Hospitality Blog

Drinking Limit Spreads East

2012-01-18T12:19:00.000-08:00

The blood alcohol drinking(BAC) limit, set in BC in September 2010, seems to be making it's way east as Saskatchewan announces it plans to impose fines for drivers with a BAC between .04 and .08 in the Spring or Summer of 2013.

This is especially significant to the hospitality industry; hotels, restaurants, casinos, bars and pubs, who can really be impacted with tight revenue margins.

Many owners/operators in BC and Alberta noted a marked decline in sales and concerns from customers who were consuming less alcohol with their meals or none at all, some even deciding to stay home and avoid the hassle. The new regulations make it difficult for customers to guage their safe drinking levels.

While nobody wants to see drunk drivers on the road, the new limits will likely target imbibers that monitor their alcohol consumption, not the obvious and dedicated alcoholics that drink and drive. The latter are the only ones that we need to have more stringent regulations for but ironically are also the only ones unaffected or concerned by the new rules.

If you work in the industry, please watch for the CRFA's upcoming petitions and voice your opinion at crfa.ca.

Prairie Financial Sun Rising

2012-01-12T11:50:00.000-08:00

It's good to be in the Prairie's right now as Saskatoon, Calgary, Edmonton and Regina are poised to lead in growth and prosperity over the next couple of years, according to The Conference Board of Canada posted in The Canadian Press yesterday.

As a recruiter in the hospitality industry, I have seen an influx of applications from the mid and eastcoast for positions in the West in the last couple of years. This is really a significant change considering that heading to Ontario has long been the rallying call to highschool grads in many provinces, including Nova Scotia where my roots lead back. It's been a bit of an identity shock to Ontarians adjusting to a tough labour market and looking West. The Outlook suggest Toronto's growth and prosperity will be tied in 5th place with Regina! But, are job seekers ready to look to Saskatchewan as the booming province? It's another adjustment.

In this volatile economy, adjusting to change is a must. So, many will be getting out their dusty globes to discover where Saskatoon and Regina are located and struggling over the spelling of Sa-skatch-e-wan.

The Conference Board says western cities are benefitting from resource riches and attracting migrants, boding well for housing and consumer spending.

Edmonton created almost 40,000 new jobs last year alone, the think-tank says.

"In spite of global economic turmoil, high prices for agricultural products, minerals and oil are likely to continue," said Mario Lefebvre, director of municipal studies for the Conference Board.

"Canada's Prairie cities will reap the benefits of this global demand for commodities."

Central Canadian cities won't do nearly as well with manufacturing continuing to struggle amid the global slowdown, and government cutbacks weighing on growth domestically.

The top 10 cities in terms of expected growth for 2012 are:
Saskatoon, 4.0 per cent
Calgary, 3.6 per cent
Edmonton, 3.4 per cent
Regina, 2.9 per cent
Oshawa, Ont., 2.7 per cent
Toronto, Trois-Rivieres, Vancouver, 2.6 per cent
Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo, Windsor, 2.5 per cent

BC Minimum Wage for Restaurant Workers

2011-11-01T16:11:00.000-07:00

Just a quote update:

As of today, November 2, 2011, it is now legal to pay servers in resturants 75 cents less than the general minimum wage. By May 1st, employers will be able to pay servers $1.25 less than minimum wage.

Hard to Watch Hotels Trudge

2011-10-17T12:00:00.000-07:00

Our hotel operators in Canada need some love.

According to STR, in year-over-year measurements for the week ending October 8th, 2011, the Canadian hotel industry’s occupancy fell 0.1 percent to 69.6 percent, its average daily rate was down 0.7 percent to CAD$127.92, and its revenue per available room decreased 0.8 percent to CAD$89.07.

Talk about injury to injury. It's hard to watch the painful trudging of hotels trying to get ahead of this thug of an economic downturn the last few years, especially since they're the first hit and last to recover.

It's safe to say PEI's trudging has lead them into cardiac arrest with double-digit RevPAR decreases: 21.7 percent to CAD$46.46 and with the closest neighbour having to drive across the long bridge, I'm not sure they're going to make it. Besides, NS is stilled miffed at having to share a phone prefix with the slouches. BC is having palpatations with a -17.8 to CAD$79.21. Nothing a medical marijuana card won't fix. The best performer continues to be Alberta, with RevPAR rising 9.1% to CAD$89.19. Congrats! Oil really does makes the world go round.

Anyone who can, should show their nearest hotel some love this Christmas season: why not book a staff meeting there this Christmas? Or book it for a family Christmas get-together and save Mom all the work? Or just take a weekend away in your own Province and stay in a hotel new to you and explore?

At the very least, stop and give the GM a hug. Anything to stop the trudging, please!

Fast Casual is NOT Fast Food

2011-10-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

In proper preparation for the Fast Casual Executive Summit coming up in Chicago this month, fastcasual.com has put together a list of the top 10 fast casual restaurants in the US based on 2010 sales.

But first, let's be clear about how they define fast casual: the price is approximately 15.00 or less per cheque AND the decor is modern and upscale AND the service does not include wait staff AND, finally, the food is fresh and made to order. That narrows down the list but I think to be clearer, it needs to be stated that fast casual promises a higher quality food and atmosphere than fast food. Fast casual is NOT our traditional idea of fast food.

A couple of the Top 10 are already familiar here in Canada: Five Guys and Chipotle Miexcan Grill. What's noteworthy is that of the Top 10, three are Mexican restaurants. Surely demographics have an impact on this stat and therefore it makes me wonder would Mexican fare be so prominant in a Canadian Top 10 Fast Casual? Would Asian food? Chipotle, by the way, was one of the first fast casual restaurants on the scene and McDonald's had a majority share in Chipotle until 2006!

If you're wondering if fast casual is simply a fad that will pass, or a quick spash in the pan (pun intended), think again. Fast casual has had a huge impact on the food industry and growing. It appeals to people's interest for a more healthy option, it's quick for a busier and busier lives, and it offers varied food choices. The numbers speak for themselves as shown in the chart below.

It's little wonder that fast food operations are looking to upscale their decors and offer healthier options or that casual dining operations are looking to move towards "smaller footprint" stores with a smaller menu. It will be interesting to see what our restaurant scene looks like even as little as two years from now with the big impact of fast casual operations.

Restaurant Trend Toward Breakfast

2011-10-13T12:12:00.000-07:00

Many restaurant organizations in Canada looking for new ways to increase their bottom line have discovered breakfast and hope it will save the day.

While many skip the most important meal of the day, restaurants seek to capitalize on the approximate 1 in 5 people that eat breakfast both at home and at restaurants. According to NPD's most recent report, for the majority of Americans who do eat breakfast, 14% said they typically eat breakfast at restaurants. The report surveyed 27,179 participants.

When approaching the breakfast market, restaurants should be mindful of the study's detailed finding that suggest that of consumers 18 - 34 years old, 28% of men and 18% of women skip breakfast, while 18% of men 35 - 54 years old and 13% of women in that age group go without a morning meal. And apparently, we do get wiser as we age, at least when it comes to eating: older consumers are the least likely to skip breakfast, with 11% of men 55 and older and 10% of women in that age group going without.

What's Your Restaurants' Yelp Rating?

2011-10-10T22:50:00.000-07:00

We all by now are aware that social media online plays a major role in restaurant and hotel - any hospitality service - financial gains. Smaller, independent operators in Canada don't always have the resources of corporate restaurants or corporate hotels to create savvy online buzz. Enter Yelp.ca to the rescue.

According to a recent Harvard Business School study by Michael Luca,just and additional one star rating for a restaurant, for instance, garners a revenue bump of 5% to 9%. Luca's research of government data reported revenues of Seattle restaurants between 2003 and 2009, as well as Seattle restaurant reviews on Yelp.

The findings suggest that as Yelp's penetration of the market increased, so too did independent restaurants' share of the market. "The introduction of Yelp then begins to shift revenue away from chains and toward independent restaurants," Luca concluded, adding that this "suggests that online consumer reviews substitute for more traditional forms of reputation." Hooray for the little guys out there running a small QSR or casual dining restaurant in tough markets or boutique hotels looking for greater exposure!

Ikea Strongarming McD's?

2011-10-06T13:02:00.000-07:00

In the latest Foodservice Digest a startling revelation regarding QSR leaders in Germany; Ikea beats out McDonald's and Burger King there for service quality. Amazing. Not that the food at Ikea here in Coquitlam, BC isn't fantastic AND cheap, but I wouldn't have expected this trend. Will the craze hit here? Read on for the full article....

How Did Ikea Beat Out McDonalds for Germany's Most Popular Fast Food?
THEATLANTIC.COM 10/05
German newspaper Die Welt reports that in a study by the German Institute for Service Quality, Ikea comes ahead of McDonald's in the fast food realm. In the resulting ranking of points (1 - 100), Mövenpick Marché is at the top, with 78.7 points. In 2nd comes Ikea at 77.6, and then McDonald's at 72.8 and Burger King at 70.0.
Why is a furniture store doing food so well? According to another story by the Deutsche Press-Agentur, breakfast at furniture stores is all the rage. "Whoever wants to breakfast in the furniture store must often hurry if he wants to get a seat at all--[it's] now a nationwide phenomenon," notes the agency.
Ikea has competition, too: "Other furniture companies like Dodenhof, Kraft, and Höffner also attract with breakfast offerings."

Work Prductivity and Exercise Link

2011-10-04T20:57:00.000-07:00

If you exercise, you'll be happy to hear your level of work productivity can go up as a result. Read on, another interesting topic for candidate discussion in that next interview? As we all know, hospitality professionals often have positions that require physical stamina....

Exercise and Productivity Link Confirmed

New Australian research has discovered that employees who walk 10,000 steps a day, and work out in the gym three times a week can give their employer up to $2,500 in added productivity per year compared to non-active colleagues.

A clinical trial run by the Body-Brain Performance Institute, in association with Swinburne University’s Brain Sciences Institute, monitored 40 employees from Melbourne software company SAP earlier this year.

The trial, which ran from April to June, found a direct link between physical fitness and work participation, with productivity increases calculated at $2,500 per year per employee.

Monitored over an 8-week period, the employees were divided into two groups and given pedometers. One group was instructed to walk 10,000 steps a day and head to the gym for three resistance training sessions per week, and the other asked to walk the daily average for an office worker, just 2,000-3,000 steps.

Professor Paul Taylor, who led the research, said “The research showed that there is a very clear link between physical fitness and brain function, and reduced stress levels at work.” He added that there was a marked improvement in the employees’ mood and cognition from the exercise group, with the exercising group showing a 4% increase in overall brain function.

Elements of brain function, including the ability to plan, remember, make decisions, stay alert, as well as stress and anger levels were measured using new neuropsychological tests developed by the Swinburne institute.

Taylor said the findings confirmed previous studies which showed vigorous exercise significantly increases happiness, productivity and cognition, and employers should be harnessing the advantages of exercise more in the workplace.

Professor Taylor has conducted Neuroscience of Leadership workshops with various company leadership teams, which focus on maintaining a healthy work-life balance, good nutrition, stress optimisation, rest and regular exercise, all leading to an improvement in individual and team performance.

[Source: www.hcamag.com]

Brazilians Touring Canada

2011-08-23T13:26:00.000-07:00

Where are our tourist dollars coming from these days with the economic difficulties felt across the globe? As hospitality providers, we perhaps can look to the global economies to determine future tourism spending in Canada. Of the three growing economies of China, India and Brazil, the latter is worth a closer look right now. These countries are rising to be major world players economically and politically, and Brazil made an impact on our tourism picture in Canada last year.

According to the Canadian Tourism commission report for the last quarter of 2010, "The Brazil market showed the way forward for CTC’s Emerging/Transition markets (Brazil, China, India, Japan, Mexico and South Korea), posting seriously strong growth in spending (+32%) and overnighters (+26%), leading to an average spend per trip of $1,719." That's a very significant bump, especially when compared to the activity of the UK; our largest overseas travel market, where overnight spending went down 10%.

Who are these people from Brazil traveling to Canada and what type of tourists do they make here?

You might think people in Brazil speak Spanish, but Brazil is the largest Portuguese speaking country in the world! To give you an idea of climate, it's situated in South America and mostly tropical, being called, "land of the palm trees".

The traditional, everyday meal consists mosty of rice and beans with beef and salad. Its common to mix it with cassava flour. Fried potatoes, fried cassava, fried banana, fried meat and fried cheese are very often eaten in lunch and served in most typical restaurants. The national beverage is coffee and cachaça is Brazil's native liquor. Cachaça is distilled from sugar cane and is the main ingredient in the national cocktail, Caipirinha.

Brazilians tend to be generous and very friendly, even to strangers. The people there embrace art, theatre, music, literature, and poetry as an extension of their diverse and beautiful culture.

A few highlights on Brazilian tourists, but to learn more, visit this website!

Hotel Stats - Some Good News

2011-07-14T16:07:00.000-07:00

The Hotel News Now has posted stats for the week ending July second from their parent company; STR. BC and Alberta seem to be faring the best leading in RevPAR, a rise of 9.2 and 8.8 respectively over last year. And, they both shared top spots for ADR increases as well. Seems the Westcoast is the place to be if you're operating a hotel in Canada, according to STR. On the other coast, Newfoundland took the biggest hit with their Rev PAR falling 15.8% and their ADR decreased 6.5%! Tough go in Newfoundland.

Read on for the full report....

"The Canadian hotel industry reported mixed results in the three key performance metrics for the week of 26 June-2 July 2011, according to data from STR.

In year-over-year measurements, the Canadian hotel industry ended the week with a 5.0-percent increase in occupancy to 69.2 percent, a 0.5-percent decrease in average daily rate to CAD$130.29 and a 4.5-percent rise in revenue per available room to CAD$90.19.

Among the provinces, Alberta reported the largest occupancy increase, rising 9.2 percent to 64.2 percent, followed by British Columbia (+8.8 percent to 71.5 percent) and Manitoba (+8.3 percent to 66.2 percent). Newfoundland fell 9.9 percent to 78.0 percent, reporting the largest decrease in that metric.

British Columbia rose 4.1 percent in ADR to CAD$143.11, reporting the largest increase in that metric, followed by Alberta with a 3.4-percent increase to CAD$139.41. Prince Edward Island (-6.6 percent to CAD$118.30) and Newfoundland (-6.5 percent to CAD$136.30) reported the largest ADR decreases.

Two provinces achieved RevPAR increases of more than 10 percent: British Columbia (+13.3 percent to CAD$102.30) and Alberta (+13.0 percent to CAD$89.54). Newfoundland reported the only double-digit RevPAR decrease, falling 15.8 percent to CAD$106.33."

Canadian Tourism Year in Review 2010

2011-07-12T12:59:00.000-07:00

We're still not out of the woods but some improvements are seen in our tourism sector.... check out the Canadian Tourism's review of 2010 Tourism by US Leisure Sector below (our biggest market)and visit the link for complete statistics. Note that the age group of 55+ is our biggest market. I expect we'll see even more from that age group as the infamous baby boomers are just now starting to retire this year. That means downsizing the home is coming and leisure trips will go up. At least they're one group that will have the disposable money to spend so let's attract them!!!

US Leisure
• In 2010, the US had a more sluggish than expected economic recovery, with GDP growth of 2.9%. By the end of the year, economists reported weaker than expected consumer spending, along with declines in construction spending, durable goods orders and home building sales, a reflection of the lingering effects of the 2008-2009 recession. This cooler economic environment impacted both US leisure and business travel in 2010, with slower than expected growth compared with the previous year.
• US leisure travel represents Canada’s largest inbound travel market, accounting for 63% of all
inbound travellers in 2010. US leisure travel to Canada outperformed business travel in 2010, with a moderate increase of 0.9% over 2009.
• While leisure travel to Canada declined in the first two quarters of 2010, the last two quarters saw increases of 2.8% in Q3 and 4.0% in Q4.
• Total spending by US leisure travellers of one or more nights improved in 2010, up 2.8% overall, with the average nightly spend increasing 3.4% to $116.
• This year saw an 8.6% increase in the number of overnight US leisure travellers in who were 55 years of age or older. This age demographic represents the largest segment among US leisure visitors to Canada, accounting for 46.7% of all overnight US leisure
visitors to Canada in 2010. • Experiencing nature became more popular in this market with visiting aquariums/botanical gardens and zoos (+7.9%) and visiting nature parks (+7.2%) both
climbing in 2010.
• In 2010, Québec (+4.2%), British Columbia (+2.0%), Alberta (+1.7%) saw increases in province visits in 2010, while Ontario (-2.1%) experienced a decline. US Meetings Conventions and Incentive Travel (MC&IT)
• US overnight MC&IT travel is Canada’s second largest inbound market after US overnight leisure travel.
• In 2010, 1.7 million US MC&IT overnight travellers visited Canada, a moderate 0.2% decline over the previous year. Of those travellers, 65.8% were male and 64.1% were 45 years of age or older.
• Total spending by this market increased by 3.0% reaching, $1.4 billion, with the average spend per business trip increasing 3.2% to $815.
• The volume of business travellers to Canada saw a staggered recovery in 2010, improving in the 2nd and 4th quarters of 2010, helping to offset the reduced growth in the 1st and 3rd quarters.
• US MC&IT travel to Alberta (-4.9%) and Ontario (-4.0%) slowed in 2010, while Québec (+5.8%) and British Columbia (0.6%) had an increased number of province visits.
• This year, there was a 17.9% increase in interest in attending cultural events among US MC&IT travellers, followed by increases in visiting museums and art galleries (+10.9%) and visiting historic sites (+9.4%) compared with the top activities of 2009.

Source: Canadian Tourism, Tourism Snapshot 2010

Funny Look at Eating Out

2011-06-20T12:46:00.000-07:00

Are Your Highschool Days Earning You More?

2011-06-15T15:23:00.000-07:00

Were you nerdy enough in highschool to be on the debate club, chess club or school paper? Well, if so, your payback to the jocks and cool kids is that you now likely earn quite a bit more. According to a new study by an economics professor at Cleveland State University, you're probably bringing home a significantly higher pay cheque than kids who were literally too cool for school.

Extracurricular activities are certainly great for developing social skills, but who could know that there's a financial benefit later in life as the study suggests. The study followed 5,000 Americans who were involved in after-school projects, teams and clubs. As adults, they ended up earning salaries 11.8 per cent higher than people who didn't take part in extra activities. The study also discovered that these people are more likely to end up in supervisory roles in their careers, probably because students who engage in extracurricular activities learn to manage tasks and people, in an organized setting.

When you look at hiring new managers for your hotel or restaurant, or want to see who's viable for moving up the ladder, make sure to ask them what activities they were involved in during highschool.

Hospitality Staff Turn-Over and Finger Pointing

2011-06-09T13:01:00.000-07:00

If you're particular hotel, restaurant, or region is having high turn-over, you might want to think twice before blaming your in-house HR team or friendly neighbourhood recruiter! According to workplace management expert; Tony Wilson, 90% of staff leave because of poor managers, not their jobs.

“When an employee resigns, many managers point their finger at the reasons beyond their immediate control. In most cases they should point it straight at themselves”, he said. According to Wilson, the single biggest issue which drives an employee to resign is not the job, salary, workplace environment or the company. Instead it is the quality of their relationship between employees and their direct managers.

In Wilson's book, "Jack and the Team that Couldn’t See", he suggests that most mangers spend too much time on operations, systems, strategy, products and services. “While these are important pieces in the performance puzzle, they spend relatively little time developing their people - their greatest competitive advantage”, he said.

In the largest survey of its kind, global research organization Gallup surveyed over a million employees and 80,000 managers to examine why employees stay or leave. The research found the immediate boss is the primary reason people stay and thrive in an organization, and is also the main reason people leave. Recent research from Indian University also examined employees across different work sectors and found that a worker’s relationship with their boss is nearly equal in importance to their relationship with their spouse when it comes to overall well-being.

How workers feel about their managers even affects physical health. A study of hospital workers conducted by Chilterns University College in the UK found that nurses working for hospital supervisors with poor management styles had significantly higher blood pressure than nurses working for bosses judged as understanding and considerate. As a result, the nurses with bad bosses had a roughly 20% higher risk of heart disease.

Being a good manager may seem a simple concept, but it poses a challenge when we recognize that most managers are promoted according to their ability to do a job well, not on how well they can build a team and get the best out of people.

“This probably wasn’t a consideration in any job prior to being a leader. Almost always, a manager is expected to easily transition without the necessary support and skill development”, said Wilson. “Despite the challenges, every manager needs to face the truth about how vital their relationship with their staff is. They must spend time developing their ability to lead and engage people. Get it wrong and staff will walk”, he added.

To avoid staff walking, better to drop the finger pointing game and tap into all your resources; HR, recruiter, managers, to face the challenge of proactively managing staff.

[Source: article by Lesley Horsburg, Recruitment Extra, October 2010]

Foreign Workers' Class Action Suit against a Canadian Restaurant

2011-05-25T16:26:00.000-07:00

Have you been hiring foreign workers the past few years or considering doing so now? A suit has been filed against Denny's recently by a group of foreign workers. One worker fired has been compensated, while other aspects of the 10-million class action suit are pending.

As Tom Sanborn wrote for the Tyee, "In Reasons for Determination on a complaint against the company that operates Denny's Restaurants across western Canada, Amanda Clark Welder, delegate for BC's Director of Employment Standards, has ruled that the firm, Northland Properties Corporation, operating as Dencan Restaurants Inc., fired Alberto Sales, a temporary foreign worker from the Philippines, at least in part because he had contacted the Employment Standards Branch.

This ruling follows the ten million dollar class action suit filed recently against the Denny's operators by fifty temporary foreign workers who allege the company did not live up to its legal obligations to them.

The Employment Standards ruling, issued April 29, rejects Denny's claims that Sales had been terminated because of performance issues. It requires the firm to pay Mr. Sales $6,617.06 for wages lost between the time he was fired and the time his temporary work permit would have run out, plus $138.33 in interest.

The ruling held that Denny's had contravened section 83 of the Employment Standards Act, which prohibits punitive firing of workers for making complaints under the act. According Ms. Welder, Denny's management denied that they had broken the law in firing Sales. Speaking to The Tyee in January, Bobby Naicker, Denny's CEO, responded to questions about Sales and the class action suit by saying "We are comfortable we've done the right thing." In March, advocates told The Tyee that Denny's had at least temporarily improved some of its treatment of temporary workers in response to the class action suit.

"Denny's has been found to have engaged in retribution because a temporary foreign worker filed a complaint with the Employment Standards Branch" said Charles Gordon of Fiorillo Glavin Gordon, lawyer for Sales.

Further claims that the temporary foreign workers had been compelled to pay large hiring fees to an agent of Denny's in the Philippines are under ongoing investigation, and the accusation that workers were illegally required to pay for their own airfare to Canada is now part of the class action suit filed in January, and is thus not addressed in the April ruling.)

"Alberto Sales had a contract which clearly provided that Denny's was required to pay his airfare both from and to the Philippines. When he complained that they were not providing that, as well as paying for overtime and raising the issue of agency fees to get the job at Denny's, he was terminated," Gordon said.

Sales has been forced to return to the Philippines, as his work visa required that he continue working for Denny's in order to remain in Canada.

"This further illustrates the vulnerability of workers under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program," said Gordon."

Proof Restaurants Hit Hard by BC's HST

2011-05-12T12:06:00.000-07:00

I came across this news release by the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association(CRFA) and felt it warranted reprinting here for your information:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 4, 2011

VANCOUVER – Nearly nine in 10 restaurateurs have seen a drop in sales since the introduction of the HST and new drinking-and-driving penalties in British Columbia, according to a province-wide survey by the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association (CRFA).

Overall restaurant sales dropped by an average of 15% in the seven months following the July 2010 introduction of the HST, according to survey respondents. Liquor sales in particular fell by 21% in the four months following the introduction of new blood alcohol content (BAC) regulations in late Sept. 2010.

In the same survey, 68% of B.C. restaurateurs said they will vote against HST as it is currently structured in the upcoming HST referendum.

“For several months these two public policies have stalled any post-recession recovery in British Columbia’s restaurant industry – a recovery that has already taken hold in other provinces,” says Mark von Schellwitz, CRFA Vice President, Western Canada. “The restaurant industry is the fourth-largest private-sector employer in B.C. and contributes to communities all across the province. We urge the government to stop giving British Columbians more reasons to stay home, and work with us to create a better business climate for our members and their customers.”

