A change must occur not least in personnel management. Well-being at work and especially work-life balance are aspects that are increasingly weighted by employees. There is no denying that the long working hours, stress and demands on staff are taking their toll.

The time of those old-school bosses who see themselves as conductors, have to control everything and would have to look up "empathy" in a foreign dictionary has passed. A good manager shines through friendliness, respect, humility and trust in his team. If you want to keep your staff, you have to set a good example.

A good way to motivate and train the team at the same time is to organize tastings and visit distilleries or breweries.

Victor Topart, Barkeeper of the year 2021

A good way to motivate the team and train them at the same time is to organize tastings and to visit distilleries or breweries. Of course, the wage factor also plays an important role, but this logically depends very much on the financial possibilities of a restaurant.

In summary, the difficult circumstances of recent years, coupled with the need for a sense of purpose and well-being while at work, have led to a company once again focusing (more closely) on people.

An employee or an employee is not a number, not a consumable object, because a company is first and foremost a human adventure. Human resources management is therefore not only one of the most complex aspects of a company, but also one of the most beautiful.

This article appeared in
Issue 5-2022

BAR NEWS magazine as single issue

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