The CRFA survey finds that:

Nearly nine in 10 (87%) of respondents reported a drop in sales since HST took effect;
The average decrease in sales was 15% between July 2010 and Jan. 2011 compared to the same period a year earlier;
68% of respondents say they will vote against HST as it is currently structured;
88% of licensed restaurant and bar operators said the new .05 drinking and driving penalties resulted in a drop in liquor sales;
Licensees reported an average 21% loss in liquor sales between Oct. 2010 and Jan. 2011 compared to the same period a year earlier;
As a result of the declining sales caused by HST and the new drinking and driving penalties, 72% of respondents said they have cut back on staff hours, 54% are offering more deals and promotions to keep customers, 31% are doing more advertising and marketing, and 20% have reduced their hours of operation.
The CRFA online survey of restaurant owners and operators was conducted between March 23 and March 31, 2011. The findings represent 1,909 B.C. businesses.

Hotel Stats Available Jan/Feb 2011

2011-05-02T14:53:00.000-07:00

Just released: Canadian Hotel Stats, PVK Jan/Feb 2011.

In reviewing the hotel room rates and revenues throughout Canada, one thing caught my eye for the first time that makes me wonder, "Am I living in the right province?".....

Revenue Per Room Availalbe 2011:
Atlantic Canada 41.16
Quebec 58.57
Ontario 54.31
Alberta 60.40
Saskatchewan 70.64
BC 52.20
NW Territories 89.14

OK, so Alberta's higher rate is no shocker, nor is the NW Territories, but Saskatchewan??? What's happening in the Prairie's that I don't know about?

Check out the ups and downs of the hotel industry and watch for trends via the PVK reports at the hotelassociation[dot]ca website.

Want to Reduce Labour Costs? Series Part 2/3

2011-04-11T17:52:00.000-07:00

Reducing Labour Costs: Series: Part 2/3

Our second issue focus is on skills development.

Did you know that a 1% gain in the average literacy/numeracy skill level in Canada would create a permanent increase of 18.4 billion per year in our GDP according to Stats Canada? How could that affect your bottom line?

Of low literacy workers in Canada, 64% are employed in industries such as hotel and restaurants.

+ Apprentice Hiring Incentive

+ SkillsPlus

Both the SkillsPlus and the Apprenticeship programs can support your financial goals if they involve improvinng staff productivity, reducing errors, reducing absenteeism and turnover, improve succession planning, and much more.

The Apprentice Program is 85% work-based training and 15% technical training and your successful staff will earn their certificate or ticket, typically in a 4-year period. A win-win all around.

The SkillsPlus program has been expanded from a focus on small business (under 50 employees) to include medium-sized businesses (under 500 employees). There is a customized program for tourism/hospitality.

Target Professionals Hospitality Recruiting sources management and executive level candidates within Western Canada. Visit us online or call at 604.552.2377 for service information.

Want to Reduce Labour Costs?

2011-03-25T14:05:00.000-07:00

Series: Part 1/3

This is the one cost variable that can be a challenge, and typically a good reason clients seek my help as an hospitality recruiter. The need to carefully monitor and reduce labour costs is especially important in the current economic situation, with increased energy costs, and for BC, we must consider the imminent increase in minimum wage.

This series' focus is youth incentive programs although not exclusively:

+ Youth Skills BC(YSBC) Hiring Incentives or the Skills Link Program

+ Targeted Wage Subsidies for Employers (Nationwide)

The YSBC is a pilot project offering BC employers a $2000 hiring incentive (up to 3 employees at $2000 each) to hire eligible youth between the ages of 15 and 29 and goes further to offer a training allowance of up to $1000 for this new employee.

Skills Link provides funding to hire youth between the ages of 15 and 30 inclusive who are not on Employment Insurance and experiencing barriers to employment; ie: single parents or living in rural locations.

The Targeted Wage Subsidy program provides employers with temporary financial assistance towards wages of eligible individuals whom they hire. The incentive is for employers to hire candidates they may not have hired otherwise without the subsidy.

Target Professionals Hospitality Recruiting sources management and executive level candidates within Western Canada. Visit us online or call at 604.552.2377 for service information.

More Pay = More Satisfaction?

2011-03-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

We all want a job that pays well, right? How many of us think things like "if I could only make "X" amount more, I would be happy"? Tempting to think such things isn't it? These questions, of course, address the old debate of whether pay leads to satisfaction. We've all heard anecdotes about people who make lots of money and are miserable yet many of us can't help but think that more money would give us more job satisfactaion as well as improve our lives overall.

In the Journal of Vocational Behavior, Author T.A. Judge, et al, recently put this issue to the test to find out if employees find higher paying jobs more satisfying. While their results suggest that within organizations, higher pay is associated with higher job satisfaction, the relationship was not very strong. Not surprisingly, the results also suggest that pay level is more strongly related to employees' satisfaction with pay specifically than with the job overall. Moreover, the fairly weak relationships between pay level and satisfaction were consistent across several countries (U.S., Great Britain, India, Australia, Taiwan).

This study suggests that while increased pay is somewhat associated with increased satisfaction, it's not a strong enough correlation to say anything definitively. If employees truly want satisfying work, then searching for the best paying job is probably not the way to go.

The authors note that attractive characteristics of the leaders and the actual job are likely better predictors of job satisfaction than pay level. People tend to leave positions more because of issues with their direct boss rather than any other issue.

While these results also suggest that increasing pay alone is probably not the best way to improve employees' attitudes, they advise that pay does have motivational power. Being a pay leader in the industry is unlikely to boost organization-wide satisfaction, because employees tend to compare themselves to others, but it will attract highly qualified candidates who value their own skills and experience and look for a company that fairly compensates and values employees financially as well as otherwise.

Publication: Journal of Vocational Behavior (OCT 2010)

Article: The relationship between pay and job satisfaction: A meta-analysis of the literature

Authors: T.A. Judge, R.F. Piccolo, N.P. Podsakoff, J.C. Shaw, and B.L. Rich

Restaurant Waste Trends

2011-03-11T17:26:00.000-08:00

If you've been in a restaurant kitchen, as many of you have considering this blog is all about hospitality, you've seen how much food, water and energy can be wasted there. Chef Arthur Potts-Dawson shares his very personal vision for drastically reducing restaurant, and supermarket, waste -- creating recycling, composting, sustainable engines for good (and good food). Here's a link to his talk, it's only 8minutes of your workday and very interesting.....

Arthur Potts Dawson: A vision for sustainable restaurants | Video on TED.com

2011-02-14T20:41:00.000-08:00

How Many Duds Do You Hire?

While much attention has been given to the importance of hiring talented employees, issues around the cost of bad hires are of increasing importance to both HR professionals and their organizations. What strategies could you use to improve the performance of new hires and how can you reduce the likelihood of their early departure?

With the best screening process and interviewing of candidates, it’s still possible to have a very high on-the-job success rate even if major errors occurred in the screening process. This may sound counter-intuitive, but there is a reason for this.

Tips for minimising new-hire early turnover
For the purposes of this article, the definition of a new hire ‘failure’ includes a new hire that: must be given major training or retraining during the first six months; voluntarily quits within six months; must be redeployed during the first year; is given performance management counselling during the first year; must be terminated within one year, or is a finalist who refuses your job offer.

Involve employees. If you have a less-than-perfect screening process, as we all do, the best way to minimize the impacts of any errors is to ensure that the new hire gets additional help once they start the job. In other words, even if the candidate does not have a perfect set of skills, they can still succeed if other employees want them to succeed and a buddy system is created. If other employees want them to succeed, they will provide the new hire with whatever special help, mentoring and guidance they need.

The best way to ensure your employees are willing to provide this extra help after the candidate starts the job is to involve the employees early on in the hiring process. Involving employees works because if they feel they are responsible for the new hire and that they own the hiring process, employees will invariably find a way to help the new hire succeed on the job. The best ways to increase employee involvement include paying special attention to employee referrals, providing peer-to-peer interviews, and, whenever possible, letting employees make the final selection from the group of finalists you have approved.

Here is a big one....avoid misleading the candidate.... giving them a realistic job preview. A major reason for candidate failure and early turnover is that the candidate was misled about the job, the manager, or the company during the recruiting and interviewing process. It’s important to not only provide the positive attributes of the job, but if you over-glamourize, many new hires quickly become disillusioned, disappointed, or even angry when they find out after starting that their real job compares little to the one outlined in the interview. This can result in poor early job performance or early resignations.

A realistic job preview should include both positive and negative aspects of the job. It can be a video, a site walk-through, or merely a list of the positive and negative aspects of the job. You can develop a list of positive and negative job features through an anonymous survey of recent hires and people currently in the job. It generally includes not just the types of bad and good things that occur, but also their frequency of occurrence.

Ask candidates what they require for success. Many candidates fail on the job not because they don’t have the required skills, but because they are not provided with the right information, tools, or guidance. That’s why it’s important to ask finalists, “If you’re hired, what would you require in order to be successful?” By identifying candidates’ key success factors and needs, you can determine if those are even possible before you hire them, and you can provide that list to the direct supervisor, who can utilise the list to ensure that new employees’ needs are met so that they can get off to a fast and successful start. The goal here is to create a win-win by taking care of your new hire's needs.

Make sure you have a solid orientation program in place. Even a great hiring process can’t guarantee that you won’t end up with low performers and high turnover rates. This is because the selection process is only the first step to success. The seeds of on-the-job failure can begin the very first day on the job if the new hire’s orientation experience goes awry.

For example, if the new hire starts and on their first day their manager is nowhere to be found, it can confuse and disorient them. During the first week, frustration and other problems can occur if the new hire has no uniform, work schedule, or training manual. The absence of managers and the frustration of not having the necessary tools might lead a new hire to develop poor habits that will permanently affect their productivity. In addition, poor orientation might cause candidates to develop such a negative attitude about the firm that they may prematurely quit.

Avoid ‘candidate abuse’, high offer - rejection rates and early turnover

Even if you accurately assess the candidate, you are likely to lose candidates if you mistreat them during the interview and hiring process. In fact, several companies have found that the highest reason for offer letter rejection is ‘candidate abuse’ during the hiring process. Some of the ways to decrease candidate abuse, and subsequently increase offer acceptance rates, include:

Stop doing stupid things during interviews. Sometimes interviewing managers can be the cause of high offer rejection rates. By taking phone calls during interviews, cancelling and rescheduling interviews, appearing disorganised, or even asking illegal or silly questions, interviewers can easily scare away top candidates.

Remember, great hiring only starts with effective skill assessment. If you disillusion or discourage top candidates, they will simply make up an excuse to drop out of the running or say no to your offer. Incidentally, you can only find out the real reason why they rejected your offer by asking them six months later.

Stop ‘death by interview’. Many companies avoid the use of testing candidates due to possible liability and have become increasingly conservative in how they screen candidates. As a result of this fear, companies have increased the number of interviews to make up for the absence of other screening tools. In some cases, interviews have proliferated like rabbits. Where one or two interviews used to be common, now multiple interviews are frequently the norm.

The net result of this trend is that candidates must endure a large number of interviews that are generally spread out over a painfully long time period. From the candidate’s perspective, attending a large number of interviews on different days is expensive and time-consuming. The long delays and the uncertainty stress candidates and their families. The burden is even worse, however, because in a down economy, the odds of all that time and effort actually resulting in a job offer are actually pretty small. By reducing the number of interviews, holding them at night, and even trying to have them all completed on the same day, can reduce top candidate dropout rates and increase offer acceptance rates.

Stop ‘death by repetition’. In a related matter, when candidates are subjected to multiple interviews (at the same company) it is quite common for different interviewers to ask exactly the same questions in back-to-back interviews. This tedious repetition is often because interviews by different managers are not planned or coordinated. It is also partially caused by interview training manuals, which, by suggesting appropriate questions to use in an interview, can inadvertently cause interviewers to use the same questions over and over.

From the candidate’s perspective, having to answer duplicate questions over and over is frustrating and confusing. Lack of preparation can cause some managers to ask questions whose answers are clearly right on the resume, wasting valuable time and frustrating the candidate even further. By reducing the total number of interview questions and then assigning the appropriate interview questions to individual managers (based on their knowledge area), you can reduce repetition, candidate frustration, and offer rejections.

Don’t keep candidates in the dark. Another all-too-common abuse of candidates occurs when managers keep candidates in the dark about the interview process and what is expected during it. Candidates are not told about what will occur during the interview and what skills will be assessed. In addition, they are frequently not told who will be there during the interview and what the role of each interviewer is.

This lack of information leads to confusion and frustration on the part of the powerless candidate – all for no reason. There is no legal regulation that prohibits companies from telling candidates upfront about the process and what is being assessed during it. Failing to educate the candidate may cause candidates to over-prepare in unimportant areas and under-prepare in important ones. Not knowing who will participate in the interview prevents the candidate from doing research on the background of the interviewers. By telling the candidate more, you can limit their frustration and increase the likelihood that they will provide the information you need to make an accurate hiring decision.

Reduce interview overload by discouraging less than qualified applicants from applying. You are less likely to waste time and be fooled by less-than-qualified or uninterested candidates if you work with a recruiter. Also, you might consider these approaches:

• Put automated self-assessment company culture and skill assessment tools on your website so that candidates can pre-screen themselves in or out of the process before it formally begins.

• Make a list with specific numbers of the disqualification factors that will significantly lower or eliminate their chances of getting the position. Put them on the website, along with the job description, as a pre-warning that they will not qualify if they meet any of the disqualification criteria.

• Post your average job acceptance/failure rate (in percentages) for applicants, so that people know upfront that the odds of anyone (other than the most qualified candidates) of getting the job are very low.

• Be highly selective in where you advertize your jobs, and create links to your website. Don’t place them in general interest publications. Instead, study the demographics of the most qualified people and place ads or job openings exclusively where it is highly likely that only the most experienced and qualified individuals will read them.

• Post frequently asked questions and their answers on your website. By providing these questions and answers, you can discourage individuals who would have not applied had they known in advance the answer to their specific question.

In the end, tt’s essential that recruiters and managers take a more realistic and critical view of the traditional interviewing and selection process. Rather then assuming that it’s perfect, they should instead examine it closely to identify its many nearly fatal flaws.

In fact, if you look at the validity and reliability of interviews as a scientist would, you’ll find the accuracy of the process to be appallingly low. Why managers and recruiters consistently ignore these facts is confusing, but such ignorance is unacceptable because weak hiring systems and bad hires cost firms millions of dollars.

The average cost of a bad hire is two times salary and when customer contact is involved, the costs can easily exceed half a million dollars. Instead of being complacent, managers and recruiters need to take a fresh look at the process and the metrics or measures that they use to calculate the percentage of ‘duds’ that they hire.

The approaches outlined above can dramatically improve new hire success rates. Because they include less freedom and subjectivity than the traditional interview process, they will produce higher offer acceptance rates as well as new hires who are productive and faster, who stay longer, and who are more satisfied with their jobs.

Social Media "Reference Check"

2011-02-10T14:44:00.000-08:00

There is a growing trend to use online social media - facebook, myspace, etc - to gather information or a "reference" of sorts, on prospective candidates. Putting aside the discussion of an individual's privacy for the moment, liability is top of mind for Human Resource Managers in regard to social media and the prospect of lawsuits against their companies.

Human Resource Managers have had it hammered home to, above and beyond all else, be concerned with liability. There are so many areas a company can be open to liability after all; hiring, firing, promotions, credit checks, performance plans … tell me when to stop.

Liability is so prominent that there’s a whole industry dedicated to telling us what can get their companies sued and how to avoid it. Much of that advice is well-intentioned and valuable, but occasionally over the top in the interest of protection.

Go to any HR conference these days and you’ll hear speakers waxing poetic about the risks of viewing the social media accounts of candidates in the selection process. It’s the obvious stance when you think about it. You viewed a social media account, saw something you didn’t like and made a hiring decision that had nothing to do with someone’s ability to do the job.

Are HR Managers damned for judging a candidate's profile on facebook or damned if we don't? Some things to consider from HR's point of view:

1. Can we afford NOT to Google a candidate and see where the digital trail takes us? Most any CEO if asked: “Do you expect me to do everything legally at my disposal to ensure the hires we make can do the job and are great fits for our company?” will likely give a positive response. Your CEO expects you to deploy all legal measures you can reasonably afford to make sure you’re making great hires.

2. Hiring managers are becoming much more tolerant, hopefully, about what they see in a candidate’s social media footprint. The transparency of social media created a bit of a blowback effect in the early days. We never had access to pictures of candidates drinking before, so there was some shortsighted judging going on as a result. Now? We’ve seen enough to remember that people drink socially and pictures can be dated. As a result, we’re much more tolerant when we find out that a candidate’s not spending weeknights at church. Our threshold for what constitutes a red flag is much higher and more related to whether someone can do the job. That’s a good thing.

3. Candidates don't always get the real reason they were rejected, and that doesn’t change simply because social media is at play. Unless the candidate in question has a skills gap, most organizations don’t share the real reason for rejection. As a candidate, you had a personality issue and seemed a little angry at the world during the interview process. Did the company provide you with candid feedback? Of course they didn’t. We’re already trained on what not to say that might present liability in the feedback process. Why should questionable pictures or content mined through social media be held to a higher standard?

Stop me when you’ve heard this risk reducer: “We’ve elected to make an offer to a candidate who was a better fit for the role in question.” The statement is true when you don’t think someone can get along with the hiring manager and it’s true when they’ve blasted opinions via social media that most at your company would find objectionable.

4. Privacy settings have eliminated much of the liability related to social media. By far, the biggest risk to a company is digging into a social media account that is intended for nothing but personal use by a candidate. Facebook is the choice of most candidates when it comes to communicating events in their personal lives, and privacy settings now allow a candidate to wall off what they don’t want the world at large to see. As a result, liability has been greatly reduced during the past two years.

5. Evolution means some species don’t advance. You pay your employees to exercise good judgment related to what, with whom and how they communicate. This requirement is on display daily in your company, and when someone shows they can’t do it, you separate them from the mother ship (that’s called termination, folks).

Even though we’ve grown up dramatically related to our reaction to personal details shared via social media, occasionally someone will share something so egregious you know there’s a judgment issue at play in their DNA. That means they don’t get to play in your company at which time you share the talking points detailed in item No. 3 above.

For HR Managers, it's all about risk vs engagement. So too for candidates. Social media may have started as a convenient way to share your private life with family and friends, but it has always had a risk of what you display, and now that includes prospective bosses.

[Source: article by Kris Dunn, Workforce Management Online, January 2011]

Been "86'ed Before?

2010-12-08T13:26:00.000-08:00

Have you heard the phrase "86'ed" used in the restaurant, bar or hotel industry? If you've worked any time in North America, then you're likely to answer, "Yes". But, do you know why we use this to refer to an employee that's been terminated or a meal that's been cancelled? A chef has done some research in to the history of it's usage and found that it refers back many years ago to a bar in New York on, well, you guessed it, "86th Street".

Chumley's Bar had its back entrance on 86th street, and they would expel unruly drunks out there, hence the term "I 86ed that guy".

Chumley's Bar, located at 86 Bedford Street in New York, and according to Chef Helm in Seattle, it's the origin this famous and oft used phrase in the industry. "The building dates from the 1830s, and was originally a blacksmith's. Leland Chumley turned it into a speakeasy during Prohibition. To keep it discreet, there were no signs on the outside, only the address, 86, on the door. It was also a gathering place for leftists, literati, and labor organizers. Legend has it that when the police raided the place, the bartenders would get a call warning them it was coming. They would tell the patrons "86!" which would mean to exit through the front door, as the cops were coming in the back entrance".

Interesting and superfluous information for a nice interlude to our workdays! Now, back to the joys of service we love so much in the hospitality industry.

Happy at Work?

2010-11-01T11:27:00.000-07:00

Amazingly, most of us will spend half of our waking lives at work. Are you happy?

Few people can combine earning a living with a genuine passion. Most people essentially trade half of their life in return for money to enjoy the other half.

Yet, we can find great meaning in our work without that job having to be cancer research or working for Greenpeace. We just need to find the meaning within the work we're doing or make that meaning clear.

Step 1. Find the purpose

Essentially, we all want to feel part of something bigger, so the first step is seeing that bigger picture or purpose in our work. For leaders, it can be as simple as focusing on the why, as much as the how, when communicating with teams. Of course, the purpose needs to feel inherently meaningful. Profits are a perfectly good goal but they make a lousy purpose.

For many teams, we think the customer experience can provide that bigger purpose. It's not world peace, but improving the customer experience is a lot more inherently meaningful than just increasing margins. A focus on customer experience is essentially about understanding customers and creating a positive experience for them. Making them feel good. Even if we're selling hot dogs, we can find some inherent meaning in improving the customer's experience during that sale.

We humans aren't such a bad bunch; for the most part we actually enjoy making other people happy, especially those drawn to working in hospitality. You know the little thrill we get when someone drops something in the street we can hand it back to them? It took no real effort on our part, of course, but we still enjoy having done a good thing. Almost all of us are hard-wired with a little empathy and generosity. We find some meaning in focusing on another person's experience.

Step 2. See the individual contribution

Next, once we have an effort worth being part of, we need to see the individual role we personally play in that overall effort. We empathetic, generous humans are also a more than a little egotistical. So although we want to be part of something bigger, we don't want to disappear completely within it. We're each only one small piece of the puzzle, but we'd like that piece to be noticed and valuable in some way.

Step 3. Encourage ideas

And finally, step three: we want our ideas to be heard. It's another of our human quirks: the desire to have our input considered and to feel that we have some impact on the way things are done. Ask me my opinion, listen to my suggestions and I'll feel much more ownership of our shared goals.

So, the good news is that we're never more than three steps away from making any role meaningful - whether it's answering the phone, making ads or selling insurance. Which is just as well, because we can't all save the whales.

Do You Make Staff Sick?

2010-10-27T16:44:00.000-07:00

Absences from the office are about a lot more than illness, experts say, and there's plenty a manager can do to reduce downtime caused by 'sickies'.

Believe it or not, organizational research suggests staff in many workplaces together develop something of an unwritten agreement regarding how many sick days are acceptable each year. And, in many of those organizations, staff will ensure they take their quota, having legitimized their absence thanks to the behaviour of their manager. It all comes back to the manager.

A researcher at the forefront of absenteeism at work is Professor Gary Johns, an internationally respected Professor of Management at Concordia University in Montreal Canada. Two of the biggest causes of absence, he says, are feelings of unfairness in how staff are treated and social causation, or the imitation of the behaviour of others.

"There is no normal amount of absence," Johns says. "There are major differences across companies, countries and professions. But research shows staff tend to peg absenteeism behaviour on that of others around them. So when people join organizations, their attendance behaviour fluctuates for the first few months, but over time it gravitates towards the norm that has been established within their unit."

What causes absenteeism?

As illness-related explanations are generally the only reasons accepted for unplanned absences from work, other reasons can go unnoticed or unmeasured, says Dr. Stefani Yorges, Graduate Co-Ordinator Psychology at Pennsylvania's West Chester University in the US.

"There can be sensitive issues that prevent people from going to work, such as difficulties with partners, problems with children, or drug dependency," Yorges says. "Other factors may include psychological difficulties or perceptions that their work life is unfair in terms of return for input.

"There are also individuals who need to exert some control over their work environment, and without this, take time off. Others may feel their efforts are not recognized and that 'no one cares anyway'."

Johns estimates that around 30-50 per cent of sick days in a typical organization are not due to illness. One of the strongest root causes of absenteeism is perceived unfairness in the workplace, which is absolutely under the control of individual managers.

"Employees are very sensitive to fairness and absenteeism is one of the few ways they can affect the personal balance sheet quickly. There's a point at which this behaviour can be seen as legitimate. Managers have to be supersensitive to fairness," Johns suggests.

Reducing absenteeism

People respond to how they're treated and the solution to absenteeism begins with leadership and management. Managers must get to know their staff personally, not to a stage where they're becoming intrusive on the staff member's life, but they should know which hockey team they follow and how many kids they have. Leadership should be visible and this starts with the development of visible relationships.

Employees need to know what their place is in the company and how what they do impacts on where the company is going. They need to feel part of the company and know their opinion is valued. If there are good relationships and clear expectations and staff feel managers care about them then staff won't want the company to suffer.

Targeting three specific areas will likely bring significant change in absenteeism levels.

Improve the skills of current supervisors; recognize and reward employee contributions; and increase employee involvement in decision-making processes.

It's vital for managers to convey the importance of good attendance to employees, as well. Too often the matter will only become an issue when somebody is found to be seriously exploiting the system, but this does nothing to change habits of the mass of staff taking their regular amount of days.

If a manager conveys expectations that staff will come to work each day, and is honestly concerned when there are problems with absence, then chances are that absenteeism rates will decrease.

[Source: article by Chris Sheedy from Management Today, September 2010]

Best of BC

2010-10-22T15:00:00.000-07:00

For all you hospitality people in the Lower Mainland of BC, I came across this "best of" list on a paste site so I'm not sure of any accuracy in the surveys but found it interesting. Enjoy!

Readers' choices
Media, Arts & Culture
Lifestyle
Travel
Sports & Recreation
Food & Drink
City Life
Style
Mind, Body & Soul

These winners were selected by readers in an on-line survey conducted earlier this year. To view a winner's details, click on a question.
Food & Drink
Best restaurant wine list (international wines)
1. Blue Water Cafe + Raw Bar
2. Cioppino's and Cioppino's Enoteca
3. Salt Tasting Room

Best place for cheap drinks
1. The Cambie
2. Café Crêpe
3. Metropole

Best coffee shop (national chain)
1. Starbucks Coffee
2. Blenz Coffee
3. Tim Hortons

Best tea shop
1. The Secret Garden Tea Company
2. DAVIDsTEA
3. Granville Island Tea Co.

Best bakery (breads)
1. Terra Breads
2. COBS Bread
3. Uprising Breads Bakery

Best lesbian club event/bar
1. Lick
2. Hershe Bar
3. Celebrities Night Club

Best B.C. wine/winery (red wine)
1. Burrowing Owl Estate Winery
2. Mission Hill Family Estate
3. Quails' Gate

Best restaurant bathroom
1. Cactus Club Cafe
2. Joey Restaurants
3. Moxie's Classic Grill

Best coffee shop (local chain)
1. JJ Bean Coffee Roasters
2. Caffè Artigiano
3. Bean Around the World Coffees

Best restaurant to take out-of-town guests
1. The Sandbar
2. The Boathouse Restaurant
3. Seasons in the Park
3. The Salmon House

Best brew pub
1. Yaletown Brewing Company
2. Steamworks Brewing Company
3. Granville Island Brewing Taproom

Best restaurant/café with free Wi-Fi
1. Waves Coffee House
2. Starbucks Coffee
3. Blenz Coffee

Best sports bar
1. Shark Club
2. Forum Sports Bar
3. Red Card Sports Bar + Eatery
3. Score On Davie

Best B.C. wine/winery (white wine)
1. Burrowing Owl Estate Winery
2. Quails' Gate
2. Mission Hill Family Estate
3. JoieFarm Wines

Best romantic restaurant
1. Seasons in the Park
2. Bishop's
2. Chambar Restaurant
3. Il Giardino

Best locally brewed beer
1. Granville Island Brewing: Lions Winter Ale
2. Granville Island Brewing: Cypress Honey Lager
3. Granville Island Brewing: Island Lager

Best brunch
1. Medina Cafe
2. Milestones Grill + Bar
3. Sophie's Cosmic Cafe

Best gay bar
1. Celebrities Night Club
2. Odyssey Night Club
3. Lounge 1181

Best fair-trade coffee shop
1. JJ Bean Coffee Roasters
2. Salt Spring Coffee
3. Bean Around the World Coffees

Best bar
1. The Roxy
2. The Lamplighter Public House
3. The Cambie

Best produce store
1. Kin's Farm Market
2. Capers Whole Foods Market
3. Donald's Market

Best butcher
1. Windsor Quality Meats
2. Jackson's Meats & Deli
3. Granville Island Public Market

Best organic produce store
1. Capers Whole Foods Market
2. Choices Markets
3. Vancouver Farmers Markets

Best B.C. beer brewed outside Vancouver
1. Okanagan Springs
2. Phillips
3. Kokanee

Best Canadian beer brewed outside B.C.
1. Sleeman's
2. Alexander Keith's
3. Big Rock
3. Unibroue

Best strip club
1. Brandi's Exotic Nightclub
2. The Number 5 Orange
3. Penthouse Night Club

Best restaurant for meat
1. The Keg Steakhouse & Bar
2. Memphis Blues Barbeque House
3. Gotham Steakhouse & Cocktail Bar

Best late-night takeout
1. Fritz European Fry House
1. The Naam Restaurant
2. Tsui Hang Village
3. McDonald's

Best cheese store
1. Les amis du FROMAGE
2. La Grotta Del Formaggio
3. Granville Island Public Market
3. Mount Pleasant Cheese

Best restaurant for fine dining
1. Bishop's
2. West
3. Chambar Restaurant

Best veggie restaurant
1. The Naam Restaurant
2. The Foundation
3. Bandidas Taqueria

Best restaurant (independent)
1. Chambar Restaurant
2. Vij's
3. The Naam Restaurant

Best coffee shop (independent)
1. JJ Bean Coffee Roasters
2. 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters
3. Caffè Artigiano

Best restaurant for cheap eats
1. Hawker's Delight
2. Bon’s Off Broadway
3. The Foundation

Best restaurant wine list (B.C. wines)
1. Raincity Grill
2. Salt Tasting Room
3. Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House

Best bubble tea shop
1. Dragon Ball Tea House
2. Bubble World
3. Pearl Castle
3. Pearl Fever

Best pickup bar (F seeking M)
1. The Roxy
2. The Lamplighter Public House
2. Republic
3. The Sandbar

Best place for cheap beer
1. The Cambie
2. Café Crêpe
3. Royal Canadian Legion

Best fresh seafood store
1. Granville Island Public Market
2. Seven Seas Fish Company
3. The Lobster Man

Best cooking school
1. The Dirty Apron Cooking School
2. Pacific Institute Of Culinary Arts
3. Vancouver Community College

Best patio
1. The Boathouse Restaurant
2. The Keg Steakhouse & Bar
3. Bridges Seafood Restaurant

Best new restaurant
1. Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie
2. Maenam
3. The Corner Suite Bistro de Luxe

Best local microbrewery
1. Granville Island Brewing
2. Storm Brewing
3. R&B Brewing Co.

Best restaurant to work for
1. Cactus Club Cafe
2. Earls
3. The Keg Steakhouse & Bar

Best all-day breakfast
1. Denny's
2. Bon’s Off Broadway
3. Sophie's Cosmic Cafe

Best wine store
1. Liberty Wine Merchants
2. B.C. Liquor Stores
3. Marquis Wine Cellars

Best imported beer
1. Stella Artois
2. Heineken
3. Guinness
3. Corona

Best kid-friendly restaurant
1. White Spot
2. Little Nest
3. Red Robin

Best pickup bar (M seeking F)
1. The Roxy
2. The Sandbar
3. Republic

Best gelato/ice cream shop
1. Mario’s Gelati
2. La Casa Gelato
3. Gelarmony

Best restaurant (chain)
1. Earls
2. Cactus Club Cafe
3. Milestone's Grill and Bar

Best grocery store
1. Capers Whole Foods Market
2. Choices Markets
3. Save-On-Foods

Best bakery (pastries)
1. Fratelli Authentic Italian Bakery
2. Thomas Haas Patisserie Chocolate Café
3. Terra Breads
3. Notte's Bon Ton Pastry & Confectionery

A Depressed Economy Stimulates Fear and Greed

2010-10-19T16:37:00.000-07:00

The economy. I've talked to many people about the economy over the past two years and its impact on the hospitality industry in Western Canada. When we have a downturn in the economy and continued instability, there are two emotions driving our actions and that of business in the hotel, restaurant, and tourism industry; greed and fear.

Whether you're an unemployed bellman or a over-worked restaurant Area Manager, fear and greed are constantly directing your work (or lack thereof),directly or indirectly.

Take restaurants for instance - they have been slowly seeing an initial market recovery in their bottom line. In most cases, their recovery has been spurred by lay-offs and wage and benefits cuts. Although many are in a financial position to hire needed employees, greed and and fear prevent them from hiring some new employees. Saving money is great in an unstable economy and the fear that they may have to lay people off again is just too painful.

As Joni Thomas Doolin, CEO of People Report, has pointed out, "we are essentially terrified of making hiring mistakes, because the consequences have been so raw and visible. So we procrastinate".

While hiring managers are procrastinating, the skilled and unemployed hospitality workers are also terrified - terrified to be facing a pending cut in unemployment insurance and long-term career holds. Recruiters, myself included, will tell you that a fear and greed mentality has doubled and tripled hiring cycle times of what they have been in the not too distant past - and the job markets feel like wading through molasses.

According to Joni Thomas Doolin, "any hiring manager worth their salt is going to make more mistakes in the years ahead - the trick is the overall batting average - not perfect seasons from now on. More truth, this is a very fragile economy, with stops and starts, and progress and reversals, and it doesn't show any sign of changing soon. So it is possible that we will work in companies where there will be more restructuring, reorganization and yes- job loss."

We're in the midst of a massive change in the workplace while trying to recruit the right workers, in the right place, at the right time. But the perfect time doesn't exist in such a volatile economy. "As we all know in the interim, our existing workers are fried, doing more with less, less engaged and have their eyes on the door. No one needs another survey to get that" says Joni Thomas Doolin.

Accelerating the job market recovery will have to start the same place that market recoveries start - in our heads. Companies, employees and potential employees have to work through the fear and greed that dominates the current economy and affects our ability to be hospitable hospitality leaders. It doesn't have to be grandiose - or foolish - just a willingness to recognize that the road back to prosperity includes making targeted investments in talent.

Are You Your Best?

2010-08-16T09:20:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of Chris Widener? He's a leadership coach and author and I wanted to share with you some of what he's written about being your best....

"Some time ago, I spoke to a group of salespeople in Kansas City as they kicked off their new team. It was exciting to see them get excited about making a difference through their work.

The Best Are Optimists. - You can't get to the top if you don't think that there is a top or if you think you can't make it. One characteristic of those who reach the peak is that they always believe that things can get better or be done better. This pushes them on to be their best.

The Best Have Vision. - They can see ahead of the pack. Their eyes arent locked into the here and now. They see the bright future and what things will look like when they reach their destiny. While working hard for today, they live for the future! They do what Stephen Covey calls begin with the end in mind.

The Best Relentlessly Pursue Excellence. - The status quo is not for them. They want to be the best and experience the best. And that means giving their best. They go the extra mile so that in everything they do, in everything they say and think, they are striving for excellence.

The Best Have a Lifelong Habit of Personal Growth. - They don't want to stay at the level they are at. They want to grow in their work, their intellect, their spirituality, their relationships, and in every area of their life. And they discipline themselves to put themselves in situations wherein they grow. Personal growth doesn't just happen. You choose to grow. I always suggest what Zig Ziglar does and that is to enroll in Automobile University. Whenever you are driving around, listen to a personal or professional growth CD or MP3. Over the long run you will grow. Also, read more. The old saying is true: Leaders are readers. So are those who pass the Best Test.

The best Understand That They Will Be Pushed by the Competition and They Welcome It. - Like the lead runner in the race who has someone on his heels, the best know that the competition is right behind them. They love it, though, because they know that the competition keeps them from becoming lazy and resting on their laurels. Instead, the competition pushes them to go faster and to achieve more to remain the best by forging ahead.

The Best Have a Quest for Leadership. - Someone has to lead it may as well be the best! Those who attain it get there because they want to. They want to lead and help make a difference. And they want to be equipped with the skills necessary to lead others on to a better place.

The Best Leave a Legacy. - They aren't in it just for themselves, though they will surely reap the rewards of being the best. Rather, they build things that last beyond themselves, things that can be enjoyed by others as well.

The Best Are Adept at the Two Most Important Pieces of Time and Personal Management: Prioritize and Execute. - Just like weight loss boils down to eating right and exercise, personal management boils down to prioritize and execute. First, prioritize your activities. The important stuff goes on the top. Then, execute: do them. The best have habits and discipline that get them to the top by doing the best things and doing them first.

The Best Focus on Building Relationships. - Success does not come alone. Everyone who achieves much does it with the help of countless others. How do the Best get others to help them? They treat them right. They embrace them and help them. People become the best because they help other people, and people like them.

The Best Make No Excuses. - When they fail, they admit it and move on. They get back up and do it right the next time. They let their actions speak louder than their words. They stand tall and do the right thing the next time. No excuses, just results.

The Best Understand That the Good Is the Enemy of the Best. - Yes, they could say, This is good. But that would mean they have settled for less than the best. Many people think that good is good. Good is not good. Good is the enemy because it keeps us from the best. Choose your side: the good or the best. The Best choose, you guessed it, the Best.

The Best Dare to Dream. - While others live the mundane and settle into a life they never bargained for, a rut, the Best dream of a better life. And then they take the risks necessary to achieve their dreams. They live by Teddy Roosevelt's quote: Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the grey twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat."

Want to be your best and the best at what you do? Take inventory on the above characteristics and then start moving to bring your life in line with the characteristics of the Best.

Brand You!

2010-08-10T17:15:00.000-07:00

Brand You: What Makes You Special?

Companies spend millions of dollars a year trying to develop compelling employment brands by interviewing current employees, surveying external job-seekers, and validating the conclusions they draw from the data.

But even after all that, there's no guarantee that the brand statement will perfectly reflect what an organization offers potential employees.

If branding is that difficult for a company with money and resources, how in the world can you and I figure out what our own brand is, how we can present ourselves for a career move, to land that first management role, to move up the ladder?

Fortunately, it's easier than you might think. Let me use the perspective of a recruiter as an analogy.

This morning I went to my "Rolodex" of business contacts (really a stack of business cards held together with a rubber band!) and randomly chose two. As I pulled them out of the stack, I wrote down the first word that came to mind:

Incredible. This is a woman who supervised another department at a company where I used to work. She was so smart and innovative I volunteered to take on any project of her choosing just for the privilege of working with her. I still marvel at how much I learned from her.

Innovative. This is an IT consultant I worked with for several years who is always able to think of a clever solution to any problem, and consistently delivers it ahead of schedule.

Let's face it: no one probably deserves to be reduced to a single word, and each of these people undoubtedly exhibits behaviours contrary to the labels I've given them. Nonetheless, over time, this is the label they've earned in my mind. What label have you earned in the minds of those you meet, work with, strive to impress?

A popular phrase among the self-help profession is "We teach others how to treat us." Do you find your coworkers/boss claiming credit for your best work, yet find yourself saddled with blame for messes you were not even involved with?

Perhaps the problem is your brand. Just like a company, everyone has a brand, whether they like it or not. It's that one word that comes to mind for people when they think of you. The challenge is to learn what your brand is and then position yourself such that you emphasize your strengths and minimize your weaknesses.

Gather Data and Assess Your Current Situation
People, like companies, have both positive and negative qualities. As a first step in the branding process, most corporate initiatives start with an assessment of some sort. This is accomplished through the use of focus groups, surveys, or individual interviews.

Similarly, when you're attempting to learn about your personal brand, it's also a good idea to find out how your "customers" perceive you. You can certainly ask a trusted colleague to share their thoughts, but I recommend one of the widely available 360° assessment tools. In a pinch you can also use a free Web-based survey tool.

Regardless of how you do it, it's important to learn what you do well, what you don't do well, and what overall impression you leave.

Determine What Makes You Unique
I remember being assigned to a business group as its new recruiter. Every person I talked with had the same thing to say: "I'm sure you're a good recruiter, but, alas, no one will ever be as good as jane was."

Jane was this group's recruiter several years before, and despite having worked with several competent recruiters since, the entire team was unable to get beyond the fact that their beloved Jane was now gone.

It would have been easy to start acting like Jane to try and get that client group to like me, and that's in fact what they really wanted. However, as I probed a bit, I learned that her style was very different from mine.

Also, she always asked the hiring managers what they thought about a particular candidate first, and would respond the same way each time: "Isn't that amazing, that's just what I thought!" No wonder everyone liked her! I realized quickly that such a style just wasn't me.

My style is more analytical: "You have expertise and I have expertise. You define success this way, and I define it that way. You want this outcome, and I want that outcome. Let's design a process up front that will get us both what we want, and allow us to measure how we're doing along the way."

Did they like me as much as Jane? I don't know, but we did hire some very successful people into the company.

Advertise and Embrace Your Idiosyncratic Differences
The best recruiters I know tend to unabashedly let people know what makes them unique in the way they approach their job. Adopting a professional style that's not "on brand" for you can make you look insincere, unconfident, and unprofessional.

To hiring managers looking for an opportunity to challenge the "current recruiting model" for their own political gains, such a flicker of weakness is like blood in the water. I've seen it result in phone calls to supervisors, power plays by HR generalists, and frustration on the part of recruiters who begin to question their own abilities.

There are many different recruiter styles, and they all can be effective. For example, we all know the recruiters who are loud, brash, and direct a never-ending stream of resumes at their customers. Some of the resumes are worthless, but they just laugh that off and send over even more. Their customers adore them, and over time they start to focus that barrage of resumes and zero in on the correct skill set.

We also know the more cerebral type of recruiter, the one who thoughtfully goes back to their workspace for several days, triumphantly emerging with a single, perfect resume in hand. Can you articulate your own recruiting style?

Communicate and Reinforce Your Brand
Once you understand how your customers perceive you, and develop a style that plays to your strengths, let people know what to expect when they work with you:

•"You'll be hearing from me by phone several times a day. I like to keep you informed as we work together."
•"Let's set up a face-to-face conversation each week to review the resumes I've sent you, and agree on next steps."
•"I'm only going to send you the resumes that meet your exact specifications; otherwise, we'll just waste time. I need you to be very specific about what a candidate must have and must not have."

Take time to point out the things that make your style unique as you develop working relationships in the industry. You'll be able to feel more confident and instill this in your teams. A win-win situation!

Hospitality Hiring Trends

2010-07-21T10:53:00.001-07:00

I came across an interesting article yesterday touching on employment trends in foodservice, from fastcasual.com. They've quoted senior executives in the industry as seeing improved revenue and profitability in this year and next but that job seekers will only see gradual improvements in opportunities into 2011.

Many see a full recovery over the next couple years and suggest new product innovations and merchanising schemes to be the driving factors. They also found that increasing their outsourcing of technical and business procedures - yeah, recruiters! - will spur along the recovery.

Some are suprised that outsourcing recruitment will accelerate the recovery, but to a long-term recruiter in the hospitality industry, it seems quite obvious. A recruiter can take on much of the HR function for a client company, and a good recruiter will lighten the finanaical investment for executives tapping into their established networks and resources. Let's face it, an executive has an important role that largely does not include recruitment or the time to develop the resources a good recruiter will have secured.

The overall outlook, according to the majority of executive respondents in the KPMG survey: revenue and profitability is better now than a year ago. That’s in marked contrast to KPMG's survey of the sector last summer, when less than one-third thought these business measures were better than the previous year.

For those who are looking for work or planning on making a move, "39 percent of respondents were more optimistic about employment in their sector over the next year, which is seven percentage points higher than last summer's survey."

The executives that noted an increase in planned hiring, a mere 23% of respondents, marking a tough market for prospective employees that will need to be well prepared for interviews and scrutinizing of their references and credentials, not to mention their social networking behaviour!

Your Attitude and Your Energy

2010-07-13T09:27:00.000-07:00

The hospitality industry is very much a people focussed career and requires much of your personal energy to service customers and care for staff that also do so on the front line each day. Your personal energy is an important component productivity. Most people cycle between positive and negative energy states during the work week. But the percentage of time spent in positive and negative moods varies significantly. Some people seem to be overwhelmingly negative, which makes to tough for them to work in hospitality! Others in similar circumstances can remain much more positive.

Therefore, to increasing the time spent in a positive state will improve your personal productivity. Here are a few suggestions to be mindful of that will not only support your working conditions and those around you but also your personal life:

1. Work first on your relationships.
A simple yet prime issue, relationships are both our best sources of happiness and our biggest sources of problems and frustrations. Developing good relationships and improving or ending the poor relationships in your life will increase your personal energy. An effective tactic to start improving your relationships is to develop better personal boundaries and standards and work on reducing tolerations.

2. Develop a routine to start every day in a positive mental state.
It is very helpful to start the day with a routine that creates positive energy. Many people find activities like an early morning walk, exercise, meditation, quiet time, etc., effective in getting their day off to a positive start. It is easier to stay positive, if you can start with a positive attitude.

3. Learn how to monitor your current mental state and changes to it.
This is a complex area, but if you can link negative mood changes to a source or cause, then you are frequently in a position to quickly change back. The important point here is once you are in a negative state, get the message or value from the situation, then take some action to return to a positive state.

4. Create an energizing physical environment.
Invest some time and money to make your personal surroundings pleasing and energizing to you. Some small items may make a big difference to how your personal space affects your moods. Poor lighting can lower your mental state, especially in the winter in rainy Vancouver! Some people report a big improvement in their mood just by cleaning up their bedroom and making the bed before leaving for work. Clutter is de-energizing to many people. A sink full of dirty dishes is de-energizing to some. A small water fountain can create a feeling of energy.

5. Carefully monitor your self-talk.
Negative self talk is a common source of low moods. When you are hearing negative self talk, be alert to the unrealistic, overly negative messages. Focus on getting any truthful message, then shifting out of overly self-defeating criticism. It is true that we are usually our own worst critic.

6. Deal with problems effectively.
Problems are a part of life. Few people enjoy problems. But, in many cases we can learn from them and it may help to ask yourself several questions, such as:

•What am I contributing to this problem?
•What Life Lesson have I been missing here?
•What is the worst that can happen and how can I improve on that?
•What am I doing right?
•What am I going to do differently?

7. Focus your energy on attracting more of what you want.
Time and energy spent dwelling on problems is frequently better spent pursuing desirable goals. It helps to examine your own contribution to any difficulties and understand how you may need to change. Then be sure to ask others directly for what you want from them; don't fall into the trap of under communicating. In this way, you are always making course corrections and moving forward.

8 Be a positive energy source with others.
Negative energy seems to attract negative results. Keeping your own mood positive can encourage positive moods and suppress negative behaviour in others.

9 Avoid using negative energy as an energy source.
Many people have a shortage of positive energy in their lives and use negative energy as their energy source. They create busyness, use deadlines, crises, and problems to keep them going. In many cases, their motivation patterns shift entirely from seeking pleasure to avoiding pain. In most cases, serious burnout is the eventual result of becoming dependent on negative energy sources.

Leadership Today

2010-07-06T11:36:00.000-07:00

The failings of leadership have been cited as a cause of the global financial crisis. Perhaps this can be said of any significant crisis. So what does it take to be a successful leader in today's economy? Below is what industry leaders identify as the six essential characteristics of today's rising leaders.

What seems to be missing from this list below, obtained from industry leaders themselves, is ethics and morals. I think that is the biggest contributing factor to the various economic, political, social and environmental problems we face.

Their list:

1. Ambitious. Emerging executives are highly ambitious, but retain a balance between their ambition and arrogance. They are comfortable with their assessment of a situation.

2. Decisive. They aren't afraid of making decisions at an operational, tactical and strategic level. They don't hesitate to take action and responsibility for driving change, and can handle lots of information from a variety of perspectives to make effective, strong decisions.

3. Brave. They should be able to walk into a boardroom and hold their own. They need to be flexible, knowledgeable and have impact. A good emerging leader remains clam, in control, garnering respect by they way they hold themselves and delivering messages with confidence.

4. Empowering. They have the ability to empower other people in an organisation. They are happy to push decision-making downwards and don't need to hold onto a lot of the nitty-gritty work. They promote other people's ownership while still providing guidance and support to their team.

5. Entrepreneurial. They tend to be entrepreneurial, looking outside to see what's going on in the marketplace. They seek out innovative solutions to problems, challenge set paradigms, and reject the status quo. They focus on external drivers rather than just internal ones.

6. Visionary. They are able to set strategic direction, seeing where a business is heading and understanding the short- and long-term issues. They tend to be quite innovative, stepping outside the box and are able to put guidelines in place to set the pace of change and make things happen.

[Source: Human Resources Leader, 15 September 2009]

The Chicken or The Egg Conumdrum

2010-06-17T15:27:00.000-07:00

In thinking about the food trends in Canada, I wonder if people eat healthier or make choices based on what's available or do their demands dictate what restaurants produce? This harkens back to the chicken and the egg conumdrum, and I still haven't figured that one out yet.....Whatever your stance, here are some interesting stats about what food consumption trends are like at retaurants these days from fastcasual.com ....

According to the latest research from Mintel, more than 60 percent of restaurant-goers think nutritional information should be posted on menus, and two in five (44%) think federal or local governments should facilitate such actions.

"Menu transparency will allow consumers to have control over their food decisions with a complete understanding of what they’re eating," said Eric Giandelone, director of foodservice research at Mintel. "However, getting people to eat healthier requires more than just posting calories or adding healthy options to the menu…the food also has to taste good."

When going out for dinner, nearly 60 percent of survey respondents said they want something that tastes great and 23 percent claim to want to eat a healthy meal. Only 14 percent of diners said they are never interested in ordering a healthy restaurant meal. This insight shows that restaurant patrons are attracted to healthful meals, as long as they’re full of flavor.

Nearly half of survey respondents report eating healthier in restaurants in the past year and people have different methods for doing so. Reducing fat (67%) leads the way in strategies for adopting healthier eating habits at restaurants, followed by eating more fruits and vegetables (52%). Meanwhile, 49 percent of patrons are cutting calories by simply ordering less food.

"From a restaurant’s perspective, there is a concern that healthy menu items may not sell, but there is also a danger to having a calorie-laden menu when the calorie count law starts taking effect," Giandelone said. "There may be some initial consumer shock at the calorie counts and chains may have to start listing lower-calorie options or smaller portion sizes to help diffuse this unpleasant surprise."

When Will Hotel Business Go UP in Canada?

2010-06-11T14:57:00.001-07:00

Just when we started seeing some positive changes in the food services and retail side of the hospitality industry in Canada, I came across this article on the dropped hotel rates for our top 5 cities. While not encouraging, still noteworthy information for hotel managers.....

Strengthening Canadian Dollar Drives Hotel Rate Drops and Great Deals

SAN FRANCISCO, May 12 /PRNewswire, a leading discount travel site, today announced the results of the May 2010 Hotwire[R] Canadian Hotel Rate Report, which features the top five cities in Canada where hotel rates have dropped the most. When combined with Hotwire's already discounted prices, the Hotel Rate Report helps guide customers to the destinations that will maximize their travel dollars. Edmonton tops this month's rate report with an 11 percent drop, and after a six-month absence, Vancouver makes a welcome return with a 3 percent drop.

Hotel prices across Canada continue to fall as many popular destinations are still seeing declines in leisure travel that traditionally fills up rooms this time of year. This trend is being driven by the strength of the Canadian dollar against both the U.S. dollar and Euro. Travelers appear to be choosing destinations where they can get more native currency in exchange for their money, causing hoteliers in cities like Halifax and Vancouver to drop prices to compensate.

In addition to the exchange rate effects, cities like Edmonton and Ottawa are not seeing a return in business travelers, which is causing hotels to slash rates even further in those areas. So for travelers looking to stay closer to home this summer, they are bound to find a destination that suits their budget and taste, whether it is scenic Niagara Falls, history-rich Halifax or the country's capital, Ottawa.

When compared to the same time last year, the top five hotel price reductions for May 2010 include:

Example of a Current Hotwire Deal, CAD$/Night

Hotel Market: Edmonton, AL
Price Drop: 11%
Rank:3-star
$96

Hotel Market: Halifax, NS
Price Drop:9%
Rank:3-star
$76

Hotel Market: Ottawa, ON
Price Drop:8%
Rank:3-star
$90

Hotel Market: Niagara Falls, ON
Price Drop:5%
Rank: 3-star
$97

Hotel Market: Vancouver, BC
Price Drop: 3%
Rank: 3-star
$92

"Leisure destinations across Canada are offering some great deals this month on Hotwire," said Clem Bason, President of the Hotwire Group. "As long as the Canadian dollar stays strong against international currencies, travelers should continue to see low hotel prices throughout the summer."

Food Quality Following BP Oil Spill

2010-06-04T10:45:00.000-07:00

Anyone else have a concern about the food from our oceans following the catastrophic oil spill of BP's? Surely, we'll be concerned to avoid highly contaminated foods in our grocery stores and restaurants but what impact will the spill have? how will be know it's safe? are suppliers being questioned? If you're as concerned as me, perhaps you'd be interested in this article from prweb.com on May 28, 2010:

"The International Food Protection Training Institute (IFPTI), a leader in delivering career-spanning, standards-based food protection training to state and local food safety officials, announced today it is partnering with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association's (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Services (NMFS) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to train food protection officials to determine the safety and acceptability of seafood from the oil-contaminated Gulf-state area.

This federal program will provide hands-on training to develop skills in sensory detection for taint in seafood exposed to the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. These skills are critical for seafood safety monitoring in order for food protection officials to take regulatory response measures that can include advisories and opening and closing of fisheries. All instruction will be provided by a special NMFS/FDA Sensory Expert Team that has been collecting base-line samples from the Gulf region for these and future training sessions.

In addition to coordinating attendance of state officials from Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, IFPTI will reimburse attendees' travel expenses to overcome the limited funding for training and tight travel budgets that would otherwise have prevented these food protection officials from getting this vital emergency training.

To date, working in partnership with the Association of Food & Drug Officials, and in collaboration with the FDA, IFPTI has trained more than 500 food protection professionals from 37 states. Utilizing a FY2010 federal appropriation, IFPTI expects to train approximately 1,000 state and local food protection professionals in 2010 and the Institute is preparing to train up to 2,000 to 3,000 food safety officials in 2011 utilizing funding allocated for such purposes in the President's FY2011 Budget. "

Employee Retention in Hospitality Industry

2010-05-27T10:54:00.000-07:00

When managing in restaurants, hotels, reorts, casinos.... our number one goal is simple: attract customers and repeat customers because that drives our bottom line.

What makes it not so simple is creating the framework for this customer focus. One thing we know is that we depend heavily on the retention of management staff. Who wants to incur the loss of their management team's experience, education and indepth knowledge of the company brand?

According to Lori McInerney, hospitality employment expert with Careerbuilder.com, "hospitality organizations will need to upgrade retention strategies ...to keep their top performers, and their guests, from checking out early."

Hospitality is an industry that is prone to high employee turnover rates. Two in 10 hospitality workers have worked for 10 or more employers. In a nutshell, employees leave when the cost of staying exceeds the reward of leaving. This cost can be a broad range of compensation factors but the main pillars for candidates are challenge, responsibility and actual financial gain.

A retention program that targets financial gain, responsibility and challenge will up your employee retention rate. McInerney recommends the following hospitality employee retention tips:

* Define a clear path for upper mobility with training and development opportunities. Employees are more likely to invest in their jobs if they feel the company has invested in them.

* Communicate often. An informed employee is a connected employee who will feel a personal stake in the success of a company.

* Implement the "Three R's Rule": Recognize, Reward, Repeat. Pat your employees on the back for every job well done to continually reinforce your appreciation of their performance.

* Ask them about their day. Measure employee satisfaction with the same conviction applied to measuring guest satisfaction as the first will determine the latter.

2010-05-25T12:10:00.001-07:00

7 Action Ideas for Leadership Development

1. Determine the best leadership style for your organisation
2. Identify current and potential leaders within the company
3. Identify leadership gaps
4. Develop succession plans for critical roles
5. Develop career planning goals for potential leaders
6. Develop skills road map for future leaders
7. Develop retention programs for current and future leaders

Why Use Recruiter?

2010-05-14T09:09:00.000-07:00

There has been a marked increase in candidates contacting me to assist them in their hospitality career search over the past year. I'm sure there are numerous factors that compel a career hunter to call a recruiter, such as industry expertise, contacts, hidden job markets, etc etc. However, an important, and often overlooked reason, is that modesty is still a virtue, even in the competitive world of business.

Try talking about your own accomplishments in any setting, even in a job interview, and you're more likely to be less liked. Speaking for yourself can hurt you, both personally and financially. So how do you assert your competence when you're trying to capture that next position? How do you overcome what social psychologists call the "self-promotion dilemma?"

"Get an agent or a recruiter," says a Stanford Graduate School of Business faculty member. In recent research, Jeffrey Pfeffer confirms what many have intuited for decades - having someone else sing your praises can take the edge off in negotiations where money, position, and status are at stake. Not only are you seen as more pleasant when flattering words on your behalf come out of a third party's mouth, but you're more likely to get a better salary or contract and get the people you're negotiating with to be more helpful to you in the long term.

"Most literature on the use of intermediaries focuses on the negative effects agents can have if they don't represent your interests adequately because of conflicts with their own agendas, or by creating communication distortions," says Pfeffer, the Thomas D. Dee II Professor of Organizational Behavior. "What hasn't been looked at much is the positive interpersonal effect an agent can have."

Pfeffer designed three studies with several colleagues, including faculty members Christina Fong of University of Washington business school and Robert Cialdini of Arizona State University, and University of Washington doctoral student Rebecca Portnoy, to determine just how an intermediary can help lessen the negative consequences of self-promotion. In the first study, university students were told they were helping to select a new director of student affairs and were asked to read over a transcript of an interview and evaluate the candidate. One group read a transcript in which a professional recruiter hired by the job applicant answered all the questions. The other group read the identical transcript, but with the applicant speaking for himself.

Students rated the applicant as more likeable and competent when he had an intermediary, and get this, recommended a higher salary! Furthermore, they expressed greater willingness to offer extra help to him should he get the job, such as alerting him to student concerns, helping him distribute student surveys, and working in his office on a project for no pay.

In a second study, participants were asked to imagine themselves in the role of senior editor for a book publisher in dealing with an experienced and successful author. They read excerpts from a negotiation for a sizeable book advance - again with an agent or the author himself speaking identical words. Participants once again rated the author more favorably on every dimension of likeability and were willing to offer extra assistance when the agent did the talking. "In this case, the willingness to offer extra help was due purely to the perception of the author's greater likeability when he wasn't promoting himself, because it was already established that the author was highly competent," Pfeffer says.

In a third study, participants were similarly asked to imagine themselves as senior book editors but this time watched video clips of fictional presentations of information about the author. The same results held, even when the author appeared on camera with the agent. "This shows that even when it's plainly in front of people's faces that the author is complicit with the agent, they still discount the fact that the agent may be motivated to say what he does at least in part by money," explains Pfeffer.

The research confirms that having a competent third party, such as a recruiter, set up your initial presentation and promote on your behalf can really pay off. "An agent or recruiter can say things that you could never say about yourself, and can shield you from interpersonal frictions," Pfeffer says.

Have you hugged your recruiter today?

[Source: Agents, Recruiters Improve Your Likeability - and Bankability, According to Stanford Business School Research." AScribe Business & Economics News Service. AScribe. 2006]

Employee Terminations

2010-05-10T08:49:00.000-07:00

At the first sign of an employee performance issue, it is incumbent upon the corporate supervisor or manager to initiate a company disciplinary program. This includes corrective action, written records, and verbal discussions. Should the employee's performance remain outside the company's expectations, then proper follow through with a written dismissal and an exit interview is necessary for the mutual benefit of the employee and employer.

It is estimated that over 80% of all employment lawsuits arise from termination or disciplinary proceedings. Therefore, actions related to such proceedings should be undertaken carefully, responsibly, and tactfully.

Is The Termination A Surprise?
If the disciplinary program is handled properly by the manager yet not successful in changing the employee performance, then termination should not come as a surprise to the employee.

More often that not, a good predictor of a disgruntled former employee who decides to sue their employer is if the employee would be legitimately surprised with the decision to terminate his or her employment. Of course, there will always be the employee who refuses to see that he or she had ever done anything wrong, despite the employer's best efforts to place the employee on notice of its dissatisfaction with their performance. However, if the employer made every effort to notify the employee of specific performance issues through written warnings and verbal discussions, the employee should have seen "the writing on the wall" by the time the issue of his or her termination is raised. On the other hand, if the decision is "out of the blue," the employee may begin to consider whether the "real" reason behind the termination was based on unreasonable or unlawful motives.

Write It Down
The employer must maintain a written record of employee warnings and verbal discussions around employee performance and, where necessary, prepare a written separation notice stating the reason for the employee's discharge.

While virtually every manager today recognizes the need for documentation, it's lack still remains the single most common mistake in terminations. Managers must recognize that their companies may have to explain a termination decision long after it occurs. Documentation is necessary when memories are dim as to the circumstances of the termination or when the individuals involved are no longer with the employer. The absence of documentation may allow the terminated individual to create an inference that the employer’s motivation for an employment action was for reasons other than those stated.

While the need to document is clear, it is equally important that managers understand that poorly prepared documentation may well hurt an employer’s case. While there is no particular required format, the manager should ensure that all disciplinary documentation contains the following elements:

1.the date of the termination;
2.the signature of the person with proper authority to terminate the employee;
3.the signature of the employee (if presented in person to the employee);
4.the specific reason for the termination in detail;
5.notification of employee rights and the rights of any qualified beneficiaries to continue health care coverage after the termination; and
6.contact information should the employee have questions on matters contained in the termination notice.

Also, you may request that the employee
1.return employer property and/or equipment;
2.return the employer Handbook;
3.return keys, credit cards, entry cards, and/or ID cards;
4.deliver all email and computer-related passwords;
5.clean out his or her desk, office, locker, etc.;

Importantly, the employer should make certain that the reason for the employee’s termination can be substantiated. Therefore, the employer may wish to temper the reason for the termination to the actual information known to the employer at the time of the termination. For instance, if the employer desires to terminate an employee due to stealing employer funds, however, the employee has yet to be convicted of any crime, the proper termination notice would state the reason as "terminated due to suspicion of theft of employer property, " rather than "terminated due to stealing." The key word in the notice is suspicion.

The employer’s subsequent inability to prove the stated reason for the discharge understandably makes the reason suspect. Moreover, the inclusion of a reason that is not truthful may expose the employer to a defamation claim when the employer includes that reason in other documents prepared in connection with the termination.

The Termination Meeting

At the termination meeting, the manager conducting the meeting should explain as objectively and unemotionally as possible the reasons behind the employer’s decision to discharge that employee. A witness also should be present. Most importantly, the details of the termination meeting should be documented by one of the individuals present, preferably the witness who is otherwise minimally involved in the discussion. It generally is not advisable to tape-record the meeting. Instead, the employer should take notes of what occurs.

After the termination meeting, the following checklist should be considered by the employer:
1.Place the termination notice in the employee's personnel file.
2.After reviewing their accuracy, place any notations made during the termination meeting in the employee's personnel file.
3.Has the employee been compensated for hours worked and any unpaid but accrued leave that the employer agrees to pay or by law is required to pay? If not, have an appropriate cheque cut.
4.Have the pension plan administrators been contacted in order to ascertain the options available to employees, as well as the proper methods to be used in informing employees of their rights under the plan?
5.Have the appropriate Department of Labor forms regarding unemployment insurance compensation been sent to the correct agency?
6.Have the employer's property and equipment been returned?
7.Have the employee's computer and email passwords been delivered and/or deactivated?
8.Have the employee's keys, credit cards, entry cards, and/or ID cards been returned?

Beyond corrective action, one of the best ways to avoid potential future conflicts is by conducting an exit interview. This type of meeting is a highly underutilized method of learning information that may benefit the employer by finding out causes of employee turnover and also help the employer identify potential lawsuits at a very early stage and avoid them through early discussion or conciliation with the employee. An employer should take all necessary measures to insure that the discharge meeting is conducted in a sensitive and fair manner.

Given that the vast majority of employment lawsuits arise out of involuntary terminations, it is important that companies consistently assess their policies and procedures related to the discipline and, if necessary, the termination of their employees. Such policies and procedures, if created, maintained and followed by all employees, can have a substantial impact on company morale, staff performance, and the number of lawsuits a company faces.

Counter-Offers

2010-05-07T08:50:00.000-07:00

Let's examine the idea of counter-offers.

If you're a shinning example of the perfect employee, at some point, you're going to quietly explore your options in the hospitality market. Perhaps you'll contact a recruiter so as to ensure your interest is kept confidential - always a good choice! But what if this exploring leads to a first interview, then a working interview, and then a third? And in due time, you receive an extremely attractive job offer. Do you accept straight away and cheerily return to your current employer with a letter of resignation?

You might be surprised when your boss reads this resignation and implores you to postpone a final decision for a day or two. In a mere few hours, this executive returns and presents you with an even more attractive counter-offer. "We simply can't afford to lose you," your boss explains.

Who knew? And more importantly - what do you do now?

Before you start wishing you had such "problems", let me mention that because of marketplace demands, it's primarily highly qualified managers and executives that are more likely to face this particular conundrum.

There are many legitimate reasons to leave a position for greener pastures...perhaps the company has executed it's expansion plans a couple years ago and is now in maintenance mode, with no fresh challenges on the horizon. Or perhaps a training budget has been slashed to bits - thwartying your intention of upgrading your skills. Or perhaps you just learned the $15,000 yearly bonus you were counting on isn't likely to materialize. Bummer.

So, hence the passive career search for new positions....the terrifc offer....and impending resignation where your boss says, "Tell me what's wrong here, and I'll fix it. But you have to promise to stay. And by the way, here's more money."

Perhaps you should accept the offer, but that won't rectify all problems. Think about your reasons for wanting to leave in the first place. Let's review the situation and consider the following worst-case scenarios that might play out if you decide to stay with your employer.

You're action can change the culture of your organization.

A resignation is the business equivalent of holding your boss at gunpoint: "Give me what I want, or I'm history." The counter-offer is the equivalent of your boss handing over cash, a promotion, less travel or more time off, and putting your gun back into its holster.

But the incident isn't over. In fact, it may never be. You have upset an apple cart and provoked a panic-buy. Those apples can never be stacked the same way, and everything, including the company's pecking order, is now different. Passive aggression and veiled hostility might arise later from some unexpected sources.

If co-workers hear of your new title and/or perks, a new dynamic will develop. You won't exactly be the most popular guy or gal on campus. However minor your perks, don't underestimate how little it takes to make co-workers angry; inequality within the ranks is lethal. If you decide to stay where you are because it is familiar, you might be surprised. By accepting the counteroffer's perks, that familiar office dynamic will become foreign.

You'll raise the stakes.

Your acceptance of a counteroffer will change expectation levels - both for your boss and for yourself.

After bestowing rewards, it is human nature for your boss to expect more from you. You'll be held to a higher performance standard, which you might also hold yourself because of guilt from stirring up muddy waters. Your every misstep will be scrutinized, and every minor error in judgment will be magnified. In other words, you'll earn every penny of that increased salary and every minute of that family leave time with your blood, sweat and tears.

You won't be trusted.

You're no longer a team player, but someone who, first and foremost, looks out for No. 1. You've already stated in effect, "I don't really want to be here." Because you've broken the loyalty oath and held your employer hostage, you'll be henceforth viewed as less than committed. Your allegiance also will be compromised in your own mind; something about the job just won't feel "right."

Perceived lack of loyalty in addition to co-worker resentment and an employer's feelings of disempowerment could lead to a short-lived position. I've witnessed many workers who've happily accepted counter-offers in winter only to leave by the next summer. Unfortunately, upon leaving this upheaval, the employee no longer will receive a good solid reference. S/he more than likely will receive a two-word negative response, if any.

Accepting a counter-offer isn't always a bad decision, but as a professional recruiter, I'd be remiss if I didn't urge a very close look at the possible pitfalls. My ultimate goal is seeing candidates happy and successful in permanent placements, whatever and wherever those might be. So I'd also encourage a talk with the boss before you start shopping around, rather than after. Address your misgivings and dissatisfactions early; give him a fair chance to rectify them. It's quite possible that nothing will change - but be assured that you haven't wasted your time.

You've called the boss' attention to the situation in an honest, straightforward way. You've acted with integrity while gaining the assurance of knowing how much you're truly valued - without jeopardizing your career, your economic stability or your positive relationships with peers. And without pulling out the verbal equivalent of an Uzi.

What's more, if you ultimately decide to leave the company for a warmer climate, your boss will be able to accept this and not be suprised.

Leadership Tips brought to you by the letter, "H"

2010-05-04T08:32:00.000-07:00

THE FOUR H's OF LEADERSHIP

HOPE
Research by Harvard Business School shows that people want to see progress rather than receive recognition; they want to see they're making a difference and get a sense that things are getting better. The good news is leaders don't have to go too far to find hope in 2010. There is no doubt that the economy and general employment conditions are getting better so there is still plenty of reason for optimism and hope.

HUMANITY
This is best reflected in a company's CSR. It's about connecting with the community -whether through charity, demonstrating conscionable corporate governance, or using influence in a positive way. The corporate world is very powerful and its leaders need to recognise they can create positive outcomes for their employees outside of work. Afer all, companies are comprised of people and we all have a desire to better the lives of those around us.

HUMILITY
Humility means not being a celebrity leader and remembering what it's like to walk alongside your staff. If you sit in boardrooms all day you'll lose touch with your employees - the key is to never stray too far away from the shop floor. Some of the best-performing and more enduring companies have self-effacing leaders who are able to look in the mirror when things go wrong. They can take a good look at themselves, their decisions and their methods, analyse the situation, and look at how they can make a difference.

HUMOUR
Never lose the ability to have a good laugh at yourself. Leaders who relax and enjoy being at work put their staff at ease. Given we spend so much time at work, we should enjoy what we're doing. Laughter is particularly important for leaders because its effects cascade through the organisation. It's well documented that a happy employee is a productive employee.
[Source: Human Capital, issue 8.4]

The Knowledge Drain in Your Company

2010-03-24T09:50:00.001-07:00

Each company I recruit for recognizes that knowledge is the key element in hiring a new employee. Knowledge about the company, how to perform their role, how to attract and please their customers, how to deal with staf issues - all part of what they look for in a new hire and a successful long-term employee.

It is precisely knowledge that companies pay for in valued employees, whether it be in paying top salary for someone who knows what their doing, knows the industry, knows the community and market, or in paying to train them to know the company's culture, policies, procedures that set them apart from the competition. It's all about knowledge and we entrust that knowledge in our employees - but how does the increasing mobility of the work force and impending baby boomer retirements drain your company of its most tangible asset?

"We are facing a severe and pervasive problem and almost no one seems to be doing anything about it," said Beazley, a former professor at George Washington University and now chairman of the Strategic Leadership Group in Arlington, Va.

Beazley cautions that the Information Age relies on the transfer of knowledge, which now is being done haphazardly.

"`How do I keep knowledge in my business?' should be the question every manager asks today," he said. "It's never been as important."

In the Information Age, knowledge is power. And transferring that knowledge from worker to worker is the key to success. This is an argument he spells out in his new book "Continuity Management," written with co-authors Jeremiah Boenisch and David Harden.

"You have to remember that we have switched very rapidly from the Industrial Age to the Information Age," Beazley says. "The knowledge of the company is not in its database, but in the heads of its employees. It is loaned to the company and goes home with the employees. We are just starting to grapple with that. It is not something we needed to worry about 30 years ago."

In the Industrial Age, you replaced a body with a body. The Information Age requires the hiring of one mind to replace another. The task is simply not as easy.

"Everything has shifted," he said. "It is no longer a badge of honor to stay with a company. In fact, it is held against you. These forces are occurring, but we haven't done anything to assure that knowledge is retained within our companies when people leave."

The intensity of these forces has stunned executives, Beazley said.

"I think it is so shocking that they are in denial," he said. "They want to put off dealing with it because they can't quite believe it is really happening. But it is."

If there is an alarm buzzer, executives seem to be hitting the snooze button.

"The point is that if you let employees leave today or you terminate them, it's not a cost savings," Beazley said. "It is a disposal of assets. If you can't retain knowledge, you can't be a learning organization.

"The phrase we keep hearing today is to `work smarter.' How do you work smarter? You do it with knowledge. You can't allow knowledge to escape from your organization."

Downsizing and the increasing use of temporary and contract employees should be enough to guarantee that a mobile work force is certain in the future. At the same time, flattened organizational structures mean each company has more decision-makers working for it.

The question becomes: What will executives do to ensure that what those employees know is transferred to others before the learning curve has to be repeated?

Beazley is the first to admit that his concerns should be self-evident.

"It's so obvious that we expect people to be doing it. When people hear about this, they look at me like everyone already knows this. But when I ask them what their company is doing about it, the answer is always, `Nothing.'"

That's the wrong answer.

[Source:Michael Kinsman. "Career: When employees hit exits, knowledge leaves." The Sun - Plainfield (IL). 2002.]

Frugal Ideas to Manage in a Struggling Economy

2010-03-17T13:56:00.000-07:00

In a difficult economy, many companies look at a wide spectrum of options to reduce labour costs. This is no different in the hospitality industry over the past year and a half where we've seen managers and front line staff laid off, hours cut for entry level workers, and increased demand on the remaining management and team that is asked to cope with less, and do more, in lieu of the struggling economy.

In order to retain these people that we rely on to manage at this time, look to some ideas provided by the Families and Work Institute(FWI). These frugal tips may help save your organization money while also creating a positive work environment that will encourage staff loyalty and peak performance:

1. Giving head office employees four Fridays off in the summer in lieu of raises the organization cannot afford.

2. Providing employees with information to better manage their own finances.

3. Allowing head office employees to work at home one to two days a week to save on commuting costs in response to fluctuating gas prices.

4. Creating funds to support their own employees or others in the community who are suffering during the recession.

5. Giving employees the option to take unlimited, unpaid personal time off during the downturn, while keeping full medical benefits and the right to return to their jobs.

6. Allowing employees greater scheduling flexibility if their spouse has lost a job or seen their hours reduced and the family needs to make changes.

7. Creating flex-year and flex-career programs.

8. Creating workflow coordinators to monitor overwork and creating wellness scorecards to promote wellness.

9. Providing a coach for new parents.

"In many ways, the recession has led increasing numbers of employers to improve their workplaces so that they work for the employer and the employees during these difficult times," said Ellen Gallinsky, president and co-founder of FWI.

[Source: Human Resources Leader, 29 September 2009]

Boom Workers

2010-03-09T15:25:00.000-08:00

Job Interviews for the Baby Boomer Generation

In a time when the economy is struggling and unemployment high, it means challenges for all job and career seekers but perhaps moreso for the Baby Boomer Generation.

In life, perception is often reality and there are many perceptions of the mature candidate. Those who fall into this category must anticipate what they potentially are and be prepared to overcome them. Let’s examine these areas of concern, both spoken and unspoken, that many employers consider when interviewing the Baby Boomer generation.

Perception #1: Baby Boomers are “overpriced”. Because of this, they are more likely to be made redundant in a bad economy. Younger workers are more “affordable”. Even if older workers are willing to take a pay cut or make a lateral move in regard to money to get the job, employers sometimes fear that their job satisfaction will be compromised at a lower or equal salary and that they won’t stay or be motivated.

Perception #2: They’re settling. Employers fear that if the mature candidate has been unemployed awhile and previously employed in a capacity beyond that for which they’re interviewing, they’re only willing to take the position until something better comes along. In other words, they simply need a job.

Perception #3: They’re looking for a retirement home. Motivations are attributed to having a place to hang their hat for a few years and get benefits. This is usually far from the truth, but can be a concern nonetheless.

Perception #4: They’ve lost the “edge”. An underlying fear here is that older workers won’t have the same drive and determination as they once did, the belief being that their younger counterparts may be “hungrier”.

Perception #5: Their credentials aren’t equivalent to those of their younger counterparts. Sometimes older workers don’t have the same educational credentials as younger workers. Baby Boomers more often went to the ’school of hard knocks’ as opposed to going the traditional educational route as is more common today. An education back then, though important, didn’t carry the weight it does today in many companies and organizations.

Perception #6: They’re limited in flexibility. Younger workers tend to be more mobile either to relocate or travel, whether now or in the future. In some careers, that can be a benefit to a corporation.

Perception #7: They’re overqualified. This perception can be valid. Older workers often find themselves interviewing for positions with someone they could easily have managed themselves at some point in their careers. It can be intimidating to a younger manager.

Perception #8: They don’t portray the right image for the company or fit with the culture. Appearance is a factor, especially in sales positions or any position where you’re meeting with the public. Older people sometimes face discrimination based on the ‘image factor’. Whether fair or not - it is reality.

Perception #9: They’re outdated. Their skills may be outdated, especially in technical areas like computers. Older workers may not be able to keep up with the Gen Y’er’s in terms of computer social networking abilities. This is changing as the mature worker becomes more Internet-aware but it is still a reservation on the part of some younger managers.

Perception #10: They’re rigid. The “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” mentality is a factor. There are concerns that mature employees won’t be able to adapt to new ways of doing things or that they are set in their ways and have preconceived views of how things are and should be.

This list can be daunting for those in transition. It would seem with all these possible roadblocks, a seasoned job hunter would never get hired. Let’s dispel that myth. It happens every day, but to bust that myth in your own personal situation, being forewarned is forearmed. If you understand the mindset of some employers and interviewers and the possible perceptions you’ll face, you can be ready to deal with and overcome them to your advantage.

What do older workers bring to the table that can overcome these objections? A number of things:

1. Life experience. This can not be bought or learned in a college. Traveling the road of life, you learn to deal with a myriad of situations and gain the ability to overcome obstacles. Common sense can’t be taught or easily gained without experience.

2. Skills to overcome adversity. Mature candidates generally are more adept at problem solving and have a track record of doing so. Again, it comes with experience.

3. Stability. An older person is actually NOT as likely to ‘job hop’ within a year or two. The younger candidate is far more likely to move from one company to another for a slight increase in salary, title, or opportunity.

4. The ability to take on a mentoring role. There is research now that indicates that the Gen Yer’s who have a reputation for doing things in an ‘out of the box’ fashion are embracing the traditional as a ‘new way’. They value the input from Baby Boomers in the workplace. They often want to learn from them and use them as mentors in furthering their career objectives.

5. Less conflicts. Older workers are not as likely to have family issues that interfere with their jobs. Their children are grown, gone, and established.

How can you, as a mature candidate compete in this marathon to the job offer?

1. Bearing all of the above advantages in mind, don’t underestimate your value. Incorporate some of these concepts into your interview presentation, especially if you run into objections.

2. Stay abreast of changes in the industry. All industries evolve, and this is especially true of hospitality, change and adapt to the fluctuations of the market. Stay on top of the industry trends.

3. Learn to be a social networking whiz. Okay, I never believed personally that I’d be a social networking devotee, but I am. It’s becoming essential in this world. Know that and decide to be aware and active.

4. Take classes to enhance skills you lack. These might include computer skills, technical skills that are industry specific, or enhancing your public speaking if that’s a benefit. Keep learning!

5. Learn to package your skills in accordance with the employer specifications. Past duties and functions are of value if packaged correctly and portrayed in the right way.

6. Stay active in order to demonstrate the ‘fire in the belly’ attitude. Drive and determination are still highly desired in employees, and older workers who can show that they continue to meet and exceed their life goals have a better chance of finding gainful employment.

Most importantly, keep a positive attitude and remember,you still have a lot to contribute.

[Source: article by Mark Ste. Marie, http://internsover40.blogspot.com/2009/09/job-interview-problems-solutions-for.html]

2010-02-20T14:24:00.000-08:00

All candidates registered with Target Professionals prior to 2009 and those interested in registering to source new hospitaity management careers in Canada.

Please print and complete the following 2 page hospitaity job update.

This form is intended for all hospitality management positions such as Hotel General Manager, Front Office Manager, Restaurant General Manager, QSR General Manager, Resort General Manager, Assistant Manager, Housekeeping Manager, Club Manager, etc.

Bedroom Communites and Your Restaurant

2010-02-06T11:33:00.000-08:00

Apparently, bedroom communities will continue to sleep well, so to speak. According to a study by research company, Mintel, the under 34 crowd rank a restaurant's proximity to their workplace, not their home, as very important/important when selecting where to dine (62 percent of 25 – 34 year olds and 55 percent of 18 – 24 year olds, versus 41 percent of all respondents).

Its new report suggests that in the current economic conditions value has become the mantra of many contemporary diners. However, convenience still resonates with the out-to-eat crowd,as well as extended hours (ie: late-night)and speed of service, especially for those under age 34.

"Though value remains important to diners in this economy, our survey reveals convenience may be equally as important," said Chris Haack, senior analyst at Mintel. "Young adults and young families, especially, are pressed for time, making restaurants an easy and often necessary solution for meals. As foodservice establishments struggle for revenue, improving convenience may help them get diners in the door."

The report also' points out these consumers' attitudes toward delivery and takeout, including:

* Forty-three percent of respondents say they've cut spending on delivery and takeout this year.

*Approximately one in six 18 – 34 year olds say they're spending more on these convenient services compared to 2008.

* In the past three months, 18 – 34 year olds were twice as likely as the general population to have ordered delivery.

* Approximately 30 percent of them picked up food from a restaurant, compared to 20 percent of all respondents.

Restaurants make mealtime easier, especially for 25 to 34 year olds, many of who work full-time or have young children. Nearly half (49 percent) say they dine at casual restaurants because they’re too tired to cook, while 40 percent do so because they have no time to prepare a meal. (This compares to 40 percent and 30 percent of all respondents, respectively.)

But special occasions, food quality and socialization remain top reasons that younger adults go to restaurants. “Restaurant usage is truly integrated into the lifestyles of adults under age 34. Many people value the fact that they can get quality food with minimal effort at a restaurant. As a bonus, they can spend that meal time with friends or family,” said Haack.

"Food Fast" Trend - A Customer's Perspective

2010-02-03T11:02:00.000-08:00

Although single restaurant operators and large corporate chains may have a distint definition of their business segment, from a customer's point of view, the restaurant industry is no longer divided into clear-cut segments. With the increasing growth of the fast-casual concept, and the addition of curbside service to full-service restaurants, a dual concept has emerged: food fast.

Customers now perceive the traditional fast food and "food fast," options on par and expect meals served quickly with flavor, quality and ambiance.

Consumers, who once defined "fast food" as quick-service, drive-thru restaurants and convenience stores, now include other restaurants segments in that definition. A significant percentage of consumers (41 percent) are reporting that their idea of places offering "fast food" has expanded to include fast casual restaurants such as Panera Bread and full-service restaurants offering carryout and curbside service, according to Technomic Inc.

Keep these findings in mind:

* Nearly half of consumers (49 percent) say they eat at fast food restaurants at least once a week; about one fifth of consumers said the same for fast casual (16 percent) and full-service (20 percent) restaurants.

* One out of four consumers (24 percent) say they’ve increased their visits to fast food restaurants in the past year, higher than for any other restaurant segment

* Roughly half of consumers (52 percent) say that a fast food meal should be delivered within five minutes; consumers are willing to wait somewhat longer for items they perceive as "food fast."

* About a third of consumers say they would like to see dedicated take-out areas at fast food (32 percent) and fast casual (33 percent) restaurants.

* Efficient ordering and carryout options at full-service restaurants have strong appeal. Call-ahead ordering for pickup, separate take-out stations, and curbside service interest 40 percent, 37 percent and 31 percent of consumers, respectively.

(The Status and Future of Fast Foods: Consumer Trend Report is based on data from a November 2009 survey of 2,000 consumers. The report integrates industry data from the Top 500 U.S. restaurant chains, select secondary sources and menu analysis from Technomic's MenuMonitor database. Appendices include menu and concept profiles of 10 innovative food-fast concepts, and comprehensive demographic breakdowns for fast food and fast casual restaurant user groups and consumer clusters.)

Worry About Your Income No Longer......

2010-02-02T10:42:00.000-08:00

At long last, the news we've been waiting for. Time to put in your notice and book your ticket to Sun and Fun! A new study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health shows that you needent worry about YOUR income and education.....just marry well! The study suggests that the education and income level of your spouse are very important indicators of your mortality, independent of your own education and income level.

According to this study, men married to well-educated women had longer lifespans, all else equal. The researchers suggest that the cause of this might be related to the sharing of information that occurs in close relationships. Well-educated people tend to be better able to take advantage of knowledge about healthy behaviors.

And the critical indicator for a wife's longevity? Her husband's income level or social class.

So if you want to live longer, marry a smart woman or a wealthy man!

Playing Fair - Employee Conflicts

2010-01-26T18:08:00.000-08:00

For a manager, maintaining objectivity can be the hardest part of conflict resolution.

Here are some simple ways to overcome your own personal bias to assess the issue at hand and deal with it most effectively:

1. Use as many sources of data as you can gather and make sure you get all the facts. Focus on root causes rather than peripheral behaviours.

2. Don't take one person's version of the situation as fact, usually two or more perspectives will need to be taken into consideration.

3. Since the majority of workplace conflict stems from miscommunication, engage active listening skills to ensure each fact is completely understood before moving to the next.

4. Some issues have a long gestation period, so remember that the most obvious cause may not be the root cause.

5. Recognize differences between those involved, and isolate any existing prejudices or stereotypes at play.

6. Avoid getting caught up in the blame game. Your objective should be to achieve a mutually beneficial result for all involved.

7. Separate any performance issues from the conflict issue. Acknowledge any bias towards high-performing employees.

8. If you are unable to separate yourself from the issue, seek advice or assistance from a neutral third party.

Innervate Your Team

2010-01-19T19:05:00.000-08:00

Top Tips: Three Keys to Innervate Your Team

Q: How can I get my team to follow my lead, rather than just nod in agreement?

A: Your team wants to know why they should follow your lead? Don't tell them; show them, by focusing on the essential, not the merely important. The three keys to innovative leadership, according to G. Michael Maddock and Ralph Louis Viton in a recent BusinessWeek article, are:

1. Focus on the essentials:

Great leaders focus on the essential rather than the important. It's easy to spend your time on the important, but doing so isn't really going to inspire anyone.

2. Stay above the drama:

Recessions/transitions/restructurings are by definition temporary. Understanding that is key to your ability to focus on the desired outcome and the kind of organisation you want to build.

3. Lean into adversity and find opportunities:

Adversity isn't going to end just because the recession does. There will always be a competitor who does the unexpected, or an environmental event you couldn't anticipate. Or, for example, a situation like that financing you were absolutely certain was locked in, suddenly isn't.

Resume Blunders

2010-01-12T15:53:00.000-08:00

From screening job applications to conducting interviews, hiring practices have undergone a dramatic transformation over the past decade. Despite all the changes, common resume blunders continue to plague job search practices at all levels. This article attempts to overcome some of these errors.

#1: It's all about the number of pages
The one-page rule is probably the most common myth about a resume. Candidates, even senior executives, use microscopic fonts, leave off important information, use 0.1 inch margins, and resort to a myriad of unhealthy practices -- all in an attempt to restrict their resume to just one page.

Many well-meaning college counsellors advise their students to be concise and limit their resume to one page. That was important when you were a student with little or no experience, but why subscribe to the same wisdom after rising to the ranks of upper manaegment or a senior executive role?

There is an opposing viewpoint. Some job seekers mistakenly believe that if they can somehow balloon their resumes to four or five pages, they will probably be considered for higher-paying positions. What? Will someone offer me $250,000 simply because my resume is ten pages and redundant to the point of boredom?

Content rules. The quality of experience should influence the length of the resume, not hearsay. If you have held only one job, then don’t try to create a five-page resume, but if your background merits a lengthier resume then don’t use eight point fonts in a desperate attempt to fit everything on one page.

If you are too concerned about the length of your resume, consider creating a one- or two-page resume with additional pages serving as an appendix or addendum.

#2: Make up that degree - no one will know
Lying on a resume is the worst mistake a candidate can make. Even if you pass the background check (very unlikely considering how sophisticated background checks have become), a savvy employer will discover the deception within days, if not sooner.

Apart from the legal ramifications, we live in a professional world that is influenced by social media. At the touch of a button, HR managers across the country can discuss their experiences. Maintaining a good reputation is more important than ever.

#3: Your resume must have an objective
“Seeking a position that will be beneficial and mutually rewarding … and will make use of my experience and education ....” If that is your idea of an objective, don’t bother using one. Every inch of resume space is precious. Don’t waste it on generic information that can be found on almost every other resume. Every word, every character that appears on your resume must position you as the perfect candidate for the job.

In place of objectives, use what many experts call “branding statements” or “headers”. The concept can be explained with the help of an example.

In the case of a clinical researcher, for example, a generic objective would be as follows:

“Seeking a mutually beneficial position that will make use of my 10+ years’ experience in hotel management.”

An improvement would be:

Hotel Manager with Hospitality Degree and 10+ Years’ Professional Excellence

Worked with top two global hotel chains. Leveraged hospitality expertise to manage three multi-billion dollar projects from ground 0 to financial growth.

The generic example does almost nothing to position the candidate but the refined version, in addition to serving as an objective, brings out three to four prominent strengths and an overall value proposition.

Whether you decide to use an objective or a positioning statement, refrain from presenting generic arguments.

#4: Your references must be listed on the resume itself
Normally, a separate page is used as a reference sheet. This not only protects the privacy of your references (imagine posting their contact information on every job board), but also makes the screening professional’s job a little easier.

#5: I can use the same resume for multiple job targets
If your current resume focuses on your hotel housekeeping background, please don’t send the same resume for marketing positions. It is understandable that you may qualify for multiple positions or be interested in pursuing alternate careers. If so, try to create a customized resume for each job target.

When it comes to a resume, never follow the “one size fits all” approach.

Performance Management - The 12 Steps

2009-12-05T17:26:00.000-08:00

Implementing a performance management system? Avoid these mistakes!

Companies are adopting performance management systems to help optimise their workforces in this tough economy. Here are some tips on how to do it well - and the traps to avoid ...

Mistake #1: Keeping managers in the dark - communication and training that focuses on the benefits to the manager can help turn resistance and fear into acceptance and excitement.

Mistake #2: Introducing too much change too quickly - focus efforts on a few key outcomes and show success in those areas.

Mistake #3: Creating complex performance review forms - Keep it simple! Approach system configuration with the specific end-user in mind.

Mistake #4: Underestimating change management - dialogue is critical to understanding what could be sabotaging the project, and offers and opportunity for users to take ownership of the process and avoid feeling as though this new way of doing things has been thrust upon them.

Mistake #5: Failing to adequately plan - Get together with peers who have gone through an implementation. Have contingency plans in place for delays, technical issues and end-user resistance.

Mistake #6: Keeping end-users out of the configuration process - allow a representative team of managers and employees to participate in the configuration of the system.

Mistake #7: Failing to ask questions and uncover issues - create a feedback survey and establish a regular forum for suggestions for improvement.

Mistake #8: Not establishing links to business objectives - consistently strive to communicate how the performance management system supports the success of the business.

Mistake #9: Unclear roles and responsibilities - identify everyone in the business who will be needed or affected by the new system.

Mistake #10: Lack of buy-in from senior executives - create a set of reports that show trend data relating to important business metrics.

Mistake #11: Ambiguity about what to measure - Examine your existing job descriptions. Every employee needs to understand the duties and responsibilities of their job and on what basis their performance will be measured.

Mistake #12: Failure to establish a culture of performance - Creating a culture of performance often requires a dramatic shift in the attitude of an organisation towards its employees from one of a 'workforce' to on that values unique contributions, recognises strengths and invests in developing weaknesses, and understanding the value of each individual.

[Source: Human Capital Magazine, Issue 7.9]

Identify Employees' Hidden Talents

2009-12-02T19:40:00.000-08:00

When you find an excellent employee, retention is of the upmost importance. Here are a few top tips to keep in mind to reduce turn-over and develop a succession plan to create positive company morale and a positive bottom line.

1. Turn a compliment into an interview. When an employee does an excellent job, don't merely praise her. Pinpoint the strengths of her accomplishment and ask her how she did it - in other words, to share her process. The interview will bring to consciousness - both yours and hers - insights that can be transferred to new tasks.

2. Analyse how people think, not just what they do. Performance assessments rightly focus on the achievement of goals and other measurable markers of success. However, what's often behind such accomplishments is a way of thinking, particular to an individual that made success possible. Describe those habits of mind in the employee's next evaluation.

3. Ask for the reasons behind preferences. Good managers know what their individual employees like to do (what tasks they enjoy, which projects motivate them). Great managers find out why someone has those preferences - i.e., which project characteristics are the root sources of fulfilment.

4. Inquire about people's dreams. "David, if you could be in an entirely different career, what would it be?" If David says he always wanted to be a translator, ask him if he'd like to give working with international clients a whirl. By getting a little taste of his dream in his current position, David is more likely to feel fulfilled than if he keeps treading water - and less likely to get restless and head out to sea.

Treating each employee as an ocean of talent allows you to find troves of precious gems. What hidden treasures have you discovered in your employees? And what jewels of your own have you brought to the surface because a manager cared enough to look for them?

Money Talk in an Interview

2009-11-17T11:38:00.000-08:00

The Money Question – it always comes up in interviews …

The money question always comes up in job interviews. If you are a candidate looking at a new position, you can safely assume the person on the other side of the desk will ask some form of the money question. Your answer may be the difference between moving forward and being eliminated.

In an interview, the employer has four basic questions in mind. However they dress them up, whatever creative spin they put on them, employers really want to know four things:

Who are you?
Why are you here?
What can you do for me?
How much will it cost?

That final question can make or break the situation. If you answer it wrong, you're done. The correct answer is non - numerical. A number, whether too high or too low, is ALWAYS wrong.

The employer will invariably ask something like, "How much money do you need to consider for this position?" Or else, "What will it take for you to come to work for our company?"

If you want to be considered for the position do NOT, under any circumstances, give a numerical answer. The correct answer is something on the order of, "I'm here to discuss the position and assess my fit with your organization. I want to make sure my talents are a good match for the duties you're outlining. You're probably thinking along the same lines. I am sure, if we get to that place, we can reach an accommodation."

Why answer that way? Because it's the truth.

The demand - interest barometer tells us that, for a candidate, as demands go up, interest goes down. And as interest goes up, demands go down. If you as a candidate articulate a number too early in the process, you're drawing a line in the sand and creating an impression that you're more about reward than effort, more about price than value.

A number which is either too high or too low is wrong for several reasons.

The interviewer will eliminate you from consideration if you articulate a number that's too high. Whether they can afford the amount you say or whether you're worth that amount is immaterial. If you as the candidate create the impression that you overvalue your skills (in other words say any number above the range they've calculated), they are concerned you will never "settle" for the amount they're offering. So they will remove you from the process.

Conversely, if you say a number that's too low, you might inadvertently wind up accepting compensation less than the amount the company budgeted because that's what you said. You reduced your ability to negotiate because you have too little information.

Over the years, in coaching people on successful interviewing techniques, the money question is the one where people stumble most often. Many times people will tell me, "I just wasn't prepared for the question ... the number just popped out of my mouth." Or else they will say, "I told her $X because I think I'm worth it."

Bottom line, it doesn't matter what YOU think you're worth. The magic number is always somewhere in the range between what they want to pay and what you think you should get. This has been my experience.

When the employer asks, "How much ... ? " the right answer is, "We'll know when we get there." If they ask again, insisting on an answer, defer diplomatically a second time. Something on the order of, "I appreciate you want a number. I'm a little uncomfortable making anything which could be perceived as a demand at this early stage. I'm interested in the position and would like to learn more."

And if they ask a third time, the correct answer is, "My year to date compensation is $Z."

But why give a number that way? Simple. It's a statement of fact, not an estimate of self-esteem. You compensation is verifiable. An employer can ask for and receive verification of income. You pay taxes. Your income is a public record. In the real world, your current or most recent employer valued you at an identified level. That's the number to share.

So ... don't get caught by the money question. Role play with a friend or practice in the mirror. Be prepared for this inevitable question. Your ability to answer the money question with an non-answer can get you the job or get you more money for the job you really want.

When Will You Retire?

2009-10-28T11:48:00.000-07:00

As the global market volatility continues to cut into many superannuation balances, an increasing number of workers are planning to delay their retirement - whether they like it or not.

Across much of Canada, mandatory retirement has been given the pink slip.
On July 1, 2009, Nova Scotia became the latest province to enact legislation to amend its human rights code and end the practice. As of that date, workers in the province are no longer forced to quit when they turn 65. "Many want to continue working, as they still have a lot to contribute," says Graham Steele, who was at the time the acting minister responsible for the Human Rights Act.

That was certainly the thinking in other provinces — such as British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Saskatchewan, and Ontario — when they moved in the past few years to eliminate mandatory retirement.

As people remain in the workforce for longer - many out of necessity rather than want - HR managers will need to closely monitor changing employee attitudes and consider redefining some of their policies to fit.

It has been shown that those with the most education tend to enjoy their work and are reluctant to be turfed out. And many people want to keep working for a variety of other reasons, including because they enjoy the office camaraderie, sense of purpose or routine.

Sometimes it's a case of economic survival.

Statistics Canada says the numbers of retirement-aged Canadians in the workforce will continue to increase — in less than 10 years, one in five people in the workforce will be aged 55 to 64.

This shift in demographics is not new, but what's surprising is the extent of the delay in planned retirement, indicating that potentially, we could be in for an even more dramatic shift in the makeup of our labour force than first expected.

As older workers remain at organisations for longer, it will be important for employers to reconsider how they will retain the engagement of their older employees to ensure they are able to continue to propel their organiaation forward.

Some workers may feel forced to remain in their jobs when they'd rather not be there. Employers will have to consider how they can best approach this: If older workers feel compelled to continue working when they'd rather be doing something else, employers will need to work doubly hard to maintain their motivation and job satisfaction, both of which impact their productivity.

Organizations may have to be more creative and flexible in their workplace strategies to allow older workers to remain productive and engaged in their roles. They may need to consider adjusting some of their workplace practices to suit the increased flexibility older workers are looking for. This may extend beyond the more typical work-life balance policies to pay and leave practices, work-from-home arrangements, even to job and role redesign to get the greatest productivity from older workers.

Employers need to consider how best to assist older workers to stay focused on work. As an example, concern about money matters can be a great source of stress or distraction for employees, and the employer can be an important conduit to providing information to help alleviate these concerns and assist employees in preparing for their retirement. Providing access to financial education and advice could be of great value to older workers.

For those employees nearing retirement, the employer has an important role to play in helping to smooth the path to retirement. Their role can range from providing access to information or a professional adviser - who can help older workers recalibrate their financial plan or investment allocation to help them meet their financial goals and ensure they have the most appropriate strategy in place - through to working in partnership to find solutions such as phased retirement strategies that will benefit both employer and employee.

BC Hospitality Tradeshow Invitation

2009-10-22T11:11:00.000-07:00

Invite For Associated Clients:

Sponsorship Opportunity and Complimentary Tickets

The BC Hospitality and Industry Exposition will be held November 23rd and 24th at the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre. This is the largest hospitality event for BC, drawing thousands of industry leaders.

As an exhibitor, Target Professionals is offering sponsorship opportunities to our associated clients. With a donation, your company logo and name will be displayed prominently at our "Bean Toss" event. Successful participants will receive donated prizes, such as a complimentary hotel stay, dining certificates, event passes or other promotional items of your choice.

This is an ideal opportunity to promote your company's brand image.

Along with this request, I'd like to extend an invitation to the Tradeshow compliments of Target Professionals! Please respond by October 30th to receive your free tickets and provide a promotional prize.

See you there!

For more information contact me directly: Colleen, Target Professionals, 604.552.2377 or colleen[at]targetprofessionals[dot]com.

Fresh New Look At Banff

2009-08-11T10:18:00.001-07:00

I forogt how beautiful the Banff area was. This clip makes me want to go back and visit....especially on moped!

Stressed Out? How it affects your Decisions

2009-08-11T10:18:00.000-07:00

How Stress Genders Decision Making

Many people in the hospitality industry arestressed out these days - those looking for work and those holding down the fort with extra hats to wear - are beyond their normal stress levels over the past 6-8 months. I mentioned in a previous article that men in Canada are more affected than women with job loss recently and here's a tip about dealing with stress from male/female perspective.

While it's been documented for some time that men take more risks than women (and, thus, are more likely to die violently or have addictive behaviors), a recent study indicates that this gap widens even further when stress is introduced.

When stress indicators as measured by cortisol levels were higher in women, their decision making was less risky than than their control group. Men, on the other hand, made more risky decisions when stressed than their control group did.

To test decision making under stress, participants' hands were placed in ice water while they performed a gambling game involving blowing up a simulated balloon on a computer screen. Points were accumulated with each pump of the balloon, but each pump also increased the risk of the balloon popping, resulting in a loss of all points.

The lesson here? Try to be aware of your gendered inclinations when you feel stressed out, so that you make the most responsible (men!) or effective (ladies!) decision. Consider what you'd normally do, and come up with a plan of action rather than react unthinkingly.

The bottom line? Don't worry, be happy!

Call for Nominations

2009-08-06T14:53:00.000-07:00

If you know someone in the hotel industry in Canada who is deserving of nomination for any of the awards below, please do so....even vote for yourself. For instance, if you know a student who stands out and would benefit from the bursary, or an outstanding supplier, say perhaps a recruiter for hotels(ahem!), then vote for them at www.hotelassociation.ca and click the “Awards” link on the main page!

Call for Entries
HAC Hall of Fame Awards of Excellence

The Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) is now accepting entries for the 2009 Hall of Fame Awards of Excellence. Now in its sixth year the Hall of Fame Awards program continues the association’s tradition of acknowledging the strong standards and values of those involved in and with the lodging industry.

Each year the Hall of Fame Awards attracts more and more entries from HAC members across the country. The Awards program proudly recognizes those individuals, companies or properties that have demonstrated significant accomplishments, exemplary leadership and tireless commitment to our industry in the following divisions:

New! Outstanding Supplier Award
Recognizing Allied Members of the Hotel Association of Canada that have made a significant contribution to the Canadian lodging industry and to their individual lodging customers. Candidate will have provided outstanding customer service and support.

Nominations are also open for the Stephen Phillips Passion For Hospitality Bursary
This bursary is dedicated to the memory of Stephen Phillips, former Vice-Chairman & CEO of AFM Hospitality Corporation Inc., who passed away from cancer in early 2007. The bursary will be awarded to the hospitality student who best represents the qualities that Stephen Phillips brought to the industry.

The Humanitarian Award
Given for individuals/programs that demonstrate to residents that the individual property is responsive to the local community.

The Human Resources Award
Given for programs/individuals that develop a climate conducive to new and/or repeat business, create goodwill among guests, provide special services, reverse negative public relations situations or effectively solve guest complaints.

The Energy & Environment Award
Recognizes lodging properties that have developed a culture towards integrating environmental management practices that improve everyday operations and the bottom line, while maintaining quality service and meeting guest expectations.

Winners will be honoured at an Awards Luncheon in February 2010 in conjunction with HAC’s Annual Conference at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel, Toronto, ON. To access the Hall of Fame Awards Call for Entries, and to view a list of past winners, visit www.hotelassociation.ca and click the “Awards” link on the main page. Deadline for submissions is November 23, 2009.

The Hotel Association of Canada is the national organization representing the lodging industry in Canada. Our membership encompasses the provincial and territorial hotel associations, the corporate hotel chains, independent hotels, motels and resorts and the many suppliers to the hotel industry. Our objective is to assist both our national and international members as they endeavour to enhance their competitiveness and achieve their bottom line.

Planning for the Upturn

2009-08-05T17:19:00.000-07:00

When faced with a downturn in the economy, the obvious reaction is to cut costs and typically that involes a lot of firing. However, in studying the successes and failures of hundreds of companies as they navigate downturns, numerous reports suggest that this approach is a short term savings that doesn't justify the larger and long-term negative impact of cutting the employee numbers.

Most executives understand the potential damage of massive cuts to employee numbers and see the negative impact of the firm’s reputation and the goodwill of their employees. However, the oft used method to cut the wage bill is with lay-offs.

In a recent survey of HR directors conducted by Hewitt, 81 per cent of companies said they plan to further cut costs this year even though they have already made significant reductions. Furthermore, 28 per cent say they are planning to do so by “restructuring” and 25 per cent are considering lay-offs.

Meanwhile, a recent Towers Perrin study of 600 HR executives found that while cost pressures remain intense, cutting too deeply into an organisation’s muscle – its talent – could seriously hamstring a fast return to growth.

As economists and reports have stated, we have entered this downturn very quickly and may come out of it equally as quickly. The Hewitt study showed that 54 per cent of HR directors believe the US’s economic upturn will begin at the end of this year or in early 2010 and most believe their own company’s economic improvement will coincide with that upturn.

So it seems that the logical solution for companies under economic pressure is not to buckle under the pressure in the search for a quick fix, but rather be creative and innovative in looking for other cost-cutting strategies that will keep the company not only alive, but strong for the upturn.

There are many other options companies can take that will either cut costs, or counter the need to cut costs by increasing productivity and performance.

Below are five cost-cutting strategies proffered by various HR directors, academics and survey findings, which will help companies avoid the dreaded lay-offs.

Strategy 1

Purchasable annual leave

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) have had their “equilibrium” program in place for the past four years. It was introduced as a flexible work arrangement whereby indi viduals could elect to work in a range of flexible ways. But, as the company felt the pressure of the downturn, they opted to offer additional purchasable annual leave for an extended period of seven months, until the end of January 2010.

The offer was made to 4500 employees and was communicated in a transparent way, so that each employee knew the reason for the offer – to avoid having to lay people off.

The results of the offer were significant. Ninety per cent of the 4500 employees accepted the offer to take between 10 and 15 days unpaid leave.

“It was an amazing response,” says HR director of PWC, Nicole Brazil. “It really said a lot to us about the fabric of our organisation and that people know we are all in this together.”

Exactly how much money the strategy saved the company – and in turn how many jobs it saved – is difficult to quantify, however, with more than 4000 employees taking an extra 10 to 15 days unpaid leave it’s easy to say it would have a huge impact on overall savings. This measure will be far more beneficial to the company than letting people go in preparation for when the economic pressure eases.

Strategy 2

Job sharing

At the outset it might not seem like a cost-cutting strategy, but, job sharing can actually work as a means of saving cash.

If two people are doing the one job, in one sense there are the same costs involved because a company still has to pay the same salary for a particular role to be performed. However, the savings in benefits normally paid to a full-time employee are significant, so in that sense there is a cost saving to be had.

Job sharing also leads to reduced absenteeism and increased productivity. Having two people doing the one job means they work out a schedule to do certain hours and they therefore have more time off work and tend to turn up for those scheduled hours, leading to decreased absenteeism.

Job sharing also tends to motivate people. Loyalty is up, productivity is up, but where the customer is concerned it can be less predictable. However, overall the advantages over-ride the disadvantages.

Strategy 3

Pay cuts and reduced hours

A recent Employee Insights Survey of 560 professionals showed that nationally, 70 per cent would prefer to stay at their current employer and work reduced hours than face alternative cost-cutting strategies.

One of the most successful strategies globally has been to cut both pay and hours. But the key to success when taking this strategy is to cut it across the board – by including every person in the organisation. The management must tell the employees what the situation is and explain the environment they are working in. They must explain that everybody is going to cut back in order to save jobs.

If pay cuts are not across all levels of the organisation, he says, it creates a level of cynicism and consternation among employees. People want to see that the situation is affect ing everybody – including senior executives – and that those strategies are a genuine and sincere attempt to save the company.

People need to buy in. If you have employees buying in and they see what you’re doing and why you’re doing it and it has a good level and degree of fairness, then people will work with you.

Strategy 4

Work with employees – not against them

In a lot of cases, cost-cutting measures are driven from the top down,. but sometimes it's better to go to employees themselves and ask them how they think they could save money or increase productivity.

The staff know their own jobs themselves and each of them knows where there is corporate slack, so if you can work on a system and involve the employees on eliminating slack – eliminating non-value-adding components of their work – it produces a lot of buy-in and goodwill.

The differentiator between companies in times like this is getting out there and growing the business and seeking opportunities to expand and grow when every one else is hunkering down.

A suprising statistic suggests that increasing performance by 1 per cent has a much greater impact than reducing employee costs by 10 per cent, so moving the focus to increasing performance under economic pressure is a better cost saving method.

The other big way in which HR can make a difference is through talent management.

HR can really make a difference by identifying who your best players are, who will bring you through this period and how you can help these employees, coach them, and position yourselves to ensure you keep them and mitigate the risks of them leaving.

Because of the speed with which we entered this down turn, and the possibility that we may exit from it just as rapidly, if a company doesn’t have the right people in place to respond when the upturn comes, it will be in danger. Therefore, there are a lot of dangers involved in cutting costs too much. If you’re just cutting costs and cutting costs … when the upturn comes you don’t have the people or the structure in place to respond.

Everybody turns to cost cuts as a good way to go, or taking out numbers as a good way to go – but it’s got a huge cost in terms of brand damage and reputation and that’s one of the hardest thing to get back.

Strategy 5

Avoid layoffs and utilize alternative measures first as a means to cut costs.

Lay-offs must be the very last resort. It has such a huge impact on the culture of a company and people don't forget.

It impacts staff motivation and although productivity may not be impacted short-term, in the long-term loyalty gets affected, work satisfaction gets affected, innovation gets very much affected.

You have all these negative aspects which sometimes are very difficult to quantify. You spend years and decades building a corporate culture and then a bump occurs in the economic cycle and managers jump straight to employee lay-offs.

While lay-off are not always wrong, companies must look for a solution that is creative, that will work in the short, medium and long-term and keep in mind that the economic downturn is only temporary and will pick up again.

[Source: Human Resource Leader, 25 June 2009]

Not a recession , but a HE-cession......

2009-07-29T16:28:00.001-07:00

I came acorss this report on our current economic situation and found some suprising news for men.....

Although the recession is hitting Canadians hard across the country, a new CCPA report reveals that men are taking the biggest hit when it comes to loss of employment.

Canada's "He-cession": Men bearing the brunt of rising unemployment, by Income Inequality Project director Trish Hennessy and Senior Economist Armine Yalnizyan, shows that 71% of those who have lost their jobs in the recession so far are men.

The report notes that this recession differs from those of the 1980s and 90s, which ushered in the 'freedom 55' era of golden handshakes for older workers. By contrast there were actually 78,000 more workers aged 55 and over in June than there were at the beginning of the recession, a 3% increase since October.

"Most of the workers deprived of their jobs in this recession (63%) are between the ages of 25 and 55," Yalnizyan says. "Workers under 25, who make up 15% of the labour market, account for more than one third (37%) of job reductions since October."

The report also notes that Ontario accounts for two-thirds (66.4%) of all jobs eliminated to date in this recession, driving the province's unemployment rate to its highest in 15 years.

"The recession is affecting Canadians from all walks of life and all parts of the country, but it could easily be portrayed as an Ontario-cession, an age-cession, and, above all, a he-cession," says Yalnizyan.

To read more of this report, visit policyalternatives.ca

Recognition in a Dowturn

2009-07-28T10:35:00.000-07:00

Rewarding and recognizing performance is especially important in a downturn.

The economic downturn has impacted on companies and their approach to reward and recognition in a variety of ways. Some companies have actually increased their spend and efforts to reward and recognize staff in a bid to boost performance, some have kept their investment in such programs steady, while others have rationalized their spend as part of cost-cutting programs across the entire organization.

Most companies have maintained their commitment to rewards and recognition, despite others cutting back. Still, companies realize that recognition, maybe less so reward, is an integral part of business. Despite economic conditions, companies still realize that they need to invest in their teams.

Recognition plays an important role in an economic down turn. There are people who have missed out on bonuses or who are missing out on pay rises as a result of a pay freezes, but one thing companies can do is to continue to recognize their people. The authenticity of how an acknowledgement is made is really, really important – much more so than an award that someone gets just because they’ve spent so many years with a company.

Improving discretionary performance is important in an economic downturn – a particularly good time to make a strategic investment in performance improvement. When employees perform better, the company performs better and while there has been some affect on non-sales generating areas, companies are still recognizing that the people generating income need to be motivated. Those sorts of programs haven’t been affected either on the incentive or rewards side.

Return on investment

Return on investment in reward and recognition programs is being scrutinized more closely in the downturn. Companies are looking more closely at the level of return, which also needs to be more tangible than it has been in the past. Most companies, now more than ever, have a clear understanding the reward and recognition program they have in place and what they want out of it. Companies don’t run them just because it’s good to look after employees.

The ROI on an incentive program is obvious: low fixed cost element and a high variable cost element, so that when people generate revenue, such programs pay for themselves because people are hitting their targets. It doesn’t really matter what the budget is, however, with a smaller budget you have to be more clever about how you put the elements of the program together.

Boosting discretionary effort is vital in tough times, and companies need to think about the “loyalty mirror. The more the workforce is engaged, the higher the customer loyalty, and this absolutely goes to profit and the bottom line. Gallup has given us the figures. Engaged employees deliver 27 per cent higher profit, 50 per cent higher sales and 50 per cent higher customer loyalty. So it’s just a commercial decision,” she says.

Human Resources’ role in reward and recognition

HR is in a prime position to help make the most of any reward and recognition programs. Now, more than ever, leadership teams want increased discretionary effort. And the only way to get that is if people feel engaged with the organization.

To get engagement you've got to go through the three basic steps. Firstly, do people have all the performance development tools hat people need - that's the HR role. Secondly, are people emotionally connected to the organization? And, thirdly, are they connected to the brand?

Te key role for HR is in championing an initiative to the executive team to help them understand how reward and recognition can contribute to a broader strategy. HR has to put it in the context of the business. Obviously there is a cost to such programs, and, if these come into question, HR's role is in helping the business understand the non-financial benefits.

Elements of successful reward and recognition

Reward behaviour as well as performance, because behaviours such as exhibiting company values or excelling in customer service contribute to outcomes.
Everyone should have access to the reward and recognition program - not just high achievers or sales professionals.
Increase frequency of rewards and recognition to reinforce positive performance and behaviour.

Secure strong executive support, so a company's leaders own and drive the program.

[Source: Human Resource Leader, 8 July 2009]

How To Write A Job Description

2009-07-14T15:43:00.000-07:00

The primary purpose of a job description is to identify the essential functions of the position to potential candidates for hire. It is not the same as, nor should it be used for, a Job Advertisement. Essential functions are those tasks or functions of a particular position that are fundamental, as opposed to marginal.

Knowing the essential functions of the job will aid you in:
· attracting the appropriate pool of candidates
· writing relevant interview questions; and
· determining whether a person is qualified to perform the essential functions

WHAT ARE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS?

In identifying essential functions, be sure to consider (1) whether employees in the position actually are required to perform the function, and (2) whether removing that function would fundamentally change the job.

Several reasons why a function could be considered essential:
· the position exists to perform the function (e.g., if you hire someone to proofread documents, the ability to proofread accurately is an essential function, since this is the reason that the position exists);
· there are a limited number of other employees available to perform the function, or among whom the function can be distributed (e.g., it may be an essential function for a file clerk to answer the telephone if there are only three employees in a very busy office, and each employee has to perform many different tasks);
· a function is highly specialized, and the person in the position is hired for special expertise or ability to perform it (e.g., a company expanding its business with Japan is hiring a new salesperson, so requires someone not only with sales experience, but also with the ability to communicate fluently in the Japanese language).

To identify the essential functions of the job, first identify the purpose of the job, and the importance of actual job functions in achieving this purpose. In evaluating the "importance" of job functions, consider, among other things, the frequency with which a function is performed, the amount of time spent on the function, and the consequences if the function is not performed.

To determine whether or not a particular function is essential; use these guidelines:
· your own judgment as the hiring manager;
· the amount of time spent on the job performing that function; and
· the availability of others in the department to fill in for the person who performs that function.

In defining the essential functions of a job, it is also important to distinguish between methods and results. For example, is the essential function moving a fifty pound box from one part of the lab to another, or is it carrying the box? While essential functions need to be performed, they often do not need to be performed in one particular manner (unless doing otherwise would create an undue hardship).

WRITING THE JOB DESCRIPTION

So now it's time to write the job description. Have you carefully thought about what is REALLY needed? Is there tolerance for a new person's learning curve? There are certain important elements that are of great importance; include these in each job description.

In summary:
· List all the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the job; divide them into requirements and preferences
· The requirements listed on the job description must support the essential functions, and serve as the primary criteria for selecting/rejecting candidates
· Don't lock yourself into strict requirements that may prevent you from considering qualified candidates. Consider substitutions (ex., 4 years of professional experience or a bachelor's degree)

Salary Negotiations

2009-07-03T13:32:00.000-07:00

SALARY NEGOTIATIONS

Talking about money during the hiring process can feellike being in a contest on a nerve-wracking game show. Job candidates who prepare before the interview and adhere to some specific principles during the negotiation will eliminate much of the guesswork in the equation and come out of the interview feeling like you handled it professionally and have a better idea of what the position offers.

Before the Interview

For most hospitality management roles, the salary negotiation will take place at the last interview. That can be the 2nd or 5th interview, depending on the process with the hiring company. You can expect an offer on the spot at the end of the interview or sent to you in writing the next day should you be the chosen one. In any event, get your ducks in a row - know what you want and prioritize what's most important to you in your next role --money, more responsibility, work/life balance, a shorter commute, corporate culture-- before you begin interviewing.

Use a salary calculator, ie www.payscale.com, or locate an industry association contact that can provide you with relevant compensation information. This will also help you know that jobs you apply for pay well enough for you. Remember, however, that variables such as company size, economic conditions, and availability of qualified candidates in the market need to be factored into your information-gathering process.

Keep in mind that companies typically have salary ranges budgeted for specific roles within the organization. Exceptions aren't all that common. The only flexible items in a job offer may come down to things other than salary -- a signing bonus, moving up your review date, additional vacation time -- and could be an alternative to a higher salary.

Be prepared. You should be ready to convince the recruiter that you are worth the dollar amount at the higher end of the salary range. The easiest way to do this is to provide very specific examples of how you can add value to this organization -- just like you've done throughout your entire career.

Be upfront. When asked about your compensation requirements during the initial telephone interview, let the recruiter know where you stand. "I'm looking at opportunities in the $60-70,000 range, but can be flexible for the right opportunity." It's acceptable to ask if you're in the correct range for the position, and important to know so that both parties can make an informed decision about moving forward without wasting time. Remember, the role of the recruiter differs at each organization, so don't underestimate the influence this person has on the decision-making process.

Be respectful. If an offer is presented that is lower than what you hoped, thank the presenter. Ask if there is any flexibility in one or two of the areas that you've identified as being a priority for you. Regardless of the answer, always say you need time to consider the offer. Don't start negotiating new terms immediately.

Be firm. If there is no flexibility in the offer, you can accept it as is, or politely refuse and walk away. If the company is flexible on your terms, agree on all the new details in one conversation so that you can move forward with the next step in the process -- signing and returning the written offer letter.

Above all, be professional. Your actions during the negotiation process will be remembered by everyone involved long after you're hired, and may be helpful when it comes time to ask for a raise. As before, early preparation is the key to success in getting the salary you want.

Avoiding the "Overqualified" Label

2009-06-24T11:42:00.000-07:00

Most hospitality candidates preparing for a job interview worry about whether they'll be able to come off as experienced, educated, and a personality "fit" enough to make a positive impression on hotel and restaurant corporate managers. But job seekers with substantial schooling or a lengthy work history often face the opposite problem.

Highly qualified candidates in the industry are sometimes forced to grapple with the stigma of being labeled “overqualified.” Often, hiring managers who encounter an applicant with a bounty of education or experience fear that they will be unable to meet the candidate’s salary requirements or other job expectations.

Having recruited in the industry for many years, I've come to understand people have various life/work factors where an "overqualified" candidate will apply for a less senior role with full awareness of a change in salary, work hours, work expectations, and work environment. These various factors, such as a new child in the home, relocation to a smaller community, downsizing to have more free time, are motivating factors that come to outweigh the step down.

According to human resources and staffing consultant Ken Gaffey, the phrase “overqualified” is often a code word that hiring managers use to express concern about a candidate’s fitness for the position. In order to get past the “overqualified” stigma and land your dream job, you have to be able to discern the true source of the hiring manager’s hesitation -- and then move in to neutralize it. These tips can help you move past the overqualified label and sail to success in your next interview:

1. Address the situation directly.
If there’s a special reason why you’re in the market for a lower-level position, it might help to discuss it upfront. For example, if you’re looking to establish yourself in a new field, or if you want to reduce your work schedule, let the hiring manager know.

2. Put your skill set front and center.
A great way to dodge the overqualified label is to take the focus off of your career path as a whole, and instead emphasize the skills and abilities you’ve picked up along the way. The functional résumé format – which job search gurus often recommend to recent grads and inexperienced jobseekers – may be the best option for highly qualified candidates, as well.

3. Signal your flexibility on salary.
One of the major reasons hiring managers shy away from highly experienced candidates is the perception that their salary expectations will be out of line with the position. If you recognize the difference in salary for the position you're applying, let the hiring manager know from the get-go how your expectations fit their range. Emphasize your unique value to the organization.

4. Make it clear that personality won’t be a problem.
The hiring manager may be worried that you won’t be able to work effectively alongside less-experienced peers. To allay these concerns, choose answers that will help you cast yourself as a humble team player who can get along well with people from all walks of life.

5. Let them know you’re in it for the long haul.
It’s often assumed that highly qualified candidates are just looking for a temporary job to tide them over until something better comes along. Leave no doubt that you intend to dedicate yourself long-term in your new role and that the company values speak to your professional goals and how you can help them achieve sucess.

Like many obstacles you’ll face in your job search, being “overqualified” is only a problem if you don’t take the opportunity to turn it around to your advantage! By carefully highlighting your skills and thinking strategically about ways to minimize the potential for problems, you’ll be able to turn this perceived liability into a strength.

For those "overqualified" candidates that have been on a long-term career path and now searching for a new position, you might want to hone your interview skills with our free Online Interview Prep Course. Email us to set up access at info@targetprofessionals.com.

The Spirit of Hospitality

2009-06-17T17:24:00.000-07:00

You may not be particularly religious, but this article is a compelling perspective on the hospitality industry and very thought provoking. Although I've adapted and shortened this, it's still long, yet worth the effort....

"The Christian humanization of work: job satisfaction in the hospitality industry."
by James Spillane written in 2001 for Review of Business

The tourism sector is the largest industry in the world. Today it is estimated to provide about 255 million jobs and amounts to 10 percent of world employment. It has now grown into a modern, mature industry where workers are forming their professional identity. These "hospitality professionals" are primarily concerned with customer satisfaction.

Workers in the service sector find the fruits of their labor are frequently intangible. In some cases, their emotions are involved. One can easily broaden management guru Peter Drucker's concept of "the knowledge worker" to include "the emotion worker," who must deal with people on a more interpersonal level. In our modem, service-oriented society, there is a need for literature devoted to the special needs of this kind of worker, especially in the area of "spirituality of work"

By its very nature, hospitality work has a spiritual dimension. Of all industries, it is the most intensely interactive, with people serving people and providing comfort, sustenance, conviviality, transport, amusement, enlightenment, employment and much more. Given the complexity of human behavior, concerns about the work's spiritual dimension can be neither ignored nor hidden. For this reason, perhaps the most challenging of all hospitality industry problems today is not so much job satisfaction as a proper spirituality of work.

In short, the challenge is to help hospitality professionals find genuine meaningfulness in their work.

Spirituality of Work

Today people are less and less sure about what "work" really means. Their expectations of work, especially getting it and enjoying it, are now matters of both deep anxiety and mundane reality. There are several reasons for this. First, there are high unemployment rates in industrialized societies. For many people in modern society, work is no longer something that happens in a fixed place during a fixed unit of time, producing a fixed output and reward (5). Come points out how societies frequently define human beings in terms of the work they perform (7). The question "what do you do?" is a central one in many people's lives.

Religion teaches that work is its own reward, and that it will lead a person toward the virtuous life, if not salvation. Work is the natural course of action a human follows to find his or her role, niche, position, and the shape of his or her soul. Therefore, steady employment, a life in which one's lot continually improves, sits as the cornerstone of rational and calculable human action. It may well be the cornerstone of physical and mental health as well. How can it not shape the nature of spirituality?

It is in the work and working that a person's consciousness takes shape and life reveals its meaning. For it is in working that a person believes he or she has made sense of life's mystery and has found reasonable ways to avoid vexing metaphysical questions. For the content and structure of a person's consciousness, story and spirit remain his or her work, or lack of it.

Faith and the World of Work. Wright points out that many contemporary Christians experience some discomfort when they seek to relate their faith to the world of work, especially the work of wealth creation in industry, commerce and other services (27). The workplace is perceived as a Godless and even immoral part of their human condition. As a result, many people feel the need to find consistency between their work and the rest of their life.

Why should one be concerned with the relationship between faith, work, and the world of wealth creation and provision of services? First of all, work is where most people spend a great deal of their time. Second, the creation of wealth and provision of services are the processes whereby all people survive on this earth, since they serve to satisfy their needs and wants.

Finally, and most important, there is a unique Christian truth and revelation: the Incarnation. Christians believe that, in Jesus, God became human at a particular moment of time and lived on this same earth that we inhabit. Jesus was very much involved in the world of work of his day. Many of his stories came from everyday life and the workplace. The world of work and wealth creation is very clearly part of God's creation, and God took part in these very activities. Hence, there is a need to relate them to our Christian beliefs and to face up to any discomfort we perceive and feel in doing so.

The Nature of Spirituality

Spirituality has become a broad, inclusive term that is no longer confined to, or defined by, religion. It names a human reality difficult to define but whose patterns can be verified in quite different religions and movements. Spirituality now focuses on the human spirit of believers and non-believers in their lives as a whole; that is, on the physical and emotional, the intellectual and social, the political and cultural, and the secular and religious dimensions of their lives.
According to Thompson, a person's spirituality is individual and collective, and reflects how a person responds to God's initiative while facing the challenges of everyday life within his or her specific historical and cultural environment (25).

Faith, Love and Hope Replace Obedience. According to Regan, personal development of healthy human qualities occupies a more central position in one's personal outlook toward spirituality today (19). Accepting what is authentically human leads people to use their native talents, creative expressions and heightened personal initiatives. On the other hand, anything that dehumanizes a service provider or "receiver" in the hospitality industry is viewed as unChristian. This approach allows more emphasis on an individual's personal response of his or her religious and inner values, both human and Christian. Empowerment, decentralization, co-responsibility and subsidiarity become the new hallmarks of what was once viewed as religious "obedience."

With today's personal response-to-inner values approach, there's a greater emphasis placed on personal responsibility and individuality. In this approach to the spiritual life, a person is viewed as entering a profession or a community to develop oneself fully in the service of Christ and neighbor, to put one's full talents at the disposal of people, and to take part in and share responsibility for the Church and for the community itself. Rather than obedience, selfless charity becomes the primary Christian virtue. Life itself is seen as a response of love to God and in the neighbor in accordance with Jesus' teaching. This approach seems particularly appropriate for hospitality professionals, whose training now emphasizes their empowerment to make decisions by themselves.

It is not easy to affirm the dignity of work and the worker when the characteristic form of work in an industrial society is symbolized by the assembly line. Repetitively carrying out a mechanical task gives faint image of the worker as a sharer in God's creative activity. It was much easier to promote the Christian vision of labor in a pre-industrial society when the dominant form of work was a craft, with the worker involved in the entire production process. The same is true of work in the service sector, including the hospitality industry.

New work structures, therefore, pose challenges, but also offer opportunities. To be efficient, the new workplace requires employees to take pride in their work and each other, and promoting such feelings can provide multiple benefits for any manager. It fosters loyalty toward the firm and one's fellow workers. At the same time, the experience of building solidarity vindicates a traditional Christian understanding of the dignity of the human person. For Wright, the starting point for a Christian perspective on the world of work is Teilbard's divinization of human activity (27). The Incarnation substantially strengthens that perception, showing that the tension and paradox in the human condition are part of our working lives.

Work is an act of self-giving directed toward the good of others. Work consists primarily of cultivating and care, in bringing forth new life. Work should basically be a joyful activity, even though it often entails fatigue and pain. Don't forget, though, that rest and leisure are good, too, and are, in their own way, integral to the work process.

Spirituality of Work for Hospitality Professionals

There are many qualities of life rooted in the example of Jesus, with three basic qualities specifically reflecting Jesus' life of hospitable service to others: responsiveness, competence and respect.

Underlying Jesus' desire to serve those in need were sensitivity, adaptability and willingness that are today basic building blocks for an apostolic spirituality of hospitality. Sensitivity to the situation at hand is essential if a hospitality professional's response is to be effective. Adaptability to the situation as it changes is also essential if their response is to be appropriate. Willingness to be involved is essential if their response is to be consistent Ultimately, the driving force behind this responsiveness is compassion, which is not the same as pity. The true core of compassion is the urgency to act. Compassion never merely observes; it initiates and interacts. In Jesus' work, compassion is second only to love. On the other hand, when personal benefit becomes the primary goal of service in the hospitality industry, this compassion gives way to conceit.

Competence shapes the overall effectiveness of our response. However sensitive, adaptable and willing that response maybe, its lasting effect must reflect competence. Service industries require a level of competence quite different from that in agricultural or manufacturing work. The hospitality industry revolves around two separate realities: material variables and personal variables. Material variables differ among the various areas of the hospitality industry, but they generally include some common elements. First, there is a body of living knowledge, with new information replacing old on a regular basis. (I use the word "living" in the sense of growing and changing.) Second, there are natural or acquired skills that enable hospitality professionals to use their knowledge. Third, there are the willingness, capacity and commitment to acquire new and refined skills to match developments within the field of knowledge now called hospitality, leisure or tourism studies. Finally, there are resources necessary for hospitality professionals to use skills with knowledge. Personal variables for hospitality professionals include the personalities, preferences and predicaments of those they serve.

Respect is characterized by a hospitality professional's recognition of each person's uniqueness. It is their affirmation of the dignity of each person, a dignity based on their creation as God's image and likeness, as well as their efforts to listen, communicate and interact through ways and means consistent with that uniqueness and dignity. Work in the hospitality industry brings professionals to encounters and interactions with many people. Respect reminds them that, regardless of what they have to do in the work of hospitality, the value of a human being can never be compromised.

The driving force behind respect is love. Christian spirituality should acknowledge the goodness of all that is human. Emotions, sexuality, temperament, personality and the prayer life should all enter into the Christian response of the whole person. Development and fulfillment of these truly human aspects should be incorporated into any authentic approach to the Christian spirituality of work in the hospitality industry.

Job Satisfaction in the Hospitality Industries

The "rational" parts of any organization put a high value on efficiency. All jobs and tasks should be designed to achieve the organization's goals as efficiently as possible. Jobs are specialized along two dimensions: horizontally (restricting the range of different tasks) and vertically (restricting the range of control and decision-making over job activities). Job specialization is most obvious at the operating levels of organizations. However, highly specialized work can injure the well-being of workers and thus poses an important problem of justice for employers (for example, unskilled workers without freedom of choice). Such injustice can actually lead to decreased productivity.

On the other hand, there is a significant link between worker productivity and programs that improve the quality of the work life of workers by giving greater involvement in, and control over, a variety of work tasks. Velasquez [26] points out that there are two determinants of job satisfaction:

1. Experienced Meaningfulness. The individual must perceive his or her work as worthwhile or important by some system of values he or she accepts.

2. Knowledge of Results. The worker must be able to determine, on some regular basis, whether or not the outcomes of his or her work are satisfactory.

To influence these determinants, jobs must be expanded along five dimensions:

1. Skill Variety. The degree to which a job requires the worker to perform activities that challenge his or her skills and abilities.

2. Task Identity. The degree to which the job requires completing a whole and identifiable piece of work -- doing a job from beginning to end with a visible outcome.

3. Task Significance. The degree to which a job has a substantial and perceivable impact on the lives of other people, whether in the immediate organization or the world at large.

4. Autonomy. The degree to which the job gives the worker freedom, independence and discretion in scheduling work and determining how he or she will carry it out

5. Feedback. The degree to which a worker, in carrying out the work activities required by the job, gets information about the effectiveness of his or her efforts.

Traditionally, employees have relied on their supervisors for task guidance and good feelings--especially consideration and being treated like adults in order to perform their jobs both well and happily. Schneider and Bowen point out that when employees do not get this from their supervisors, they may turn to customers as "substitutes for leadership"

(20). Customers may be given a say in designing the organization that produces the goods and services. With services, it's often possible--and desirable--for customers to actually participate in production.

But the problem is that customers are not subject to the same kinds of fears, commitments and structures as employees, so they are very difficult to manage. To best capitalize on customer competencies, management must be able to:

1. Explicitly determine exactly what role/job they want their customer to perform.

2. Ensure that customers have what it takes to perform their jobs well through role clarity, ability and motivation.

3. Regularly appraise customer performance.

Service customers also often play the roles of directors, guides and even "order-givers" for employees. Customers play a dual leadership role by providing employees with guidance and providing them with positive feelings. There are two reasons. First, the employees' supervisors tend not to provide the guidance and good feelings they should. Second, customers of service firms feel they have a right to give orders. Employees like the positive feelings they receive from customers but do not like customers telling them what to do.

The lesson here is fairly simple but too often overlooked: Feedback is a critical part of job enrichment. Service firms need to think creatively about how to respond to these opposite reactions to customers' leadership behaviors. Customers can be trained to be a source of good feelings for employees and, at the same time, socialized to limit task direction over employees. Although management may have great "legitimate influence" over its employees, service work puts employees closer to their customers and, therefore, more involved with the kinds of rewards they receive and the distribution of those rewards. When a hospitality enterprise meets the various needs of employees through rewards--dispersed equitably and fairly--customers will experience superior service quality as well.

Combining Job Satisfaction with Spirituality for Hospitality Professionals

Mainardi has pointed out that hospitality professionals are dependent on contact with, and reception of, the public (14). Therefore, they presuppose some degree of availability toward the client, a considerable margin of initiative and a generally strong sense of personal responsibility. In fact, employees in the tourist transaction play an intermediary role between the industry's structure and its clientele. This role is particularly decisive in achieving the results desired by both sides. AM these situations are undoubtedly favorable to bearing witness to the spirit and practice of the Gospel before others.

The hospitality professional's conduct is not only circumscribed by the material manifestations of the tourist industry. It must also be determined by psychological and ethical factors aimed at completely satisfying the tourist's wishes. Tourists want to be treated differently--better--than they are normally treated in their daily routines (e.g., with tradesmen, fellow workers, etc.). Furthermore, there is substantial evidence that customers like to interact directly with people in the tourism trade, not machines. This is also unavoidable, since providing tourist services without human assistance remains inconceivable.

This contact with the hurried or solitary traveler enables tourist professionals to reveal their own personalities--both as expert and human being--responding to each client's unique wishes via their own mental attitude, manner, initiative and creativity. The human person is truly the central and fundamental point of the tourism industry, with the economic aspect clearly secondary.

Simon used the concept of satisficing behavior to accommodate the balancing act of achieving multiple objectives in human behavior (21). Normative economics fails to include some of the central problems of conflict and dynamics. Simon attacks the hypothesis that firms strive to maximize profits for three key reasons: (1) The theory leaves ambiguous whether it is short-run or long-run profit that is to be maximized; (2) The entrepreneur may obtain all kinds of "psychic income" from the firm apart from monetary rewards; and (3) the entrepreneur may simply want to earn a satisfactory return, not looking to maximize gains. Simon points out that "economic man" is a satisficing animal whose problem-solving is based on his or her search to meet certain aspiration levels, rather than a "maximizing animal" whose problem-solving involves finding the best alternatives in terms of specified criteria This is certainly true in the case of the hospitality professional who seeks job satisfaction rather than merely looking to maximize salary.

The true mark of hospitality professionalism is excellence on the technical level and fellowship toward the client on the moral level. Such a global commitment involves a wide range of material services and mental attitudes in welcoming, guiding and assisting the tourist It also opens up more far-reaching horizons to practice Christian witness in so many privileged circumstances--in the form of personal contacts, conversations, exchanges of view, good conduct, etc. Nevertheless, this world also brings a lot of "baggage" with it for most people in the tourist and similar industries. Such difficulties include stress, high anxiety, burn out, low social status, feeling like a "hired host," low pay, tensions between career and one's personal and family life, as well as high turnover and mobility.

In professional activity, a concrete and unmistakable sign of integrity is to observe professional ethics. In other words, professionals should conduct their business honestly--giving clients the right amount of service and goods proportionate to their requested price. Whether you're talking about a travel agency or a tour company, a hotel or a restaurant, personal service must focus on the needs of the beneficiary of hospitality--i.e., the client Specifically, the 10 dimensions of service quality are: reliability, responsiveness, competence, access, courtesy, communication, credibility, security, understanding/knowing the customer, and tangibles that include the physical evidence of the service.

Generally speaking, hospitality clients are not equipped with the controls and consumer protections many other customers enjoy when they purchase industrial products. With the exception of large-scale fraud, it is, in fact, very difficult for clients to contest the quality of tourist goods or services purchased. In the majority of cases, the tourist client is thus put in an inferior position. That's why it's all too easy for hospitality professionals to "swindle" and behave in unjust and dishonest ways. This is a recurrent risk faced even by the well-intentioned, and one that can only be dispelled if the will to bear witness is cultivated systematically in the depths of the individual conscience.

Regard toward the client's "person" can--and should--be demonstrated by imbuing him or her with a sense of psychological and physical well-being, and by being willing to serve. Customers should also benefit from: material protection of their person and possessions, the constant good functioning of the tourism facilities, professional correctness and an effort by service providers to achieve maximum standards of hygiene (in food and environment). Modern managerial conduct should also aim to overcome the "coldness" and lack of intimacy typical of bureaucratic organizations. What's more, the influence exerted by hospitality managers and their staff may play a significant role in "educating" clients in the use of tourism, whether aimed at recreation or any creative endeavor. In the words of Paul VI, we should strive to "humanize and spiritualize tourism."

I've Got Attitude!

2009-06-10T22:52:00.000-07:00

We all know how tough the economy is currently, but it's toughest on skilled hospitality professionals that have been looking for work for an extended time. So now more than ever, your attitude is so important in an industry where it plays such a major factor any day.

How much does having the right attitude affect your career development, getting a job, or fitting in with the company culture? A positive attitude is the cause of a successful job search, not the result, esecially in this industry where quality of people interaction is paramount.

If you're looking for work, it's just common sense that the more negative you are about your own abilities, your job prospects, the companies you apply to work for, and life in general, the less likely you are to land a job. Employers want people who believe in themselves and their skills, who want to work, who want to work for them, and who generally have a positive attitude.

While maintaining a positive attitude is vital to a successful job search, the sluggish economy will make it discouraging. It may seem impossible to revive that positive energy level, but there are many things you can do to bring your rosy outlook back to life and keep it in good shape.

Number one is to feel good about yourself and yur skills and work achievements. This is the key to a positive attitude, and all the points that follow are ways of helping you feel good about yourself.

Speak positively about yourself and your abilities. You know the story about the little engine that could, right? What you believe about yourself is the foundation of all your future actions.

Take charge! Accept responsibility for your life and your job search. It is not up to your mother, father, girlfriend or boyfriend, or your aunt Zelda in Jasper to find you a job. Although your network can be a definite help, YOU are responsible for the success of your job search.

Don't focus on regrets or perceived mistakes. Instead of blaming yourself and constantly rehashing past mistakes, take the opportunity to learn from the past. Build on past experiences to improve yourself and your abilities. You should remind yourself that the current hospitality market is very much an employees one and many are putting the bottom line first and avoiding hiring until it's absolutely necessary - it's not personal and likely not a commentary about your skills.

Stop worrying about the future. While you don't want to live in the past, you also don't want to live in the future. Worrying is a habit, and you can change the habit if you really try. If you find yourself stuck in a negativity rut, shovel yourself out by focusing on your hopes and dreams rather than on your fears. Hiring managers have many ways of knowing when a candidate does not bring a positive attitude to the interview.

Flatter yourself. The job search is no time to be humble. Read every complimentary thing about yourself that you can find. Letters of praise, past awards, performance appraisals, or any other positive recognitions you have are good ways to remind yourself of your worth and talents. Paste these things on a wall or a bulletin board in your work area to boost your spirits whenever you feel a little down.

Start each day on a positive, upbeat note. The start of your day will set the tempo for everything that follows. Do something every morning that will put you in a good mood, whether that is taking a walk, listening to some upbeat music, doing a crossword, or just relaxing with a good cup of coffee.

Get physical! You've heard the saying, "healthy body, healthy mind." Keeping yourself healthy and in good physical shape will boost your energy level and make it easier to maintain a positive mental attitude.

Develop a plan each day of job hunting goals to accomplish. Sticking to your schedule as closely as possible will provide focus to your job search. Might I suggest talking to your friendly hosptiality recruiter to start?

Keep up appearances. While nobody expects you to wear a suit and tie every day on your job search, try not to dress too casually.

Get networking on-line and locally and join an association to keep up to date on developments and trends. It will help you develop your network and put you in contact with people that have interests similar to yours and to know others are in a similar situation. A positive attitude is contagious so surround yourself with supportive, positive people.

Finally, be sure to reward yourself for your job hunting efforts and do something enjoyable and relaxing that will take your mind off job hunting. Remember that nothing ever stays the same and the hospitality market in the West has had many ups and downs that we have come through successfully and your positive attitude will ensure just that.

Make That a Vegetarian Soup?

2009-06-08T13:57:00.000-07:00

A Funny Chef Video to start our workweek.......

Loooking for Hospitality Work? ....Get Another Life!?

2009-06-01T09:21:00.000-07:00

You know about the online, interactive game called Second Life? Can you get your head around the idea of people looking for work while playing Second Life? Seems like a contradiction to me. People playing Second Life want to get away from "real life" don't they? So, why on earth would they look for work while playing a game? Maybe I need to learn more about this game, but in the meantime, I thought I'd provide you with a look at an Austrailian recruitment company that's advertising in Second Life for hospitality jobs....

CORPORATE "SECOND LIFE" OFFICE

JOB HUNTER?

CORPORATE "SECOND LIFE" TEAM

SPA JOB AD

Crazy world out there. Who would have thought 5 years ago that recruitment for hospitality jobs would happen in a game?

Restaurants That Make You Green

2009-05-25T19:08:00.000-07:00

When I say green restaurants, I'm not referring to ones that will make you sick. What I mean is eateries that are mindful of their environmental impact when conducting the business of feeding people.

I just found this fantastic site called, "Green Table" and if you care about taking cloth bags when you shop for groceries, or avoid buying bottled water(gesh), or even compost at home....then you'll want to visit the restaurants listed on Green Table.

Who doesn't need a good excuse to eat out like taking care of the environment? And if you run a restaurant and want to know how to go green and save green bucks along with it, they can help you do that.

Check out their website at greentable[dot]net. Here's a sneak peak from their website of what it's all about:

From food courts to fine dining, family-owned independents to brand name chains, it starts with the conscious desire of a growing number of chefs and restaurateurs for clear, measurable steps to effectively reduce their operations' impact on the environment.

In completing the Green Table process, a foodservice operator can demonstrate significant, measurable results from front to back, including:

- reduced waste and more recycling
- efficient energy use and water conservation
- fewer pollutants and more eco-friendly practices
- more products and services that benefit the local economy

In a few simple steps, every Green Table member operation annually(on average)can:

- reduce water use by 120,000L
- divert more than 5 tonnes of organic waste from landfill to compost
- conserve 3,000 kWh electricity and 100gj natural gas
- reduce its greenhouse gas impacts by 10 tonnes.

Count me in!

Can A Monkey Do Your Job?

2009-05-24T21:05:00.000-07:00

For all the restaurant managers out there.....who needs foreign workers?

Self-regulation by Food Companies

2009-05-24T10:30:00.000-07:00

I thought some of you foodies might be interested in excerpts of an article on food safety and self-regulation. It was written by Terry Pugh, published in the CCPA Monitor for April 2009...

"The listeriosis crisis that claimed the lives of at least 20 Caadians last summer and fall could have bee prevented, according to the President of the Agriculture Union, a component of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC).

Bob Kingston told the annual convention of the National Farmers' Union (NFU) that the deregulation of feed safety inspections jeopardizes the health of Canadians.

Kingston said that, prior to the listeriosis outbreak, a Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) employee was fired for letting his union see a confidential letter that was sent by the federal Treasury Board to the CFIA.

'This letter outline future Harper government plans to cut back on inspections in slaughter facilities' he said. 'They were proposing to shift fulltime meat inspection to just an oversight role.'

Kingston said the changes to the inspection system were brought in after much lobbying by the food industry to reduce government monitoring.

'When the HAACP quality management systems were introduced in meat processing plants, the large companies such as Maple Leaf argued that having these programs in place should mean less inspection, because they were now in a position to ensure compliance with health requirements on their own.

Kingston said the inspection system is 'overburdened' because inspectors have too much paperwork and too many facilities to cover to enable them to do effective inspections.

'In the old days, the inspectors would have slowed down a production line until the problem was fixed. They would have had a chat with the foreman and they would have corrected the problem before they even left the plant. But that doesn't happen any more. Instead of their conducting regular pre-operation or sanitation inspections, the plant employees now do these inspections themselves, with the CFIA inspectors reading about it when they get the time.'

Under the old system, Kingston added, processing plants were automatically required to report positive listeria finds to the inspector in charge, but under the new system that is no longer a requirement.

Some observers still believe there is nothing wrong with food companies regulating themselves, given that it is so obviously in a company's best interests not to make their customers giet sick or die. But Kingston said it is naive to think the profit motive alone will guarantee safe food.

'Any inspector who has been around for a while can tell many stories that disprve that theory,' he said. 'If the profit motive caused business people to act in their best long-term interests, we wouldn't have a worldwide banking crisis right now.

Economy of Lies?

2009-05-23T22:02:00.000-07:00

Would you tell a big, fat lie to get a job? Have you been bold-faced lied to in an interview? This past few weeks I've had more than the usual number of people lying to me in an interivew. What gives?

I think most managers realize that there will always be candidates that tell white lies, exaggerate their experience or make up a degree in the interview process. It's an understandable failing in confidence. However, since our "economic downturn", I've seem to have had an unusual number of people tell big lies that have had big consequences. Is there a correlation between bigger lies and the economy?

I'm not sure what's the issue but it's a real issue to me. When I call a candidate, it's my intention to do whatever I can, with all my knowledge and resources, to help that person find a position that will satisfy them and make them want to get up in the morning happy to go to work. Not just to pay the bills, not just to put in time, but to be truly happy. Sometimes that means putting what I would like to see happen aside. I take a personal interest in seeing candidates succeed. So, when someone tells me a big whopper it really chaps my hide. Let me explain.

I spoke with a guy this past week that seemed straight up, knowledgable, and ernest in his desire to work with a good company. I put him forward to the client. He was asked if he applied for a position with this company previously to which he replied, "no". My client let me know they had spoken to him directly before just three months ago and another recruiter put him forward recently as well. To add to the issue, there was someone else similar and I thought my client was confusing the two candidates. Here's the rub. I told my client he was confusing them and please take a look again because, by now, the candidate had twice said he didn't apply previously. In the end, my client sent an email the candidate wrote to him. Busted.

Busted, but to his credit, this candidate actually apologized for his lie and the trouble it caused. In the end however, this lie caused the most trouble for the candidate and it will carry with him for future career searches. That's too bad because he really needs a job in these tough times. Tough times can lead to drastic measures but do the means justify the ends?

If he reads this blog, or someone else who's tempted to lie to get a job does, let me end by quotingBuddha who said,"the only real failure in life is not to be true to the best one knows".

Seriously Funny Japanese Drinks

2009-05-14T19:00:00.000-07:00

If you've got a thirst for adventure, Japan is where you want to be.

Below is a list of soft drinks and beverages launched in Japan.....

Hot Calpis: the drink that makes you think - about NOT drinking it
Cue suave voiceover: "Next time you're out on the town with the one you love, treat her to a cup of Hot Calpis"... then trudge home alone after she pours it over your head. Yes, delicious Calpis - I can't even read it without grinning - is known as Calpico in other countries (for obvious reasons) and is one of Japan's most popular and enduring soft drinks .

Coolpis: Who wouldn't want to drink something with a name like Coolpis?
Ahh, refreshing Coolpis... THE soft drink to offer guests - before removing their blindfolds. Actually a Korean copy of the disturbingly named Calpis, Coolpis comes in Peach flavor and Kimchee flavor. Anyone for a Calpis vs. Coolpis taste test? We could call it a pis-ing contest.

Next,consider Water Salad... for what, we're not sure...

Water Salad is... well... salad-flavored water. You know, the stuff you get after centrifuging your rinsed romaine in the salad spinner. Funny, we pour it down the drain here; in Japan they can it and put it up for sale in a varied selection of flavors.

Diet Water: all the taste and none of the calories of regular water. Huh?

And now, from the "selling ice to the Eskimos" department, we bring you Diet Water: the soft drink for the soft headed. "None of that rich, fattening Perrier for me, I'm serious about shedding pounds!" Not to mention shedding money. "Diet Water of the rich and famous"? We're not sure what the appeal of Diet Water is... maybe it has negative calories.

Canned Coffee = Canned Laughter
Canned coffee has been a staple of those omnipresent Japanese drink vending machines since the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Nothing wrong with the coffee itself, which is actually quite good. It's the wacky names (c/o engrish.com ) the manufacturers insist on giving it that elevates Japanese canned coffee.

BM Coffee - Nothing beats a good BM to start the day!

BJ Coffee - I stand corrected.

Deepresso Coffee - Is this the opposite of Espresso, or a coffee designed to bring down Type A personalities?

And that wraps up our list of bizarre Japanese Soft Drinks (from inventorspot[dot]com). Japan sure is a wonderful place.

Minibar: New Hospitality Trend Emerges With The Serve Yourself Bar

2009-05-14T18:51:00.001-07:00

Minibar: New Hospitality Trend Emerges With The Serve Yourself Bar

Posted using ShareThis

An Interview or CSI Investigation?

2009-05-12T23:06:00.000-07:00

As a recruiter in hospitality for many years, I've been privy to the interview mindset of clients looking for new management and executive candidates. While various styles of interviewing come and go, has it ever seemed to you more like a criminal investigation?

If you said, "Yes!", there's good reason it seemed that way. In my experience, some intervieews approach the interview with the vigour of the most experienced CSI Investigator, as though they just picked you up off the street holding a smoking gun and pleading innocence.

The conductor of this type of interview has taken passion for their work to a new level and lost the primary intention of an interview: to tease the best from the candidate, not the worst. They take great efforts to ask the most obscure questions, give test questions that are not at all related to the position, and probe into your home or personal life. All with the aim to find information to use against you. Amazingly, when an interview becomes criminal it's often not because of anything the candidate has done, but because the interviewee has gone far beyond the probing behavioural question.

Too often an interviewer may wander in with a test in hand and ask you to complete it. It doesn't matter that you'll never be expected to know more than half the answers in relation to the job.

Let's not forget the computer savvy that crawl over the internet for clever and obscure questions that appear to test the candidates' ability to solve problems under pressure. Even working in the front line of the busiest restaurant where the pressure is intense, you'll not likely be in a life and death wine corking horror: it just doesn't happen.

Let's be honest, if a candidate is a proficient liar, the interview is not where you'll catch them out: you're just going to catch normal people making small mistakes. Just like you and I do. And you wouldn't want your career to hang on one small mistake, would you?

So, instead of trying to find ways to trip up candidates, let's remember the first rule of interviewing: show the candidate the same level of respect that you'd want to be shown. Be pleasant and courteous and make an effort to put the candidate at ease: that way you'll get far more out of the interview and you'll be able to make an informed decision when it comes to making the final choice.

Of course one must take into account the business culture and whether or not the person sitting across from you can fit in and you should be able to determine that during the course of a well conducted interview and this should also form an important part of the decision making process.

Remember that first impressions are important and go both ways: just as you'd be aghast if a candidate walked in wearing shorts and sneakers, think about the impression you're making on them. You are the front-line representative of your business. Observe the fundamentals and the interview process should be more rewarding and fruitful. After all, even the ccused criminal on CSI gets a phone call.

When You Don't Tip Housekeeping Staff....

2009-05-04T15:22:00.000-07:00

Did you ever wonder what kinds of things happen when you're not in your hotel room? This short clip might give you an idea for those that don't tip the housekeeping staff....

Ready for the Interview?

2009-04-30T23:14:00.000-07:00

When an "economic downturn" becomes a reality in the minds of candidates and clients in the hospitality industry, one thing becomes a primary issue: interview behaviour.

Apparently candidates that have good management backgrounds, are educated, and present themselves well can disconnect somewhere along the line in their interviews with clients. Not good when clients are in a position to be selective about who they hire.

In any event, candidates looking for work need to be mindful of their interview skills. When you prepare for a marathon, you must wear the proper gear, know your strengths and the track, study the prize, stretch your muscles, etc. Likewise, for an interview, be aware of your appearance in dress and personal grooming, your demeanor, resume presentation and references, knowledge of the prospective employer. As well, it's going to work in your favour to acknolwedge the current market situation and how it affects your current and future aspirations with the company you join.

If you take the time to prepare for an interview as you would for a marathon, for example, you'll avoid some of the tragic pitfalls I've encountered as a recruiter. For instance, one candidate showed up for a restaurant management position wearing a baseball cap, another man didn't shave for an interivew for an Area Manager position, while another rambled on with chatter due to nerves. They were all politely declined by my clients.

Perhaps in a booming economy, with a small pool of qualified candidates, these mishaps by candidates would be overlooked, but not now. Candidates now need to ensure their interview behaviour is top notch and they're fully prepared because you really can't afford even one disconnect along the way. As a recruiter, I can sometimes help candidates in putting their best foot forward, ie: a free interview prep program online to stretch those interview muscles. Candidates need to use all their resources to be a successful candidate in difficult economic times. Good luck!

Pride and Job Hunting

2009-04-28T17:48:00.000-07:00

PRIDE AND JOB HUNTING

I thought I'd share something that happened today in the life of an hospitaity recruiter; me. It has to do with pride and looking for your next career move.

I spoke with a man today who's been actively looking for work and currently unemployed. He works in the hospitaity industry in Western Canada at the management level. The connundrum of pride came up in reference to looking for work, but first, let me tell what came before this issue.

We did a screening interview with him and I was following up on his search. He comes across as energetic, people-oriented, an experienced manager who has a history of stability, focusses on upgrading his skills with courses/training and he loves the industsry. All good so far, right?

In terms of career searching, he seems to doing everything right to get himself out there with networking, resume posting, and sending out applications. So why hasn't he landed a position?

I'll tell you why, in my recruiter opinion. This candidate told me he "has pride and wasn't going to call them if they didn't contact me". Ahh, one of the 7 deadly sins wreaking havoc in his ability to land a good job.

Although he's been looking for a significant period of time, he laughed after he told me this. He then went on to say that he's been starting to wonder if there's something wrong with his experience and work history that people are not making offers. Isn't it a shame that good people can sometimes get in their own way and not quite realize that's happening?

So,in the end I gave him the good news, then the bad so to speak.

We talked about where his efforts have been directed and I assured him he was doing a great job getting himself out there and that his experience is solid, his training was the best in the industry currently. I also told him about what the market is like for hospitality career seekers Western Canada now and gave him some new search ideas. A general attitude boost,and isn't that something we can all use when we're looking for work. It's so stressful and rejection can be so personal that we get depressed and look at what's wrong with us.

Then I dropped the bad news. I told him straight up that not receiving follow-up from an hiring organization is not personal and pride shouldn't be an issue at all. I gave him a few scenarios as to why orgnaizations sometimes don't respond to you resume, not the least of which is because they are pulling overtime covering the position that they posted! I emphasized to him that it's always a good idea to follow up with a phone call when you submit your resume. Pride has nothing to do with this, it's about making their job easier and demonstrating your ability to professionally following up.

And what happened to him? I'm not sure, but I think he did understand he could make those calls and not damage his sense of pride. Once he understood the circumstances that could interfere with a company calling him, he was relieved he could do more to be effective in his career search.

Historically, any one of the deadly sins is said to lead to damnation, but I hope now he'll be led to a great career move in hospitality!

Gen Y at Work

2009-04-22T10:45:00.000-07:00

This is the most straight-up clip on how Gen Y wants to work..... BTW, why is it Gen Y for Millennials???

Did Your Psychic Tell You To Call In Sick?

2009-04-20T18:24:00.000-07:00

How many of us can honestly say we’ve never called in sick under dubious circumstances? Not too many. Approximately 30% of workers have called in sick over a given year, at least once, when they’re perfectly well and taking their golf clubs to the course. How likely would your company be willing to provide that “sick” day if you didn’t make up a false excuse? Some employees and smart companies are realizing the benefits of workers being able to have the occasional mental health day.

In the hospitality industry, where we must provide customers with the utmost respect, professionalism and positive attitude at all times, this is especially relevant and could show some big dividends. We often feel the effects of a “revolving door” with frontline and management staff in this industry. Hotel, restaurant or Club Managers work longer hours than other industries that clock a 9-5 day, in a demanding, high paced, customer-driven atmosphere and then often take the paperwork home!

Many companies are aware that careful attention to the work/life balance of their employees boosts the bottom line. If an employee has time to attend to family, personal goals, exercise, their spirituality, and social network then they are going to be more alert, creative at work, more productive and more loyal.

Why not pay workers to pursue a creative hobby, or for mental health days? IBM, for instance, initiated a program in 2004 that actually paid workers to exercise. It’s a proactive approach instead of a reactive one to prevent real sick time off that can become very expensive for a company paying health benefits, covering flu shots, providing diabetes and high blood pressure tests and so on. Not to mention the various costs involved when you must hire and train new staff.

As with IBM, "more companies today are moving toward a Paid Time Off system, giving employees more flexibility in how they categorize time away from the office” says Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources at CareerBuilder.com.

However, if you find the company you work for does not seem open to the concept of a more balanced work/life, you might try one of the following true excuses from CareerBuilder’s survey:
· Employee didn’t want to lose the parking space in front of his house.
· Employee hit a turkey while riding a bike.
· Employee said he had a heart attack early that morning, but that he was “all better now."
· Employee donated too much blood.
· Employee’s dog was stressed out after a family reunion.
· Employee was kicked by a deer.
· Employee contracted mono after kissing a mailroom intern at the company holiday party and suggested the company post some sort of notice to warn others who may have kissed him.
· Employee swallowed too much mouthwash.
· Employee’s wife burned all his clothes and he had nothing to wear to work.
· Employee’s toe was injured when a soda can fell out of the refrigerator.
· Employee was up all night because the police were investigating the death of someone discovered behind her house.
· Employee’s psychic told her to stay home.

Source: For IBM Employees, Healthy Habits Pay Off, Literally, Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News, May 17, 2004. Source: One-Third of Workers Called In Sick with Fake Excuses in the Last Year, CareerBuilder.com’s Annual Survey, October, 2008.

Managing Your Work/Life Career in Hospitality

2009-04-19T18:32:00.000-07:00

"A century ago, economist Sydney J. Chapman predicted that, as the economies of Western nations grew and production became more intensive, the number of hours that people worked would decrease and be replaced with growing amounts of leisure time. Some theorists at the time were even concerned that the dramatic increase in the mechanization of production would mean that people would soon cease to work at all!
Ironically, we are putting in longer hours than ever and, for many, work-life balance is a thing of the past" from Mariel Angus (A Reduced Work Week, In Theory). This is especially true in the hospitality industry where longer work hours is considered the accepted norm - where other industries have a 35.5 or 40hr work week, hospitality's norm is 50hrs with the expectation of a further time commitment whenever necessary.

In Canada, our relative incomes have been going in a downward spiral since the '70's and, as a result, many people have no choice but to work longer hours or take on a second job to compensate for their reduced incomes. The average Canadian family is now working 200 hours more a year than they were just a decade ago.

The negative consequences of work life overshadowing our personal/family/leisure time has opened discussion to cap the work week at 40 hours or engage in a 4 day work week instead of 5. For example, Quebec has a labour standard of a 4 day work week under certain conditions and France recently experimented with a 7 hour work day.

The problem is that some have the inaccurate view that the more hours an employee works, the higher their productivity. If you combine this with our high-bandwidth lifestyles – BlackBerry, laptop and Wi-Fi – some people are never clocking off. Human beings simply are not designed to be wound up like tightly coiled springs. Overstretched employees are more likely to suffer from ill health and high levels of stress, resulting in absenteeism and a lack of commitment to both employer and colleagues. The outcome, poor overall performance, satisfies no one.

So how can employers steer people away from an array of potential misfortunes, ranging from failed personal relationships to a heart attack? Does ensuring employees have the ability to manage their workload and balance competing interests fall within the scope of corporate social responsibility? Is it the individuals responsibility to balance work/life? We are not born inherently knowing how best to manage our time, delegate or prioritise tasks. These are skills that we have to learn, whether it is through on-the-job training, guidance from a manager or mentor, or a formal training solution.

Understanding how to manage priorities is relevant for people at all levels, in just about every industry. Specifically, learning how to ask for help and how to say ‘no’ are fundamental building blocks in the pursuit of work-life balance. Employees need to appreciate the significance of accountability. People who opt not to take on more than they can handle are more productive than those who accept every project that comes their way and end up overwhelmed. Educating staff about the goals and business objectives of your organization will improve their ability to judge which elements of their role are most crucial to the company’s success.

Companies that offer little in the way of work-life balance inevitably suffer from higher rates of staff turnover. Work-life balance should not, however, be perceived as a quick fix. Companies that try to paper over existing problems without research, planning and a rigorous evaluation framework will not reap the benefits. Ultimately, work-life balance is not a ‘feel-good’ policy but a strategic imperative for all businesses, requiring both employer and employee to commit to a positive change management process.

From: Quebec will introduce four day week for parents and caregivers. by
Source: Community Action, 2/17/2003.
Via: HighBeam™ Research
COPYRIGHT 2007 Community Action Publishers

What In the Hospitality Am I Doing?

2009-04-19T15:13:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm learning how to post to my blog with pdf files. As you can see below, I'm a noob, so any suggestions will be welcomed and thanks for your patience with me.

Interview Prep Program - Interview Ease

2009-04-19T15:08:00.000-07:00

Publish at Scribd or explore others: School Work Other business blog

Hospitality Employees Market in the West?

2009-03-16T18:51:00.000-07:00

A very happy and prosperous 2009 to everyone.

Just when hospitality job seekers in the West thought they were sitting in the catbird seat, along came our current economic downard dive (not to be confused with Yoga's Downward Dog). This should server as a correction to the employee's advantage. From a recruiter's perspective, it was interesting to see how people on both the employer and employee side handled the change from an employers market to an employees one.

As you might expect, many candidates relished in the turn of events and some employers resisted the new shift in power. Although I found most people I dealt with strove to be reasonable and practical, some hiring situations became comical with a resistant employer on one side and an overarching candidate on the other. Only comical after the fact of course!

It's been difficult as a recruiter to deal with people who take an unreasonable position, whether that be a candidate that expects the sun and moon or an employer who wants capable and experienced candidates but refuses to acknowledge the need to better accomodate them. Difficult, because I don't always want to be diplomatic with people who are wasting my time.

I won't detail my experience with "bad" employees and employers but focus on the good. A few stellar candidates sitting in the catbird seat displayed the most generous and noble spirits and didn't think to try and capitalize on the situation and push for everything they ever dreamed of from an employer. A few innovators on the employer side invested time and money to understand the hiring situation and truly approach candidates with flexibility, an open mind, and as real people with lives outside work.

To close, I must emphasis another positive side, which is my preferred view. I learned a lot about many candidates and some employers where I would otherwise would not have had the opportunity. Even better, I have had the happy circumstance of being able to keep notes on all good and bad behaviour in my little black book!

May you all reach the heights of success and prosperity in 2009!

Hospitality Industry Jargon

2009-03-16T18:47:00.000-07:00

We'll be featuring a word or phrase particular to our industry and provide the common definition. Industry "Word" is a new edition to our Newsletter. You may be surprised with how much is part of our daily speak AND you may even learn a new industry catch phrase!
As a recruiter, I deal with all types of candidates and clients in hotels, restaurants, resorts, and so on. Some of the entry management or foreign workers are very much baffled by our language. You can imagine that in this dynamic industry where I work with various companies, I've encountered a host of acronyms, catch phrases and abbreviations.

We apparently like to keep things exciting regardless of industry ups and downs. What one company may call an OJE another will use RJP, where a person overseeing several operations may be called an Area Manager at one organization, another will prefer Territory Manager.

It's a fascinating part of our industry that most of us take for granted, but for some, a lack of finesse with the lingo can really impact the impression they make in an interview, an industry conference or at the corporate water cooler.
I suppose being a dynamic industry, we demand our vocabulary to be no less dynamic! So to amuse many and inform some, watch for our regular editions of Industry "Word" in our newsletter.

In hospitality,
Target Professionals Hospitality Recruiting

The Successful Hospitality Manager Attributes

2009-03-16T18:43:00.000-07:00

Finally, Spring has arrived for 2008!

This is the time to be a qualified and responsible candidate in the hospitality industry for Western Canada. Like the change to Spring time, the market has also changed, bringing candidates greater opportunities to develop their careers and maintain a healthy life/work relationship.

The change in favor of candidates is due to several factors in Western Canada....the imminent arrival of the 2010 Olympic Games to British Columbia and the Oil boom in Alberta to name couple.

However, certain things remain constant from a recruiter's perspective. A qualified candidate will always have certain attributes that make them successful in their job hunt. For instance; professionalism, experience, drive, great communication skills, a business ethic, and a solid past history.

While I encourage qualified candidates to strive to find a position that is best suited to them and their lifestyle, I also suggest being a responsible candidate. Continue to maintain a sense of honor and respect towards your work, employer, and in the process of interviews with prospective employers.

These attributes define you as a qualified and responsible candidate which will help ensure you're successful in your career endeavors. It's simply a bonus that they also define you as a very decent human being.

Please call 604.552.2377 or email anytime if you have any questions or issues regarding hospitality employment in BC and Alberta.

Enjoy the coming sun!

Recruiter/Candidate Relationship

2009-03-16T18:39:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy start to the year and I want to thank all of the candidates who have kindly referred Target Professionals to other candidates and clients. I receive great satisfaction in helping people find good work that fits their lives while assisting clients employ your exceptional skills with fairness, respect and growth opportunities.

Some people don't realize that, as a recruiter, I don't charge a fee to candidates for assisting with developing a career plan, employment searches, resume formats, interview preparation, work permit information, etc.... this is true. Recruiters charge the clients (your prospective employer) a fee when they hire a candidate through Target Professionals. So, while I don't work directly for candidates, I do my best to help you with your career even if I don't have a position currently open that suits your background and interest.

I believe candidates and clients have equal imporatance and value regardless of who pays the fee simply because they are both one side of a vibrant hospitality business. I'd be interested to hear any of your comments about how successful recruiters are in meeting your needs or if you feel there are ways we can improve.

Retention in the Hospitality Industry

2009-03-16T18:34:00.000-07:00

Retention Retention Retention

Some numbers for you:
Cost to recruit and train one mid level manager 10K - 14K
Time to find and train on average 6 months
Current turnover average in the industry 40%

I hear from clients and contacts in the industry often about the difficuties and costs when it comes to keeping quality people, especially of late. While I have a distrinct advantage in targeting candidates in the market, it's up to the client to implement methods to retain that person. It's a real crisis in the Western Canada market right now and I don't see it getting better any time soon. You needent think you're alone in this increasingly difficult task of retaining people. Everyone in the hospitality industry feels the impact of the exodus of front-line staff and management to Oil in Alberta. BC is affected by this and is also not all that far behind with 2010 only 2 years away. So what does it take to minimilzie the impact?

As much as it seems to have come down to money, money money, the companies that are succeeding in winning over quality candidates and keeping them on board are using a few methods, including money, and are continiously seeking out alternatives to keep people.
The approaches that I see working are comprehensive and target these goals: attract, challenge, and compensate.

I don't really need to say you'll attract greater candidates using an industry focussed recruiter, right? Attract the best candidates by putting effort into presenting your company in the most favorable light possible. This is not always accomplished with a job advertisement and job fairs but they certainly make a first impression for good or bad, so take the time to explain the position and the company culture. Too many people don't consider just how much appearances mean to candidates. They want to be valued and that is first demonstrated with your putting the effort into presenting the opportunity and company well in print, web and in person.

Once you've got their attention, they will likely be thinking, "How can this company can help me build on my work experiences". For those who didn't get the memo, IT'S AN EMPLOYEES MARKET! And the candidates know the tide has turned and they're in the driver's seat. The pros and cons of that and how to deal with it may be a future topic. Most candidates I've spoken with over the years want to develop and be challenged in their work and this comes across as the number one priority above all other concerns. This is especially true with the younger workers just coming up the career ladder. The point is, you must have either a succession plan for the position to put forward or be offering a position somehow beyond their current scope.

Compensation. It's really not going to work to continue to say, "We want people who don't value money over all else". I've heard this more than a few times, but would you work for 30K? At the end of the day, we all look for a good compensation package - and yes - the fair, good and excellent candidates all consider this before taking a position. And rightly so. Anyone who thinks they don't have to respond to the increasing salary ranges the industry demands will have difficulty attracting, and most certainly retaining, great people.

Consider again the time and cost to get a new person on board along with the turnover rate in the indstry as noted above. Is it clear that those who succeed in targeting and retaining the best candidates are paying attention to how they attract, challenge and compensate people? It is to me, I've seen it working.

Happy hunting,
Colleen